holidays

Originally published on June 22, 2023, A.E. Brooks-Key’s ‘Juneteenth conundrum’ is still with us. With each passing year it becomes clearer no one knows quite what to do with this newest addition to…

Independence Day doesn’t tend to cause as much dissonance as Thanksgiving, as much confusion as Juneteenth, and isn’t as widely reviled as Columbus Day (aka Indigenous People’s Day). Yet, while it “is…

For Jews, Passover is a time of liberation. The Exodus story tells the tale of a slave population liberated by divine intervention. It’s a story of hope for many persecuted peoples, including the…

Sunday was Transgender Day of Visibility; it was also Easter, a holy day for many people. This incidental confluence (Transgender Day of Visibility is always on March 31, and Easter just happened to…

From Fifth Avenue to Dorchester Heights, this St. Patrick’s Day will feature the traditional uilleann pipers and Irish step dancers; in Chicago the river will be dyed green, and in Washington DC the…

Cloying sentimentality, saccharine pablum, ridiculous camp and embarrassing kitsch—in the contemporary moment the word “angel” hasn’t fared well among those who describe themselves as sophisticates or…

As the New Year approaches and gift guides (and pleas for support) litter our inboxes, let’s take some time to reflect upon 2023. As I’ve previously stated , this is rarely a joyous occasion in my…

Earlier this year, before Hamas’ attack and Israel’s siege of Gaza, and before the House of Representatives passed a resolution declaring it so, Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said the…

Forget ugly sweater parties , this is our new national Christmas tradition: 1) a public venue creates a forum and invites everyone to erect displays; 2) Secular Humanists, Satanists, and other…

“I think the village of Huwara needs to be wiped out. I think the state of Israel should do it,” said Israel’s Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, earlier this year. Though shocking to many at the…