Encyclopedia of New Year’s Holidays Worldwide

Among the world’s myriad cultures and their associated calendars, the idea of a “New Year” is relative and hardly specifies a universal celebration or even a universal point in time. Ways of celebrating the New Year range from the observances of religious rituals and superstitions to social gatherings featuring particular foods, music, dancing, noisemaking, fireworks and drinking.
This first encyclopedia devoted exclusively to the New Year includes 320 entries that give a global perspective on the New Year, beyond its traditional Western associations with Christmas. National or regional entries detail the principal traditions and customs of 130 countries, while 27 entries discuss major calendar systems in current use or of significant historical interest. The remaining entries cover a wide variety of subjects including literary works, movies, and television specials; the customs of specific ethnic groups; universal customs such as toasting and drinking; football bowl games and parades; and the New Year celebrations at the White House and the Vatican.

William D. Crump is a retired physician. He lives in Madison, Tennessee.

William D. Crump
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 319
Bibliographic Info: 65 photos, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2014 [2008]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-9545-0
eISBN: 978-1-4766-0748-1
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vi

Preface      1

The Encyclopedia      3

References      279

Index      293

“this encyclopedia brings to light for the first time in a dedicated text the universal idea of the new year”—Booklist; “a rich collage of divergent cultural customs and symbols…recommended”—Library Journal; “well researched…valuable”—ARBA; “this reference work stands out because there is nothing like it currently available. This volume would be a welcome addition to any library’s reference collection”—Reference Reviews.