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Encyclopedia of American Holidays and National Days
Len Travers

0-313-33130-8/978-0-313-33130-5

Description
Did you know the Puritans did not celebrate Christmas? Or that trick or treating on Halloween began in the late 1930s? Every holiday has a history, and this book sets out to tell it.

Reviews:
-"When Congress passed the Monday Holidays Act in 1971 stipulating that three holidays would be celebrated at the beginning of the week rather than the established dates, critics charged our national heritage was being trivialized to accommodate three-day weekends. This two-volume work contains informative and often fascinating material on the origin and evolution of these and other significant U.S. holidays. Written by scholars in the fields of U.S. history, folklore, politics, and popular culture, the work also includes lively discussions on the growth of several non-official commemorations, religious rites, and historic events, e.g., Super Bowl Sunday, Gay Pride commemorations, Passover, Hanukkah, Easter, and slave emancipation days....Diligently researched and fun to browse, this work is an outstanding ready reference source for public and academic libraries. Highly recommended." —Library Journal
-"This two-volume reference is appropriate for middle school students and general readers, including those new to American culture. It describes the history and customs surrounding significant civic and religious holidays celebrated in the U.S., emphasizing depth of coverage over breadth (there's no claim to comprehensiveness). Coverage extends beyond officially recognized federal holidays to encompass festivities of the past as well as newer occasions (such as Super Bowl Sunday) that are approaching near-holiday status by popular acclaim. Each essay traces the holiday's origins, development, and maturation." —Reference & Research Book News
About the Author
Len Travers is associate professor of history at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. He is the author of Celebrating the Fourth: Independence Day and the Rites of Nationalism in the Early Republic (1997) and The Paradox of 'Nationalist' Festivals: The Case of Palmetto Day in Antebellum Charleston, in William Pencak, et al, eds., Riot and Revelry in Early America.
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ISBN Title £ Price Qty £ Total
0-313-33130-8 978-0-313-33130-5 Encyclopedia of American Holidays and National Days £137.95    
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