The Folklore of World Holidays

The stories of some 340 holidays from over 150 countries are told, wherever possible, in quotations from books, journals, biographies, and other firsthand accounts by people who actually celebrate the holidays in their own homes. Additional information is furnished by folklorists and anthropologists. Especially strong is the treatment of non-European countries, scantily represented heretofore in the reference literature. Arrangement is according to the Gregorian Calendar, January 1 to December 31 (the introduction explains the origins and organization of this and other calendrical systems). A single index combines ethnic, subject, and geographic entries. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR