Folklore and Tradtions

With classes and school responsibilities done for a while, you might want to look at the world in a completely new way for a few weeks. For Winter Break, let’s check out the 300 nonfiction section, which covers the Social Sciences, including (among others) Political Science, Education, and Law. Today, we’re going to look at a few books in the Customs, Manners, and Folklore subsection.

Many cultures have at least one holiday in the winter months. Traditions particular to cold weather are also common. The Folklore of World Holidays pretty much covers the range, as well as warmer months. This book, found in the Reference section, is set up in encyclopedia fashion. That means that it is designed for you to look up individual topics rather than read the whole from start to finish. Very similar books can be found in the regular (non-Reference) stacks upstairs. (398.2 MAC)

If you're interested in looking more closely at a more historical take on "stories, customs, and rites of passage" relating to the United States, The Book of American Traditions might be a good read for you. Each topic, like New Year's Day, contains a number of very short pieces that describe older practices. Did you know that dressing up for Halloween is actually pretty recent? Kids used to just make mischief all night. See 391 JEN for more examples of some very strange habits in American social history.

Although this last book is a little off-topic, I had to include The World of Lore: Monstrous Creatures, by Aaron Mahnke. It is a collection of short pieces from the Lore podcast. Each story examines not just a creepy bit of (international) folklore but also the social context that it comes from. It's a book well worth checking out, even if it is is shelved under Monsters and Zombies (001.944)

-MJD