Universal devotions and worldwide practices are examined and explained, in addition to ethnic and regional customs and traditions. (Hispanic, Filipino, Vietnamese, Russian, Irish, Italian, and more!) This is the source that tells you:

– The origin of a practice or devotion (the person, the place, the event, the petition asked for and answered).

– How it developed over centuries. (And, in some cases, how it flourished and then faded away. Or flourished and then was suppressed.)

– How it’s observed today. (And how you can observe it.)

First Friday, flowers by the altar, vestment colors, visiting cemeteries, Mardi Gras, scapulars, bells, incense, holy water, Our Lady of Fatima, the Sacred Heart, St. Anthony as patron of finding lost items, St. Thérèse of Lisieux’s “Little Way,” Divine Mercy, World Youth Day. You’ll find those and more in Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Catholic Devotions and Practices.