Join us on Easter Monday for this engaging and enlightening talk to discover the origins of our rituals and holidays and learn about how they can enrich our lives, as well as the value of scepticism when studying history.

This talk by Alex Martin will explore the origins of various holidays and rituals celebrated and observed in Britain. There will be an in-depth focus on Christmas and Easter, as well as a case study of Jack in the Green, highlighting the extent to which scepticism is useful in the study of history.

In addition to describing events and how they have changed or stayed the same, Alex will explore the various meanings of these traditions and rituals and how, as a collective experience, they enriched the lives of our ancestors and how a deeper understanding of them can still provide us with meaning and direction, even from a humanist viewpoint.

Our speaker:

Alex Martin is a history teacher currently working in Derbyshire and has written for New Histories magazine. He is interested in many topics, periods, and approaches to history. His understanding and appreciation for the past grew from just being a way to spend his evenings into something more profound, much like how religion influences others.

Our venue:

Farm Road Sports & Social Club has free parking and is a ten-minute walk from the Sheffield train station and bus interchange. If the door is locked when you arrive, please press the buzzer to be let in and head for the "Concert Room."

Feel free to pick up a drink at the bar and bring it in, but please arrive early to avoid the queue at the bar.