Discover the holiday customs of nations around the world with 30 festive full-page illustrations. Celebrations range from spectacular parades in China and candles in the sand on Brazilian beaches to fireworks over Sydney Harbor and the countdown in New York's Times Square. Lively pictures to color include new year observances in Israel, Germany, India, Greece, Mexico, Italy, Haiti, Nigeria, and other countries.

A simple look at how New Year is celebrated in some places around the world.

Happy New Year ... in July! This versatile collection of engaging original poems showcases New Year celebrations throughout the year and around the world.

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.

Among the world's myriad cultures and their associated calendars, the idea of a "New Year" is relative and hardly specifies a universal celebration or even a universal point in time. Ways of celebrating the New Year range from the observances of religious rituals and superstitions to social gatherings featuring particular foods, music, dancing, noisemaking, fireworks and drinking. This first encyclopedia devoted exclusively to the New Year includes 320 entries that give a global perspective on the New Year, beyond its traditional Western associations with Christmas. National or regional entries detail the principal traditions and customs of 130 countries, while 27 entries discuss major calendar systems in current use or of significant historical interest. The remaining entries cover a wide variety of subjects including literary works, movies, and television specials; the customs of specific ethnic groups; universal customs such as toasting and drinking; football bowl games and parades; and the New Year celebrations at the White House and the Vatican.

(L) People all around the world celebrate the beginning of a new calendar year. Most people think of the new year as a time for a fresh start. In some countries, people celebrate with parties or fireworks. In other places, people jump into icy waters or clean their homes thoroughly. What do grapes, apples, and potatoes have to do with the new year? Read to discover the many different ways people around the world celebrate.