Traditional Festivals

"Traditional Festivals: A Multicultural Encyclopedia: Volume 1 & 2"
More than 150 traditional festivals from around the world are described at length by historian Roy. The festivals include the major feasts of all world religions and religious groups: Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Voodoo, Bahaism, Islam, ancient Greek and Roman, Native American, and several African tribes. Roy goes beyond the basic facts and descriptions to "provide insight into the festival patterns." As a result, the articles are detailed, and many are several pages in length. The coverage for India and Africa includes only the best-known and -documented festivals because of their sheer number.

Articles cover specific festivals (Divali, Sabbath, Saturnalia) and are arranged alphabetically, with see also references as well as references listing books and a few audiovisual and digital sources. Festival names within the text appear in bold type whether they are entry headings or not, which is contrary to the usual practice of using bold type to point to other articles and may be confusing. Black-and-white illustrations are strewn throughout both volumes. Appendixes chart the main Hindu, Muslim, and Jewish festivals and holidays; the movable feasts of the Western Church; Gregorian dates of Orthodox Easter; and Chinese Lunar New Year's dates. In addition, there are a comparative table of all festivals arranged by season and a full list of festivals within each cultural area.