From Booklist Yes， Virginia， there are less-material ways to celebrate the holidays. Seton compiles dozens of stories， suggestions， recipes， and easy-to-do crafts to delight kids and adults alike. Submitted by friends， relatives， colleagues， and online sources， these activities concern 15 mostly well known occasions， including the Mexican Day of the Dead， Guy Fawkes Day， Kwanzaa， and 'Id al-Fitre (the three-day feast at the end of the Ramadan fast). Ideas span the common to the extraordinary， from dressing as a mummy for Halloween to giving a jar of fortune cookies as a New Year's Eve gift. In fact， many fall into the "random acts of human kindness" category， such as anonymously prepaying a family merchandise layaway at the local Wal-mart. Recommendations from the heart. Barbara Jacobs --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Product Description Bring More Heart and Less Hype to Your Holiday Celebrations. Holidays don't have to be expensive， superficial， or stressful. They can be occasions to connect deeply with yourself and loved ones， and to express gratitude， affections， and creativity. Simple Pleasures for the Holidays helps make celebrations meaningful with ideas for homemade candles， decorations， napkin rings， even bubble bath， plus tons of tips for festive fare and gift-giving. From scented ornaments to Kwanzaa kanara and Hanukkah latkes， learn about simple rituals from around the world that will enrich your own traditions. According to the Trends Research Institute， simplicity will be the social movement of the next ten years. Sure to benefit from this is the holiday season， which is more stressful than satisfying for many people. In her fourth Simple Pleasures book， author Susannah Seton shows how to find true satisfaction in the holiday by making them less expensive， less frantic，and more meaningful. Simple Pleasures for the Holidays takes an expansive approach， covering Halloween， Christmas， Kwanzaa， Chinese New Year， Hanukkah， the Mexican Day of the Dead， and Irish and Islamic holidays. The premise is that shared experience is what people value most， and the book itself--a collage of inspirational stories from people around the world along with recipes， crafts， and suggestions for communal fun-embodies this.