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  • Aashima Rana

    DCU

    Aashima Rana is a PhD student at the School of English at DCU

    The shrine of St Valentine at Whitefriar St Church in Dublin. Photo: Leah Farrell/RollingNews

    From Valentine to Galatians, the roots of Feb 14th celebrations

    Hollywood and Hallmark have commercialised Valentine's Day, but its origins were far from flowers, jewellery, chocolates and cards

    valentines day • 13 Feb
    The little wren at large. Photo: Michael Finn

    How the wren became the king of all birds

    A huge number of folklore traditions and rituals have grown up around the little wren, especially at this time of year

    Christmas • 16 Dec 24
    The Children of Lir statue in Dublin's Garden of Remembrance was designed by Oisín Kelly and symbolises change, resurrection, rebirth and reincarnation. Photo: RTÉ

    Why the Children of Lir are at home in the Garden of Remembrance

    The statue of the Children of Lir in the Garden of Remembrance is a reminder of the popular mythological tale

    Folklore • 21 Jul 23
    "Tales, myths, songs and legends originated from the oral tradition and have been circulated for generations through various mediums" Photo: Getty Images

    The many variations on The Tortoise and the Hare

    Slow and steady wins the race? That depends on which version of the ancient fable you read

    Folklore • 05 Dec 22
    'Different cultures have different myths and superstitions about spiders'. Photo: Getty Images

    Does killing spiders bring bad luck?

    There are many Irish folklore superstitions about spiders and most of them involve not killing them

    Folklore • 18 Jul
    STOP THE COUNT!

    One for sorrow, two for joy: why we count magpies

    As the nursery rhyme suggests, the bird is long associated with superstitions around bad luck, negativity and ill-omens

    Folklore • 14 Jul 21
    All fall down: "while performing this rhyme, all the kids innocently enact the deaths of those who perished during the plague". Photo: Getty Images

    How innocent nursery rhymes tell tales of death and destruction

    The roots of "Ring a Ring a Rosie" lie in the devastating events around the Black Death

    Nursery rhymes • 12 Jun 20

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