Festivals of the World: The Illustrated Guide to Celebrations, Customs, Events and Holidays

Easter. Yom Kippur. Ramadan. Hungry Ghosts Festival. Every calendar in the world is shaped by its cycle of festivals. These holy days provide communities with occasions to meet and retell stories of creation and destruction, triumph and defeat, love and loss, and the battle of good over evil. Highly illustrated throughout, Festivals of the World provides a colorful introduction to the festivals central to each faith, including Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Taoism, Jainism, Rastafarianism, Baha'i, Zoroastrianism, and Shintoism. Chapters highlight where each faith's religious calendar year begins, the history and origins of each event, its significance, and how the holiday is celebrated around the world. In addition, the book covers major secular festivals, including Thanksgiving, Halloween, and Kwanzaa. Coverage Includes: Expressions of Religious Life: Feasting, fasting, and fun; an overview; public spectacles; storytelling and faith; symbols and food; Universal and Local Festivals: The seasons and history; fundamental questions; local celebrations; Celebration and Time: Counting the days; cycles within cycles; seasons and years; auspicious days; Calendars and Monuments: Calendars around the world; solar calendar; lunar and luminosolar calendars; counting the years; ancient markers; Old and New Traditions: Changes of focus; recent history; national festivals.