Did you know that if you drop a spoon, someone will kiss you soon? Did you ever hear that three spiders crawling on the wall are a sign you will soon hear of a death? Or did you know that if rabbits play in a dusty road, rain is on its way? These beliefs are folk customs found in North America. Discover more, including: • ways to predict the future • weather lore • good luck superstitions. Folklore is shared through customs and traditions. These are patterns that shape our lives. Even in today's world, we still depend on these old ways to make sense out of life.

A patchwork quilt . . . a handmade mandolin . . . a rag doll . . . a wooden chair—all these things are examples of folk arts and crafts. They are useful objects that are also beautiful. Learn about various kinds of folk art, including:• furniture • toys • religious objects • musical instruments • quilts, clothes, and other fabric arts. In folk traditions, art is a part of everyday life. And people still enjoy folk art today.

Have you heard of Anansi, the mischief-making spider from Africa? Do you know about the Blackfoot woman who married a star? Or have you heard stories about Jack, the hero who always wins both the treasure and the princess's heart? Discover stories from North America's folklore, including tales about: • why the world is the way it is • heroes and fools • ghosts and horrors • death and the world to come. Stories have power. They share the wisdom of other generations. They stir our imagination. They give us hope and courage. And sometimes they just make us laugh!

Have you heard these common proverbs? Let sleeping dogs lie. Where there's smoke there's fire. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. Or what about these riddles? What is black and white and red (read) all over? Why did the chicken cross the road? Why is 6 afraid of 7? Proverbs and riddles are tiny, bite-size pieces of folklore. They make us think. They tease our brains. They may make us laugh. But most of all, they tell us something about who we are and how we see the world.

Have you ever played cards on a rainy afternoon? Do you and your friends play jump rope, play hide-and-go-seek, or play Red Rover? If you did, then you were enjoying a folk game. Learn more about these games, including the long history behind: • face cards • tag • hide-and-go-seek • some board games • baseball. Games help us deal with life. They give us physical exercise. They challenge our minds . . . and most of all they fill our lives with fun.

Did you know that today's jolly Santa Claus was originally a Catholic bishop? Or that Santa Claus is connected to Saturn, an ancient Roman god? Or that in some places, Santa rides a camel? Christmas is a holiday of light and giving, and Santa Claus has become a traditional symbol for the season's deepest meanings. Learn more about:• Santa • the Christ Child • Christmas animals • the Wise Men • Christmas plants • Christmas songs and cards. Across North America, Christmas is an occasion for love and joy and celebration. Discover the traditions and folklore that make this holiday so special.

You may turn on the CD player or the radio when you want to hear music—but once, in the days before modern technology, music was enjoyed whenever groups of people got together. You probably know some folk songs, a song that was passed along from person to person. Learn about: • types of folk songs • folk instruments • folk music's European and African roots • Cajun music • the music of Appalachia • Hispanic music • today's folk music. Modern music—Rock, Country, R&B, and more—is rooted deep in North America's musical folklore. And folk music is still alive and well today.

Do you know who started the first volunteer fire company in the United States? Do you know who the first woman firefighter was? Or did you know that firefighters trace their heritage back to the knights of the Crusades? Sirens and Smoke is full of stories of bravery and tradition. You'll read about: • the brave guards who fought fire in ancient Greek and Roman communities.• the long-ago firefighters who battled the great fires that swept through Europe's big cities.• the community spirit that grew in the New World.• the African Americans and women who added their strengths to fighting fires.• September 11, 2001, when firefighters demonstrated their heroism. Fire can be an enemy—but down through the ages, firefighters have risked their lives to protect others against it. Their folklore reveals a long tradition of courage.

Providing a convenient and unique look at fashion and costume literature and how it has developed historically, this volume discusses monographic and reference literature and provides information on periodicals, research centers, and costume museums and collections. It also provides a new way of looking at the literature through a database of 58 Library of Congress subject headings. It covers topics from jeans to wedding dresses and features popular examples of how clothing is used and reflected in our culture through the literature discussed. Of interest to scholars, students, and anyone curious about the unique power clothing holds in our lives. Various types of reference sources are discussed including other guides to the literature, encyclopedia, dictionaries, biographical dictionaries, specialized bibliographies, and indexing and abstracting services. Electronic CD-ROM and online databases equivalents are included in the presentation of indexing and abstracting services with major networks such as OCLC, RLIN, Lexis/Nexis, and Dialog mentioned as well. In addition a list of 123 research centers, mainly libraries, is provided and arranged geographically by state, some 176 costume museums and collections of costumes located at colleges and universities are listed alphabetically, and a list of 278 periodicals on fashion, costume, clothing and related topics is provided. A database of some 58 clothing and accessory subject headings is analyzed in the Worldcat database with the literature of the top ten specific clothing and accessory subject terms limited to media publication format are covered. Additionally, histories of costume and fashion in the U.S. and works which concentrate on psychological, sociological or cultural aspects are outlined. An appendix, including the clothing and accessory database, and author and subject indexes conclude the volume.

Does your family have a favorite holiday meal? What are your birthday traditions? Do the older people in your family tell stories about their childhood and what life was like when they were young? All these are parts of family folklore. Tell Me a Story will help you better understand: • what family is.• the ways the generations are linked together.• how families relate to each other.• how families pass along a heritage for the future. We get strength from our family's past—and this sort of folklore also gives us hope for the future.