A slightly more macabre wassailing tradition takes place in Wales, the Mari Lwyd. Mari, who’s head is made from the skull of a horse, with baubles for eyes and flowing ribbons for mane, is operated by a long pole hidden under the white sheet that acts as her body. Snapping her jaw at passers-by, she leads a procession around the town going from house to house. The terrifying nature of the Mari Lwyd is only exaggerated by the fact that she is sometimes so tall that she can knock upon the second-floor windows (Firestone, 1978).
Read More51% of industry workers are burnt out from the holidays, so is it a holly-jolly Christmas after all? Overworked, understaffed, and high expectations. What’s going to give?
Read MoreWhen I became disabled, one of the things that I struggled the most with was just how much my life changed, practically overnight.
It wasn't just that I was adapting to no longer being a healthy, able-bodied person, but I was also suddenly transitioning from being able to do so much, so easily, to having a mountain of access needs that had to be fulfilled in order for me to do anything.
Read MoreYou’ve been with your partner for a long time, but your sex life has been dwindling. Weeks turn into months of no sex and you’re starting to wonder what you’ve done wrong. I’m here to tell you that you’re not alone.
Read MoreCountry is back in. From fashion trends (flannel, denim, cowboy boots, fringes, and leather) to music and art, country is truly having a revival. But what some people may not know is the history of cowboys and that Queer Western is also enjoying the limelight.
Read MoreWhen you don’t have children of your own, the entire premise of this article being written by someone who knows nothing of the experiences being written about could potentially be a touch scathing, maybe even absurd. Of course they are! I write this to the little girl inside of me, who had so many questions for her mother growing up.
Read MoreAs a nervous and superstitious child, I was convinced that the English countryside was stalked by escaped wild cats and phantasmic black dogs. Whether this notion could be tied to some deep-rooted connection with my ancestors that channelled my psychic awareness or the fact that I was exposed to the 2002 film ‘Dog Soldiers’ too early as a child one Christmas Eve, I couldn’t tell you.
Read MoreThe fan in a woman’s body has been seen as “crazy” ever since the times of Elvis Presley or The Beatles – and yet we still forget that exactly these people are one hell of a force.
Read MoreBut from colonial influence and globalisation, Type 2 Diabetes is now a huge issue and is the overall biggest killer of Mexicans. You are more likely to be killed by diabetes in Mexico than Narcos. People in Chiapas alone, drink an average of 2.5 litres of coca cola in a day.”
Read MoreAccording to this article from the BBC , “Data from Statista shows that the baby and child skincare market is expected to experience an annual growth rate of about 7.71% until in 2028, it reaches $380m (£299m) in market volume worldwide…This isn’t just about young kids trying their mums’ creams, but an industry expanding to reach a broader age spread of consumers.”
Read MoreA large part of getting ready for school involved taming my unruly curls in order to ‘look presentable’. My grandma would oil my hair with coconut hair oil, her fingers expertly weaving their way through the knots in my hair to reach the scalp. After this, came the painful process of running a comb through my hair to get rid of the knots. I remember squealing in pain as the comb worked hard to straighten my stubborn curls.
Read MoreThose first few weeks, even months, are so special. You and your partner are just in your own little bubble with this gorgeous little baby that you have spent months waiting for. Nothing can compete with those first moments; watching their hair grow, those first sparks of a personality. But what most aren't prepared for, like myself, is when ‘the bubble’ pops.
Read MoreAfter a full year of experiencing wedding merriment at full capacity, I started feeling the financial pinch (to say the least). Between us, my partner and I attended seven weddings in 2023, and he acted as best man or groomsman in a number of them. We worked it out: all these weddings cost the two of us nearly £5,000.
Read MorePicture this: you’re finally pregnant and expecting your first child after years of people extolling the virtues of having children. Suddenly, the narrative is flipped, it’s no longer the best thing to ever happen to you. Unfortunately, you are now doomed to live a joyless life of servitude to said child. It almost feels as though you have been duped, scammed into some sort of parenthood pyramid scheme from which there is no escape.
Read MoreThe plan to head towards Redcliffe to protect those at the Mercure hotel threw things into further chaos, splitting groups up leading to worse violence. Coined the Battle of Bristol Bridge, police had the far-right groups cornered on one side of the bridge and the counter-protesters on the other; while all police efforts were focused on keeping the two groups apart on Bristol Bridge some key members of the anti-racism protesters found their way ahead to Mercure.
Read MoreMargot Robbie’s Schroedinger-esque sexiness – at once sexy and unsexy, depending on which film you press “play” to – encapsulates something more important. A multi-millionaire, talented actress/producer/director like Margot, or a billionaire singer-songwriter like Taylor Swift, can take a break from work without worrying about making ends meet, and can build a protective network around themselves where they are safe.
Read MoreThe current system for diagnosing breast cancer is the mammography screening program, which invites women for an X-ray scan of their breasts once every 3 years after they turn 50, until the age of 71. At first glance, this seems entirely logical. The system has been in place since 1988, it must be effective. But why are so many women dying of breast cancer? Why are their tumours not being found earlier?
Read MoreHis stubbled cheek brushed lightly against mine as he moved his lips so close to my ear that they sent a shiver down my spine. With his deep, gravely voice, he whispered these endlessly romantic words: you’re pretty fuckable for a fat chick.
Read MoreWe all too often forget that we are all souls having a human experience. Death is a common denominator; we all come to experience it and at many times the world over, we have all been united by it. Opening up conversation about death, loss, and how we experience grief could be an awakening for us; an incredible revolution.
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