Background information and activities from over 20 countries.

Ethiopian fringed umbrellas; star-shaped Filipino parol lanterns;candlelit Swedish St. Lucia crowns-Mary Lankford bringstogether Christmas traditions from twelve different lands,like decorations on a splendid tree.

Celebrate the birth of Christ with children from around the world! Learn about the customs and festivals that honor Christ's birth in the lands where they live.

Examines the origin and development of present-day Christmas practices and describes the religious and festive Christmas holiday customs of sixty-six countries

Why do we decorate Christmas trees? Do all children receive gifts on the same day? Come find out as Monika Utnik-Strugala captures the smells, tastes, and unforgettable traditions about the most popular, exciting, contemplative, and unique Christmas customs and legends from around the world. Find out why celebrate Christmas on December 25th, who invented the first glass ornament, why people build nativity scenes, and more! A truly international collection of legends and traditions are included in the volume such as - Glögg, Kutia, Lutefisk, Jansson's Temptation, Julskinka, Bûche de Noël, Hallaca, Kourabiedes, Christmas Pudding, Panettone, Christmas carols, talking animals, and The Nutcracker!

It's time to celebrate! From Christmas and Thanksgiving, to Diwali and Halloween, kids won't want to miss out on all the festivities. Embark on an exciting journey through the most interesting and important festivals, celebrations, and holidays enjoyed by people around the world. Stunning original illustrations and fascinating facts will inspire and inform children about cultures and religions from the countries of the world. Witness a camel marathon in a celebration of the Sahara Desert, and devour some delicious dumplings to celebrate Chinese New Year. Discover why skeletons dance at the Day of the Dead in Mexico, and get messy at Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors. Children will love poring over artist Katy Halford's beautiful illustrations, which showcase every celebration in absorbing detail. Engaging factual writing introduce young readers to the most interesting aspects of each celebration, from the costumes worn to the food eaten, and encourage an understanding of other cultures and religions.

This eleventh edition was developed during the encyclopaedia's transition from a British to an American publication. Some of its articles were written by the best-known scholars of the time and it is considered to be a landmark encyclopaedia for scholarship and literary style.

Do they celebrate Christmas in Thailand, or New Year's Eve in Iceland? What is Passover like in Israel? It's time to celebrate the holidays with people around the world. Readers are sure to be fascinated by the diverse ways people gather for and celebrate the holidays. Important vocabulary and cultural concepts are stressed in accessible text that's enjoyable for even the most reluctant readers. Striking, full-color photographs on each spread bring the diversity of our world's cultures into splendidly detailed focus.

Have you ever wondered how children live in other countries? This book gives you a great opportunity to look inside homes on all continents and discover how different children's lives can be. People build their homes to suit local conditions and be comfortable to live in. Do you know how children live in Mongolia? Or what life's like in an icy igloo? How about in a rainforest? Come with us to take a look at homes in all parts of the world, and to make new friends who'll tell you all about their culture.