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International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.

It’s a tough life being a woman in Malaysia. Not only are we supposed to conform to gender norms, but also expectations on how to be ourselves based on cultural and religious expectations. Almost always, however, all these expectations are based on patriarchal leanings on...

Five years after his eldest daughter married, Nawal Paswan, 41, is still paying off interest on a hefty loan of Rs 300,000 (US$3,000) for the dowry. Paswan, a construction worker from southern Nepal where the dowry system is rampant, had to give cash and gifts to the groom...

A day cannot begin, nor progress nor end without tea in Pakistan. Whether it’s the start of the day or work time, a cup of tea can refresh one. A day is just not complete without tea. What better than the ‘Kashmiri Chai’, also known as ‘Pink Tea’ ...

Have you ever been to a museum showcasing gigantic skeletons of whales? The southern central province of Binh Thuan is home to famous landscapes, such as the ancient tower Po Sha Inu, the Ong Hoang (Prince) Palace, the Ta Cu Mountain and ...

Spirit houses are small building which looks like a miniature Thai house or Buddhist temple standing on a column or stand and can be found outside most houses, restaurants, businesses and hotels in Thailand.

Many Christians choose not to observe Halloween. As one of the most popular holidays in our culture—for some more celebrated than Christmas—it can present a challenge for Christian families, especially when children are involved. Although I won't discuss...

A handy checklist of everything you need to know for the New Year.

Ever notice that Jews don’t traditionally wish each other “happy new year”? Instead we say the Hebrew phrase “shanah tovah” which — in spite of the mistaken translation that appears on almost all greeting cards ...

In the thousands of years of its history, Chinese religion and culture have evolved and integrated to become what they are today: A tradition that is part of the daily life of a typical Chinese individual.

The reservations against the cremation of Tibetan religious guru Shamar Rinpoche, the lineage holder of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, on Nepali soil are understandable. First, as he is not a Nepali national the state is under no legal obligation....

The tradition of giving chocolate eggs and decorating real eggs is ancient and pre-dates Christian customs. Engraved ostrich eggs more than 60,000 years old have been discovered in Africa and representations of ostrich eggs in gold and silver were commonly placed in the graves of ancient Sumerians and Egyptians 5,000 years ago.

Holy Week is one of the busiest weeks of the year for our family. Preparing for Christmas, especially when we have to plan celebrations for both sides of the family and possible travel is also busy, but it never reaches the level ...

A traditional festival, “Dap trong dem trang” (Banging on drums to rip its skin on a moon-lit night) of Ma Coong ethnic minority people in north-central Quang Binh province, stands out from others as it provides a chance for local youths to search for their soul mates.

If you have been in love then you might be quite sure of the fact that love sees no bounds. However at times language might pose as a serious threat to the aspiring lovers, who are boiling with the passion of love yet lack the courage to say those magical words. Wooing your partner with...

For three days, one takes extra care not to show anger and not to be rude to people. The most nagging mother-in-law will make peace with her daughter-in-law; a quarreling couple will smile pleasantly at each other; the new world should be the best of worlds.

Take a look at the magpie in the pine tree. Korean people say that a welcome guest comes when a magpie sings. Jesus Christ seems to be a most welcome guest in...

This cluster of Chinese triptychs made by a Chinese Christian from the Zhejiang Province center on the promise of Isaiah 9:2 that people sitting in the dark have seen a great light, a symbol of the future Messiah. The three Chinese characters above the triptych with ...

You will find on this page a growing number of Crèche sets, all of them presented to the public in and around Dayton since 1998. They represent a fraction of the Marian Library's Crèches Collection.

A Western acquaintance of mine once had the misfortune of committing a serious faux-pas according to our standards, when all she meant was to console her widowed friend. One day this young lady discovered that her friend and colleague’s husband had...

A special day in the honor of mothers, Mothers Day is celebrated in several countries around the world though on different dates. In a large number of countries including US, Mothers Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in the month of May, but in many other countries Mothers Day is...

Though our world has a diversity of cultures and religions that celebrate unique festivals and beliefs, some rituals are universal to us all. Funeral rites, which seem to be as old as humanity itself, can be traced back to the Neanderthals around 60,000 B.C., who used flowers and antlers to

The Hung Kings Anniversary - Hung Temple Festival is set to take place from April 13 to 19, 2013. Vietnam Business Forum interviewed Mr Ha Ke San, Vice Chairman of Phu Tho Provincial People’s Committee, on activities of Hung Kings Anniversary - Hung Temple Festival 2013.

International Women's Day has been observed since in the early 1900's, a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies.

A plate filled with five types of fruits sits on the ancestor’s altar in every Vietnamese home during the New Year. The fruits are colorful and meaningful.

Le "Têt Nguyên Dán", ou plus simplement le Têt, est l'événement de l'année attendu par tous, c'est la fête la plus célébrée et plus importante au Vietnam. Cette journée se déroule le premier jour du premier mois du calendrier lunaire...

A festival on Vietnamese history and culture held in Seoul, the Republic of Korea on September 22-2012, helps strengthen ties in Vietnamese-Korean families, which are on rise in the RoK in recent time.

Getting married is an important event in a Vietnamese’s life. The procedure of the ancient wedding ceremony was very complicated. Current wedding ceremony procedures include the following steps: the search for a husband or wife, the proposal, the registration, and finally the wedding.