Encyclopedia Of Holidays, Festivals, And Celebrations Of The World

Encyclopedia of Holidays and Celebrations: A Country-by-Country Guide explores major holidays, festivals, and rites of passage in 206 countries. The first two volumes are organized alphabetically by country. The third volume features overview articles that provide detailed information about major holidays celebrated around the world, as well as articles on major world religions.

Country entries include general information and a brief introduction, subsections on holidays, religious holidays, regional holidays, and rites of passage; origins and rituals; and further reading. Entries on internationally observed holidays include holidays in an international context, at-a-glance information, the dates of observance, an introduction to the religion, the origins and history, the way in which the community celebrates/commemorates the holiday, and further reading.

Two hundred black-and-white photographs complement the text, along with numerous sidebars and callouts focusing on fun facts relating to specific holidays. Additional features includecalendar systems around the world, regional maps, indexes by holidays and countries, and a comprehensive index.