Springing for Edgy Traditions: 5 Beautiful, Bizarre and Personal Vernal Rites

Dear Readers,

Hope all of you are finding some time to relax and unwind during this season of Easter, Passover, Ramadan… whatever you celebrate (or don’t!). Take some downtime this weekend to dive into these four inspiring, shocking and hilarious stories of springtime rituals.

How the Widows of Vrindavan Got Their Color Back

In a region of ancient Hindu lore, modern-day widows are condemned to a life of exclusion and humiliation. During a festive day one spring, everything changed.

How I Almost Lost Your Mother

Desperate to impress his future in-laws at their first Passover Seder together, one man became the center of an elaborate family prank with the potential to become disastrous at every turn.

Beating and Bleeding for Christ

Defying objections from church and state alike, the men of one small Italian village carry on an 800-year-old tradition, one vicious self-inflicted wound at a time.

Meet the Modern-Day Pagans Who Celebrate the Ancient Gods

Deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, a community of Druids is reviving Celtic rites. They might seem hokey or outlandish, but maybe, just maybe, they’re the ones who have it all figured out.

Don’t forget to submit your own story!

There’s less than one week left to submit your own story to Narratively’s first-ever Profile Prize. We’re beyond honored to have three absolute icons of the literary world guest judging this prize: Legendary journalist Gay Talese, groundbreaking book publisher Lisa Lucas and bestselling author Rebecca Traister will help select our grand prize winner. Read more about each of our guest judges here, then submit your story by April 14 for a chance to win $3,000, publication on Narratively and the opportunity to connect with each of these guest judges.