Sasha Sagan

And then parents sometimes get very annoyed with the long list of why questions, because then they have to ask themselves these. And so I loved always looking at the things we do from the outside. And so that's sort of the impetus for the Strange Customs podcast. Like if you were an anthropologist from somewhere else, how would you explain

And then parents sometimes get very annoyed with the long list of why questions, because then they have to ask themselves these. And so I loved always looking at the things we do from the outside. And so that's sort of the impetus for the Strange Customs podcast. Like if you were an anthropologist from somewhere else, how would you explain

you know, marriage, anything from like marriage and, you know, rituals around birth to like April Fool's Day or, you know, I mean, Halloween is a perfect example. I think it's that. And I'm also really interested in customs and traditions because as a non-religious person, I still want to mark time and process change. And I still...

you know, marriage, anything from like marriage and, you know, rituals around birth to like April Fool's Day or, you know, I mean, Halloween is a perfect example. I think it's that. And I'm also really interested in customs and traditions because as a non-religious person, I still want to mark time and process change. And I still...

you know, marriage, anything from like marriage and, you know, rituals around birth to like April Fool's Day or, you know, I mean, Halloween is a perfect example. I think it's that. And I'm also really interested in customs and traditions because as a non-religious person, I still want to mark time and process change. And I still...

you know, want to grieve when someone dies and I got married and had a wedding. And like when the seasons change, I want to have a celebration, but I don't have the infrastructure of religion. So how do we do that?

you know, want to grieve when someone dies and I got married and had a wedding. And like when the seasons change, I want to have a celebration, but I don't have the infrastructure of religion. So how do we do that?

you know, want to grieve when someone dies and I got married and had a wedding. And like when the seasons change, I want to have a celebration, but I don't have the infrastructure of religion. So how do we do that?

No, I don't think we must, but I think that it gives us sometimes, depending on the ritual, it's either the illusion of control, if it's a ritual that we believe changes something, makes something happen, or it's about processing change, right? Like, Someone's alive and then they are not alive. The thing, whatever this is, goes away. How do we make sense of that? How do we process this change?

No, I don't think we must, but I think that it gives us sometimes, depending on the ritual, it's either the illusion of control, if it's a ritual that we believe changes something, makes something happen, or it's about processing change, right? Like, Someone's alive and then they are not alive. The thing, whatever this is, goes away. How do we make sense of that? How do we process this change?

No, I don't think we must, but I think that it gives us sometimes, depending on the ritual, it's either the illusion of control, if it's a ritual that we believe changes something, makes something happen, or it's about processing change, right? Like, Someone's alive and then they are not alive. The thing, whatever this is, goes away. How do we make sense of that? How do we process this change?

Or if you think about all the coming of age rituals around the world, right? Someone is a child and then like, oh, all these chemicals come in and their voice changes and there's hair and then they're in a weird mood and everything's different suddenly. And then they're an adult. And like that threshold, we have to acknowledge that.

Or if you think about all the coming of age rituals around the world, right? Someone is a child and then like, oh, all these chemicals come in and their voice changes and there's hair and then they're in a weird mood and everything's different suddenly. And then they're an adult. And like that threshold, we have to acknowledge that.

Or if you think about all the coming of age rituals around the world, right? Someone is a child and then like, oh, all these chemicals come in and their voice changes and there's hair and then they're in a weird mood and everything's different suddenly. And then they're an adult. And like that threshold, we have to acknowledge that.

And I think that, you know, when we sort of look at so many rituals around the world, when you peel back the first layer of like the local set design and costumes and script, we are almost always celebrating the same things. And they are so often scientific phenomenon, like puberty is like a biological change, right? The changing of the seasons is

And I think that, you know, when we sort of look at so many rituals around the world, when you peel back the first layer of like the local set design and costumes and script, we are almost always celebrating the same things. And they are so often scientific phenomenon, like puberty is like a biological change, right? The changing of the seasons is

And I think that, you know, when we sort of look at so many rituals around the world, when you peel back the first layer of like the local set design and costumes and script, we are almost always celebrating the same things. And they are so often scientific phenomenon, like puberty is like a biological change, right? The changing of the seasons is

It has to do with the biology of the plants and it has to do with the axial tilts of the earth, right? And all these holidays that fall around the solstices and equinoxes. It's because we're all, you know, we sometimes make up a different backstory, but we're all trying to process the same patterns and make sense of them and find the beauty in them and alleviate our fears.

It has to do with the biology of the plants and it has to do with the axial tilts of the earth, right? And all these holidays that fall around the solstices and equinoxes. It's because we're all, you know, we sometimes make up a different backstory, but we're all trying to process the same patterns and make sense of them and find the beauty in them and alleviate our fears.

It has to do with the biology of the plants and it has to do with the axial tilts of the earth, right? And all these holidays that fall around the solstices and equinoxes. It's because we're all, you know, we sometimes make up a different backstory, but we're all trying to process the same patterns and make sense of them and find the beauty in them and alleviate our fears.