Celebrating the power of food to nourish souls and its vital part in religious ceremonies and secular celebrations, this cookbook offers insights into food that go far beyond recipes. It explores the dishes that are traditionally served at significant moments in human life - birth, puberty, courtship, betrothal and marriage, death, burial, and remembrance - and explains why and how we celebrate with food. More than 40 recipes include pan de muertos, prepared for the Mexican Day of the Dead; piroshki from Slovakia, to celebrate the birth of a baby; cassava with chili and peanuts, to mark an African girl's coming-of-age; and honey cake, prepared for a Turkish wedding feast. The vibrant ceremonies and dishes are lavishly illustrated with colour photographs, bringing to life a wealth of recipes and myriad cultures including those of Mexico, Japan, Spain, Italy, Indonesia, North America, the Middle East, Germany, Scandinavia, and Britain.