From the earliest times, humans have enjoyed dining and entertainment with family and friends, from sharing a simple meal to an extravagant feast for a special celebration. In this two-volume set, entries tell the history of wedding and religious customs, holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, and modern day get togethers such as block parties and Superbowl parties.
Providing a worldwide perspective on celebration, entries on topics such as Dim Sum, La Quinceanera Parties, Deepavali, and Juneteenth cover many cultures. In addition, entries on Ancient Rome, Medieval entertaining, and others give an inside view as to what entertaining was like during those times, should readers want to recreate these themes for school projects or club banquets. Whether a student of history or world language class, or an adult planning a theme party, there is something in Entertaining from Ancient Rome to the Super Bowl for everyone.
About the Author: Melitta Weiss Adamson is Professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures and the Department of History of Medicine at the University of Western Ontario, Canada. She has written extensively on medieval food and dietetics, and has published five books on the subject, most recently Greenwood's Food in Medieval Times.
Francine Segan is a cultural historian who has appeared on numerous radio and TV programs, including Martha Stewart Radio, NPR, NBC's Today Show, CBS's Early Show, and Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood. In addition she has done several specials for the History and Discovery channels and the Food Network. Segan writes a monthly column on travel and food for the Tribune Media Syndicates, which reaches over 65 newspapers across the country. She has published four books including Shakespeare's Kitchen (2003) and Opera Lover's Cookbook (2006), which was nominated for both James Beard and IACP awards. In addition to teaching at Sarah Lawrence College, Segan lectures on various topics, including art history, throughout the country for organizations such as the Smithsonian Museum, Dahesh Museum, Virginia Fine Arts Museum, Norman Rockwell Museum, Museum of Natural History, and Newport Historical Association.
