History

Santo Tomas Catholic Church in Abiquiu, N.M., is the site of an annual saint's day celebration in late November that includes cultural elements of the genizaros, the descendants of Native American slaves.

National

Descendants Of Native American Slaves In New Mexico Emerge From Obscurity

12:25pm December 30, 2016

by John Burnett

The mixed-race genizaros, whose history stretches back to the 17th century, smash the conventional notion that New Mexican identity is defined as either the noble Spaniard or the proud Pueblo Indian.

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Celebrating 50 Years Of Kwanzaa

4:19pm December 29, 2016

by NPR Staff

Tonight is the third night of Kwanzaa. Those who celebrate the seven-day festival will gather around the Kinara and light the last red candle. The holiday is also observing it's 50th anniversary.

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Poet Emily Dickinson Was A Much Loved Baker

7:38am December 27, 2016

by The Kitchen Sisters

Though a notorious recluse, Emily Dickinson shared her masterful creations with friends and neighbors. Early drafts of her poems are often found on the backs of cake recipes and flour labels.

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Aisha Hinds, at left, will play Harriet Tubman in the second season of WGN America's Underground, alongside (left to right) Amirah Vann, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Aldis Hodge, Alano Miller and Jessica de Gouw.

Arts

At Last, Harriet Tubman Strides Onto Our Screens

4:59am December 26, 2016

by Neda Ulaby

The legendary abolitionist hasn't had a big place in popular culture. But with an upcoming movie starring Viola Davis and her appearance in the TV show Underground, that's starting to change.

World News

Dutch War Hero's 270-Oear-Old Menorah Auctions Off For $440K

8:56am December 25, 2016

Host Ailsa Chang speaks with Annelies de Boer about the sale of an 18th century menorah. It belonged to the family of a famous Dutch Jewish resistance fighter killed by Nazis and sold for $440,000.

Religion

Remembering Holocaust Hero Marion Pritchard

8:56am December 25, 2016

We remember Holocaust hero Marion Pritchard who died this month at the age of 96. She saved more than 100 Jews, many of them children, in her native Holland. Her son Ivor Pritchard shares stories.

Jews commemorate Hanukkah by eating fried foods. For most American Jews, that means latkes — potato pancakes fried in oil. But other cultures toss different foods into pots of boiling oil. Take, for example, these fried and jam-filled doughnuts, called

Beyond Latkes: 8 Nights Of Fried Delights From Around The World

7:40am December 24, 2016

by Bonny Wolf

Jews commemorate Hanukkah by eating fried foods. For most American Jews, that means latkes — potato pancakes fried in oil. But other cultures toss different foods into pots of boiling oil.

World News

Who First Decorated The Christmas Tree? Historian Says Neither Latvia Or Estonia

4:49pm December 23, 2016

Latvia and Estonia have long fought over who can claim the site of the first decorated tree, but a Latvian historian says it might be neither.

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Bread sauce, a sauce made with milk, breadcrumbs and spices, is a staple at traditional Christmas dinners in England.

Eat Ye Bread Sauce While Ye May: Brits Go Medieval On Christmas Day

4:03pm December 23, 2016

by Alison Richards

Made with breadcrumbs, milk, onion and spices, bread sauce is a key part of traditional English Christmas dinners. It's a culinary relic of medieval times when bread-soaked sauces were all the rage.

Ethel Rosenberg Was Collateral Damage In Soviet Spy Case, Sons Say

7:29am December 23, 2016

In 1953, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed on spying convictions. Steve Inskeep talks to Robert and Michael Meeropol, the Rosenberg sons, about their quest to have their mother exonerated.

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