Danish filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg's searing film Festen (“The Celebration”) was the first film from the Dogme 95 stable. Adhering to Dogme's cinematic purity — no artificial lighting, no superficial action, no credit for the director, and only handheld cameras for equipment — Festen was a commercial and critical success, winning the Jury Prize at Cannes in 1998 and garnering worldwide attention. The film is set at the sixtieth birthday party of Helge, the wealthy patriarch of a large Danish family. The birthday festivities take a turn when Helge’s son Christian raises a toast and denounces Helge for having raped and abused him as a child, along with his twin sister, who recently committed suicide. The film explores the escalating consequences of Christian’s announcement, from the stunned dinner party’s collective denial, to violence, to an unexpected catharsis.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1875.

Cultural and historical background and traditions of forty-five major American holidays, both secular and religious, Christian and Jewish.

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Christine Feehan has enthralled a legion of fans with the seductive world and unforgettable characters—both human and not—of her dark Carpathian series. Now, as Christmas draws near, she reunites all of them for a Dark Celebration… After centuries as the Prince of the Carpathians, Mikhail Dubrinsky fears he can’t protect them for long from their greatest threat: the extinction of their species by their immortal enemies—who are devising a scheme to slaughter Carpathian females. But even with his own lifemate Raven and their daughter Savannah vulnerable to the encroaching evil, Mikhail’s hope is not lost. Carpathians from around the world are gathering to join their souls and their powers to bring light to the darkness. But so too are their adversaries uniting—hunters, vampires, demons, and betrayers—bringing untold dangers into the fold of the Carpathian people. INCLUDES BONUS CONTENT!

Why celebration of Life? It is called celebration of life in recognition of a departed member of our community and all the children of God in this world who left this world to join the creator in Heaven. Whether it is called wake or wake-keeping all gears towards the provision of a service prior to burial in a social gathering. Traditionally, this is done at the home of the deceased with the body present. Recently wakes are often performed at a funeral home or at a hall preferably chosen by the members of the deceased family. It is often a social rite which highlights the fact that the loss affects the whole group. The term “wake” originally referred to a late-night prayer vigil, which is mostly used for the social interaction. While this modern usage of the verb “wake” means to stay alert. A wake for the dead harks back to the vigil, “watch” or “guard” of earlier times. It is a misconception that people at wake are waiting in case the deceased should wake up. The term “wake” originated from the Middle English “waken”.

Get ready for a colorfully entertaining Day of the Dead celebration! Graveyard skeletons shake, rattle, and roll as a Mexican family marks the annual Day of the Dead holiday. At dusk on the holiday known as Day of the Dead, a Mexican family has set out fiesta offerings in the graveyard in hopes that departed loved ones may return to visit. The playful skeletons rise from their graves to celebrate with gusto. All night long, they sing, dance, dine, tell stories, and play games. As morning approaches, they give thanks to the stars for their night of fun, tidy up after themselves, and leave no trace of their "clatter bash" behind as they return to their coffins until next year's Day of the Dead. Author-illustrator Richard Keep's rollicking rhyme―sprinkled with Spanish words―captures the bone-rattling sounds and fun of the evening. An illustrated afterword gives information about the customs associated with el Día de los Muertos, a Mexican celebration of honoring relatives who have passed on.