Dictionary of Festivals

If you ever need to turn a witty phrase about a certain time of year, hold forth on obscure or common holidays, or know a few secrets about the plants associated with celebrations this is the book for you.

"Which is one what I have that it is: The Dictionary of Festivals by J. C. Cooper 231 pages with Bibliography Paperback Copyright 1990 J. C. Cooper First published by The Aquarian Press 1990 This Thorsons edition 1995 An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Printed in Great Britain by HarperCollinsManufacturing Glasgow ISBN 0 7225 3193 1" "The Dictionary of Festivals: Birth and death, the sun and the moon, gods and goddesses are all common themes that inspired early civilizations. Around the world many different ways of expressing devotion, delight, hope, thanks and grief have been devised, through rituals, carnivals, fetes and even sacrifice. In this dictionary J. C. Cooper describes both the ceremonies and customs of the oldest civilizations, including the Babylonian, Chinese, Greek and Inca as well as the traditions of the Hindu, Sikh, Hebrew and Christian religions. This accessible and highly informative guide takes us on a journey to every corner of the globe, describing each festival in detail, explaining the meaning behind the ritual. J. C. COOPER SHOWS HOW MANY OF TODAY'S FETES, FAIRS AND HOLIDAYS ARE DIRECT DESCENDANTS OF ANCIENT RITES AND FESTIVALS. These include: CHRISTMAS'S CONNECTION WITH UNIVERSAL WINTER SOLSTICE CELEBRATIONS THE AFFINITY OF THE ROMAN FESTIVAL OF CYBELE WITH MOTHERING SUNDAY CORN DOLLY RITUALS RESEMBLING GREEK FESTIVALS IN HONOUR OF DEMETER" [from the back cover of the book]