Edited Collections
Encyclopedia of Holidays and Celebrations:
A Country by Country Guide
Facts on File, 2006
As general editor
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Named a “Best Reference Source, 2006” by Library Journal.
Encyclopedia of Holidays and Celebrations: A Country-by-Country Guide explores major holidays and festivals 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, including location, population, government, languages, religions, and national holidays; a brief introduction to the country's origins, geography, economy, current lifestyle and culture, and cuisine; subsections on national holidays, religious holidays, regional holidays, and rites of passage; subentries on holidays, including the date it is celebrated; who celebrates it; and a description of the origins, symbols, and rituals associated with the celebration/commemoration; and further reading. Entries on internationally observed holidays include: holidays in an international context; at-a-glance information on the origin, alternate names, dates of observance, and who observes the holiday; an introduction; a detailed description of the origins and history of the holiday; and how it is observed; and further reading. Entries on religious communities include: at-a-glance information about the size of the community and its place of origin; an introduction to the religion; the origins and history of the community; 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 include calendar systems around the world, regional maps, indexes by holidays and countries, and a comprehensive index.
Penn State University Press, 2002
Co-edited with William A. Pencak and Simon Newman
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Riot and revelry have been mainstays of English and European history writing for more than a generation, but they have had a more checkered influence on American scholarship. Despite considerable attention from "new left" historians during the 1970s and early 1980s, and more recently from cultural and "public sphere" historians in the mid-1990s, the idea of America as a colony and nation deeply infused with a culture of public performance has not been widely demonstrated the way it has been in Britain, France, and Italy. In this important volume, leading American historians demonstrate that early America was in fact an integral part of a broader transatlantic tradition of popular disturbance and celebration.
The first half of the collection focuses on "rough music" and "skimmington"—forms of protest whereby communities publicly regulated the moral order. The second half considers the use of parades and public celebrations to create national unity and overcome divisions in the young republic.
Contributors include Roger D. Abrahams, Susan Branson, Thomas J. Humphrey, Susan E. Klepp, Brendan McConville, William D. Piersen, Steven J. Stewart, and Len Travers. Together the essays in this volume offer the best introduction to the full range of protest and celebration in America from the Revolution to the Civil War.