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Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night
| | Boasting a rich, complex history rooted in Celtic and Christian ritual, Halloween has evolved from ethnic celebration to a blend of street festival, fright night, and vast commercial enterprise. In this colorful history, Nicholas Rogers takes a lively, entertaining look at the cultural origins and development of one of the most popular holidays of the year. Drawing on a fascinating array of sources, from classical history to Hollywood films, Rogers traces Halloween as it emerged from the Celtic festival of Samhain (summer's end), picked up elements of the Christian Hallowtide (All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day), arrived in North America as an Irish and Scottish festival, and evolved into an unofficial but large-scale holiday by the early 20th century. He examines the 1970s and '80s phenomena of Halloween sadism (razor blades in apples) and inner-city violence (arson in Detroit), as well as the immense influence of the horror film genre on the reinvention of Halloween as a terror-fest. Throughout his vivid account, Rogers shows how Halloween remains, at its core, a night of inversion, when social norms are turned upside down, and a temporary freedom of expression reigns supreme. He examines how this very license has prompted censure by the religious Right, occasional outrage from law enforcement officials, and appropriation by Left-leaning political groups. Engagingly written and based on extensive research, Halloween is the definitive history of the most bewitching day of the year, illuminating the intricate history and shifting cultural forces behind this enduring trick-or-treat holiday. | |
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Pilgrimage to the End of the World: The Road to Santiago de Compostela (Culture Trails)
| | <DIV>Traveling two and a half months and one thousand miles along the ancient route through southern France and northern Spain, Conrad Rudolph made the passage to the holy site of Santiago de Compostela, one of the most important modern-day pilgrimage destinations for Westerners. In this chronicle of his travels to this captivating place, Rudolph melds the ancient and the contemporary, the spiritual and the physical, in a book that is at once travel guide, literary work, historical study, and memoir.<BR></DIV> | |
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Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture
| | First published in 1978 and hailed by as constituting "an important foreshadowing of issues that have become prominent in more recent anthropology," this classic book, now updated and extensively revised, examines the theological doctrines and popular notions that promote and sustain Christian pilgrimage, including their corresponding symbols and images. | |
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The Madonna of 115th Street: Faith and Community in Italian Harlem
| | In a masterful evocation of Italian Harlem and the men and women that lived there, Orsi examines how the annual festa of the Madonna of 115th Street both influenced and reflected the lives of the participants. His book offers a new perspective on popular religion, the experiences of immigration and community formation, and American Catholicism. | |
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Holiday Ideas for Youth Groups
| | This compilation of how-to ideas comes from the best-selling Ideas Library is full of youth group holiday fun is sure to enliven all seasons. | |
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Stories Behind the Traditions and Songs of Easter
| | Stories Behind the Traditions and Songs of Easter reveals the real inspiration behind the customs, symbols, and special music of Easter. Through his gift as a storyteller, award-winning author Ace Collins brings new meaning and depth to the celebration of Easter. | |
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