We like to think that the holidays are all sweetness and light. But sometimes, it takes a little Christmas magic and a lot of gingerbread to restore comfort and joy.
The Longest Night
When the holiday season stirs feelings of longing and melancholy, a winter solstice service brings light, comfort, and hope on the darkest day of the year.
Pilgrimage to Portsmouth
An old church bell rings, and an abandoned barrier island springs back to life. For those who make the biennial journey to this once-bustling shipping and fishing village, there's comfort in the ritual of remembering.
The Last House Call
A retired Greenville pediatrician returns to his ancestral homestead to mend the house's old bones, heal its wetlands and preserve a family history that has long captivated him.
Photo Essay: Native North Carolina
Our eight state-recognized tribes each have their own stories and traditions, but they share an important bond, too: a love of this land that traces back to the first people who called it home.
The Joys of Coming Home
When you’re gathering together with loved ones — family in the mountains, friends on the coast, classmates somewhere in between — it doesn’t matter what you bring or wear, as long as you are there.
Family Tradition: The World Is Their Oyster
On a Thanksgiving quest for shellfish in Williamston, the Perry family finds a gracious plenty — plus a lot to be grateful for.
Jason Brown’s Journey From Football to Farming
One of the highest-paid centers in the NFL walked away from football at the peak of his career. His new life on a farm in Louisburg, just 30 minutes from where he grew up, was much harder, and happier, than he ever thought possible.
The Wisdom of Trees
Forestry didn’t exist in America until two men — each with his own vision for how to protect our woodlands — arrived in western North Carolina and nurtured the profession into being.
