Religious Holidays and Calendars : An Encyclopedic Handbook

Foreward ix Preface xi Part One: The History of Calendars Basic Questions All Calendars Must Answer 3(8) Calendars throughout History 3(1) Origins of the Calendar 3(2) How Long Is a Day? 5(1) How Long Is a Month? 6(2) How Long Is a Year? 8(3) The History of Lunar and Lunisolar Calendars 11(16) The Chinese Calendar 11(2) The Calendars of India 13(1) The Babylonian Calendar 13(2) The Jewish Calendar 15(1) The Greek Calendars 15(7) The Islamic Calendar 22(1) British Traditions 22(2) The Teutonic Calendars 24(1) The Icelandic Calendar 25(2) The History of Solar Calendars 27(8) The Mayan and Aztec Calendars 27(2) The Egyptian Calendar 29(1) The Roman Calendar and Julian Reform 30(2) The Gregorian Reform 32(3) Calendar Reform Since the Mid-Eighteenth Century 35(6) Moving toward a Secular Calendar 35(1) The French Republican Calendar 35(1) The Positivist Calendar 36(1) Twentieth-Century Reform Proposals 36(1) Calendars in a New Millenium 37(4) Part Two: Calendars and Holidays for Religious Groups Judaism 41(18) Overview of Judaism 41(5) The Jewish Calendar 46(3) Jewish Holidays 49(10) Zoroastrianism 59(12) Overview of Zoroastrianism 59(4) The Zoroastrian Calendars 63(3) Zoroastrian Holidays 66(5) Christianity: Roman Catholic and Protestant Expressions 71(36) Overview of Roman Catholicism and the Protestant Reformation 71(6) Christian Calendars 77(6) Christian Holidays 83(24) Christianity: Orthodox Expressions 107(18) Overview of Christian Orthodoxy 107(3) Orthodox Calendars 110(4) Orthodox Holidays 114(11) Christianity: Non-Trinitarian and Non-Traditional Expressions 125(10) Overview of Other Christian Expressions 125(1) Christian Science 125(1) Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormonism) 126(1) Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (Unification Church) 127(1) Jehovah's Witnesses 128(1) Swedenborgian Church (Church of the New Jerusalem) 129(1) Unitarian Universalism 130(2) United Church of God 132(3) Islam 135(16) Overview of Islam 135(7) The Islamic Calendar 142(1) Islamic Holidays 143(8) The Baha'i Faith 151(8) Overview of the Baha'i Faith 151(3) The Baha'i Calendar 154(1) Baha'i Holidays 155(4) Hinduism 159(32) Overview of Hinduism 159(5) The Hindu Calendars 164(3) Hindu Holidays 167(24) Jainism 191(6) Overview of Jainism 191(3) The Jain Calendar 194(1) Jain Holidays 195(2) Sikhism 197(10) Overview of Sikhism 197(4) The Sikh Calendars 201(2) Sikh Holidays 203(4) Buddhism 207(16) Overview of Buddhism 207(7) Buddhist Adaptations of Regional Calendars 214(1) Buddhist Holidays 215(8) Taoism, Confucianism, and Chinese Folk Religions 223(14) Overview of Chinese Religious Thought 223(6) The Chinese Lunar Calendar 229(1) Taoist, Confucian, and Other Chinese Religious Holidays 230(7) Shinto 237(8) Overview of Shinto 237(3) Japanese Lunar Calendar and Modern Reforms 240(1) Shinto Holidays 241(4) Native American Religions 245(16) Overview of Indigenous American Religions 245(5) Seasonal Cycles 250(1) Holidays Observed by Indigenous American People 251(10) Paganism 261(16) Overview of Pagan and Neo-Pagan Religious Expression 261(3) Pagan Calendars 264(3) Pagan Holidays 267(10) Western African Religions and Their New World Expressions 277(12) Overview of Yoruba Religious Traditions 277(1) Overview of Santeria (Lukumi) 278(2) Overview of Candomble 280(1) Overview of Voodoo 280(1) Seasonal Timekeeping and Roman Catholic Influences 281(2) Holidays Related to Western African Religions 283(6) Ancient Wisdom, Metaphysical, and Other Faith Communities 289(94) Church Universal and Triumphant 289(2) Eckankar 291(1) Pantheism 292(1) Ramtha's School of Enlightenment 293(1) Rosicrucianism 294(1) Scientology 295(1) Theosophical Society 296(5) Part Three: Appendices and Indexes Appendices Appendix A: Sources for More Information 301(10) Appendix B: Bibliography and Additional Reading 311(8) Appendix C: Five-Year Chronological List of Holidays 319(48) Indexes Holiday Index 367(10) Calendar Index 377(6) Master Index 383