Product Description

Travel 2,500 years back in time to find out where many of our modern holiday traditions originated. * Charming full-color ink and watercolor illustrations throughout. * This valuable resource for teachers and parents uses hands-on activities, natural science facts, and observations to explore the concepts of measuring time, making calendars, and marking seasonal celebrations. * Shows how our popular holiday traditions are rooted in nature, beginning as the seasonal festivals of an ancient society.

Children love holiday celebrations but most don't know why they wear masks on Halloween or watch for the groundhog on February 2. Now they can discover that many of our modern traditions started with the festivals of the ancient Celts. The Celts were farming people, so their festivals marked the important events of the agricultural year. Imbolc, in very early spring, celebrated the birth of new lambs, while Samhain, in late fall, celebrated the end of the growing season and the beginning of winter. If we look at our modern calendar, we'll find Groundhog Day falling where Imbolc did, Halloween where the Celts celebrated Samhain, and a host of other holiday correspondences. That's because descendants of the Celts were among the first Europeans to settle in the New World, bringing their holiday traditions with them.

In a world of electric lights and store-bought foods, The Ancient Celtic Festivals can help children make the connections to nature that their ancestors did. Whimsically illustrated activity pages invite them to bake a harvest corn bread, stage a spring festival, or warm up the cold depths of winter with hot spiced cider. Teachers, librarians, parents, and children alike will welcome this book as a fun-filled resource.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1025450 in Books
• Published on: 2000-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 64 pages

Review
"An enormously engaging and informative book. The Authors have included aspects of science, history, mythology, and literature in their explanation of Celtic festivals. . . . will provide the answers for all the children and adults who ever wondered about the mysterious rituals of some of our most well-known holidays. A valuable resource for homes, schools, and libraries."

Sasha Lauterbach, Librarian, Cambridge Friends School
An enormously engaging and informative book. A valuable resource for homes, schools, and libraries.

Father Timothy Joyce, Order of Saint Benedict, author of Celtic Christianity: A Sacred Tradition, A Vision of Hope
This is a charming and delightful book for adults and children alike.

Customer Reviews

Brilliant Celtic Book
This is one of the best Celtic books i've ever brought! It has lots of information on Celtic Festivals which is to the point and well written. I brought this for my son but i've really found it interesting too. Good detail inside and the pictures really back up the text. Easy to understand for adults and children alike. Highly recommended.