Traditional Festivals 2 Volumes

This encyclopedia travels around the world and across the centuries to uncover an often unexpected richness of meaning in some of the major sacred festivals of the world's religions, the hallowed calendars of ancient civilization and the seasonal celebrations of tribal cultures.

This illustrated reference work covers a wide range of festivals that have sacred origins and are, or have been, part of a folk tradition, a world religion, or a major civilization. Traditional Festivals: A Multicultural Encyclopedia travels around the world and across the centuries to uncover an often unexpected richness of meaning in some of the major sacred festivals of the world's religions, the hallowed calendars of ancient civilizations, and the seasonal celebrations of tribal cultures. From Akitu to Yom Kippur, its 150+ entries look at the content and context of these festivals from a number of perspectives (including those relating to theology, anthropology, folklore, and social theory), tracing their historical development and variations across cultures. Readers will get a vivid sense of what each festival means to the people celebrating it; how each captures its culture's beliefs, hopes and fears, founding myths, and redemptive visions; and how each expresses the universal need of humans to connect their lives to a timeless spiritual dimension.

Have you heard of 'tea polyphenol'? What is tea polyphenol like? Why does tea have so many benefits? It can be said that tea polyphenols are the soul of tea. The abundance of tea benefits is attributed to tea polyphenols. Through this book, the author expounds on the structure, properties, and healthcare functions of tea polyphenols.This book focuses on the properties and structural characteristics of tea polyphenols, and systematically describes the biological functions of tea polyphenols, especially the free radicals scavenging and antioxidant effects of tea polyphenols, regulation of oxidative stress, protection of nerve cells, anticancer effects, strengthening body immunity, preventing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, anti-inflammatory effects, reducing blood lipid and blood glucose atherosclerosis, myocardial protection, its role in Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, anti-aging properties, improving memory, anti-radiation effects, etc. The source and safety of tea polyphenols are also introduced.

Volume two reveals the extraordinary diversity of ancient Roman religion. A comprehensive sourcebook, it presents a wide range of documents illustrating religious life in the Roman world - from the foundations of the city in the eighth century BC to the Christian capital more than a thousand years later. Each document is given a full introduction, explanatory notes and bibliography, and acts as a starting point for further discussion. Through paintings, sculptures, coins and inscriptions, as well as literary texts in translation, the book explores the major themes and problems of Roman religion, such as sacrifice, the religious calendar, divination, ritual, and priesthood. Starting from the archaeological traces of the earliest cults of the city, it finishes with a series of texts in which Roman authors themselves reflect on the nature of their own religion, its history, even its funny side. Judaism and Christianity are given full coverage, as important elements in the religious world of the Roman empire.

This book is the second volume of Series on China-ASEAN Relations. This volume presents comprehensive and in-depth studies of China-ASEAN cooperation and development by Chinese scholars from the China-ASEAN Research Institute of Guangxi University and the China-ASEAN Collaborative Innovation Center for Regional Development. The book is divided into six parts. Part one is the general report including the introduction of China-ASEAN cooperation, achievements and problems in politics, economy, diplomacy, security, defense, maritime and cultural aspects. Part two studies the relation and cooperation between China and individual ASEAN nations, including the evaluation of each ASEAN nation's politics, economy, diplomacy, society and culture. Part three analyzes individual ASEAN country's response to the Belt and the Road Initiative and the implementation of the initiative. Part four and five study important issues of Southeast Asia, including South China Sea arbitration case initiated by the Philippines, the construction of the ASEAN Community, Myanmar's elections, the Bangkok explosion and Vietnam's accession to the TPP. Part six lists the major events and the data on China-ASEAN economic, trade and investment cooperation and the trade between China's provinces (autonomous regions) and ASEAN in 20 tables.

This two-volume encyclopedia profiles the contemporary culture and society of every country in the Americas, from Canada and the United States to the islands of the Caribbean and the many countries of Latin America. From delicacies to dances, this encyclopedia introduces readers to cultures and customs of all of the countries of the Americas, explaining what makes each country unique while also demonstrating what ties the cultures and peoples together. The Americas profiles the 40 nations and territories that make up North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America, including British, U.S., Dutch, and French territories. Each country profile takes an in-depth look at such contemporary topics as religion, lifestyle and leisure, cuisine, gender roles, dress, festivals, music, visual arts, and architecture, among many others, while also providing contextual information on history, politics, and economics. Readers will be able to draw cross-cultural comparisons, such as between gender roles in Mexico and those in Brazil. Coverage on every country in the region provides readers with a useful compendium of cultural information, ideal for anyone interested in geography, social studies, global studies, and anthropology.

This book explores the multifaceted obstacles to social change that India, Myanmar and Thailand face, and ways to overcome them. With a collection of essays that identify common challenges and salient features affecting diverse communities, this volume examines topics from subnational and local perspectives across the peripheries. The book argues that identity-based divisions have created a system of oppression and political contention that have led to conflicts of different kinds, and hence serving as the common cause of different social issues. At the same time, such issues have created space for marginalized groups around the world to call for change. The volume recognizes that social transformation comes into being through an active process of deconstructing and reconstructing shared norms and ideas. The contents in this book are thus centered around two focuses: the impacts of identities and grassroots. Both of these aspects are at the heart of each country’s transformations towards democracy, peace, justice, and freedom. Under this framework, the chapters cover a diverse range of common issues, such as, minority grievances, gender inequality, ethnic identity, grassroots power in alliance-making towards community peace, recovery and resilience, digital freedom, democracy assistance and communication, and bridging multiple divides. As identity-based cleavages are daily lived experiences for individuals and communities, it requires grassroots initiatives and alliances as well as democratic communication to tackle obstacles at the root. Ultimately, the book convinces readers that social transformations must begin at the individual to communal level and local to national level.

The Yearbook of Muslims in Europe provides up-to-date factual information, statistics and analysis of the situation of Muslims in 46 European countries.