40th Anniversary Edition

First published in 1960 and written by a pioneer in American folklife studies, this classic work explores the folk practices surrounding the Easter holidays, from Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday and Whitsuntide. Interviews and newspaper reports, from the eighteenth century through the early twentieth century, record the evolution of holiday traditions, including fastnachts, the Easter Rabbit, decorated eggs, and Easter-egg trees. Don Yoder has contributed a new foreword which focuses on the folklife center responsible for this definitive work and an afterword, which examines current research on the holidays.