Celebrating Life Customs Around the World: From Baby Showers to Funerals [3 Volumes]

Biographical Note:

Victoria Williams, PhD, is an independent writer and researcher living in London, England. She is author of ABC-CLIO's Weird Sports and Wacky Games Around the World: From Buzkashi to Zorbing.

This book documents hundreds of customs and traditions practiced in countries outside of the United States, showcasing the diversity of birth, coming-of-age, and death celebrations worldwide.
From the beginning of our lives to the end, all of humanity celebrates life's milestones through traditions and unique customs. In the United States, we have specific events like baby showers, rites of passage such as Bat and Bar Mitzvahs and "sweet 16" birthday parties, and sober end-of-life traditions like obituaries and funeral services that honor those who have died. But what kinds of customs and traditions are practiced in other countries? How do people in other cultures welcome babies, prepare to enter into adulthood, and commemorate the end of the lives of loved ones?

This three-volume encyclopedia covers more than 300 birth, life, and death customs, with the books' content organized chronologically by life stage. Volume 1 focuses on birth and childhood customs, Volume 2 documents adolescent and early-adulthood customs, and Volume 3 looks at aging and death customs. The entries in the first volume examine pre-birth traditions, such as baby showers and other gift-giving events, and post-birth customs, such as naming ceremonies, child-rearing practices, and traditions performed to ward off evil or promote good health. The second volume contains information about rites of passage as children become adults, including indigenous initiations, marriage customs, and religious ceremonies. The final volume concludes with coverage on customs associated with aging and death, such as retirement celebrations, elaborate funeral processions, and the creation of fantasy coffins. The set features beautiful color inserts that illustrate examples of celebrations and ceremonies and includes an appendix of excerpts from primary documents that include legislation on government-accepted names, wedding vows, and maternity/paternity leave regulations.

• Examines cultural events in the general categories of birth and childhood events, teen and early adulthood milestones, and aging and death customs
• Offers primary and cultural document excerpts that are useful for the purposes of meeting Common Core standards
• Includes color inserts that help bring the text to life
• Features sidebars that present fun facts, interesting anecdotes, and recipes that are often used to celebrate various life-cycle customs in different countries
• Provides information ideal for students studying geography, global studies, anthropology, and world cultures

"The narrative is academic but readable. The references at the end of each entry are extremely useful and easily accessible to the general reader."

Booklist

"A useful feature is the placement of individual practices as either international in occurrence or limited to a specific nation, continent, or religious tradition. Indexed by the name of the custom, geographic region or country, and ethnic group, the work best serves public libraries and undergraduate reference collections. Summing Up: Recommended. High school through undergraduate students; general readers."

Choice

"The tone is scholarly, although the writing is accessible to nonacademic readers. The bright cover and inset section of color photos in each volume will attract browsers. The comprehensive index as well as the "see-also" and further reading listings at the end of each article will be helpful to those seeking deeper information on a specific topic. . . . VERDICT Readers curious about the background of such customs as consuming a placenta after delivery, the tooth fairy, courtship whistling in Mexico, and fantasy coffins from Ghana will all have their basic questions answered. An ideal addition for all public libraries."

Library Journal, Starred Review

From the beginning of our lives to the end, all of humanity celebrates life's milestones through traditions and unique customs. In the United States, we have specific events like baby showers, rites of passage such as Bat and Bar Mitzvahs and "sweet 16" birthday parties, and sober end-of-life traditions like obituaries and funeral services that honor those who have died. But what kinds of customs and traditions are practiced in other countries? How do people in other cultures welcome babies, prepare to enter into adulthood, and commemorate the end of the lives of loved ones?

This three-volume encyclopedia covers more than 300 birth, life, and death customs, with the books' content organized chronologically by life stage. Volume 1 focuses on birth and childhood customs, Volume 2 documents adolescent and early-adulthood customs, and Volume 3 looks at aging and death customs. The entries in the first volume examine pre-birth traditions, such as baby showers and other gift-giving events, and post-birth customs, such as naming ceremonies, child-rearing practices, and traditions performed to ward off evil or promote good health. The second volume contains information about rites of passage as children become adults, including indigenous initiations, marriage customs, and religious ceremonies. The final volume concludes with coverage on customs associated with aging and death, such as retirement celebrations, elaborate funeral processions, and the creation of fantasy coffins. The set features beautiful color inserts that illustrate examples of celebrations and ceremonies and includes an appendix of excerpts from primary documents that include legislation on government-accepted names, wedding vows, and maternity/paternity leave regulations.

Review Citations:

• Library Journal 03/15/2017 pg. 138 (EAN 9781440836589, Hardcover) - *Starred Review
• Choice 05/01/2017 (EAN 9781440836589, Hardcover)
• Booklist 05/01/2017 pg. 43 (EAN 9781440836589, Hardcover)

Contributor Bio:Williams, Victoria R
Victoria Williams, PhD, is an independent writer and researcher living in London. She is the author of ABC-CLIO's Weird Sports and Wacky Games around the World: From Buzkashi to Zorbing (winner of the 2016 RUSA Outstanding Reference Sources Award); Celebrating Life Customs around the World: From Baby Showers to Funerals; Indigenous Peoples: An Encyclopedia of Culture, History, and Threats to Survival; and London: Geography, History and Culture. She is also the coeditor of ABC-CLIO's Etiquette and Taboos around the World: A Geographic Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Customs. Williams wrote her PhD thesis on fairytales in Victorian literature and art and on film, and she has written on a variety of other subjects, including Hollywood ?lm, London society and culture, Mesoamerican mythology, Victorian literature, U.S. folklore, and British folk customs. She has also lectured on Victoria fairy paintings and depictions of childhood in 1940s film. In the past, Williams has worked as an editorial assistant on a leading British food magazine and run a small business selling traditional British cakes at artisan markets. Currently, alongside her writing, Williams runs a West London market championing local makers, including food producers.