Montaillou – Life in a Medieval Village

I just finished Montaillou by Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie.  This took me over half a year to finish not because it wasn’t great, but because I have two young boys and thus free time is non-existent. I learned of this book in a Reddit post and quickly bought it as it is right up my…… Continue reading Montaillou – Life in a Medieval Village

Santa Claus, Ded Moroz, Christianity and the Solstice

It is 2:48 AM on December 24th – the morning of Christmas Eve.  To mark the cultural and religious highlight of the entire year across the Western world I thought I should post something about the holiday. My focus is the mythical figure known as Santa Claus in the West, Ded Moroz in the East,…… Continue reading Santa Claus, Ded Moroz, Christianity and the Solstice