January 1, 2016
This new book by Forbes (religious studies, Morningside Coll.; Christmas: A Candid History) discusses the particulars of our now widely accepted cultural practices surrounding Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. The nature of folk and cultural traditions is such that we often assume that present-day customs have always been the norm. Forbes presents a genial and ably written corrective to that tendency, pointing out that each of these holidays typically includes three or four strands of tradition: seasonal observances, ancient symbols, religious overlays, and modern popular or commercial overlays. Some of the key lessons--holidays have never been "pure"; their observances historically are a muddle of sacred and secular interests, and that many rituals that seem ancient are either quite recent or have received renewed emphasis in the past century. VERDICT This accessible work deserves a wide readership and will be of interest to general readers, academic libraries, and religious leaders.
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