How to Bury a Goldfish: And Other Ceremonies & Celebrations for Everyday Life [Paperback]

Virginia E. Lang (Author), Louise B. Nayer (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 155896519X | ISBN-13: 978-1558965195 | Publication Date: August 2007

How to Bury a Goldfish is an inventive collection of new traditions and rituals to commemorate and honor the many special moments and milestones in day-to-day life. Enjoyable and easy to follow, the rituals are short, cost almost nothing, and can be easily adapted to fit any lifestyle. The authors cover a wide range of life's events, both big and small, from helping a single friend begin a new home life, to making the passage into adulthood, to mourning the death of a loved one.

Featuring a host of celebration ideas, this remarkable guide addresses more conventional occasions such as holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, family dinnertime, and nighttime prayer, as well as more unique experiences, such as a teen's first job, a women's midlife journey, and an elder's move into assisted living. Through the art of simple ritual and ceremony, How to Bury a Goldfish allows readers to slow down, sit in silence, and savor all of the precious moments that enrich our daily lives. Rituals and ceremonies include: a daily renewal for the morning shower, a Valentine's Day ritual for a sensitive single, a commemoration honoring a child's first performance, and a Thanksgiving celebration for a couple.

* Offers more than 100 original celebrations and traditions for a wide readership, including rituals for men and women, old and young, families, parents, and singles

* Provides a wealth of new traditions for many occasions, from light-hearted to serious

* Acts as a unique tool for honoring the ordinary, everyday events in our lives

* Includes many observances for young people becoming adults and taking on adult responsibilities

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Virginia Lang is a development professional, educator, writer, and mother. She was formerly the chief executive officer of the Children's Hospital of San Francisco Foundation.

Louise Nayer is a mother and an accomplished poet who has published two books of poetry. She holds a master's degree in creative writing from the State University of New York at Buffalo and is a professor of English at City College in San Francisco.

Product Details

• Paperback: 193 pages
• Publisher: Skinner House (August 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 155896519X
• ISBN-13: 978-1558965195
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,041,919 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A remarkable book and a thoughtful gift, April 18, 2008

By 

Tom Corbett - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Bury a Goldfish: And Other Ceremonies & Celebrations for Everyday Life (Paperback)

I was simply charmed by this book. It manages to be thought-provoking, interesting, highly useful and poetic all at the same time. The ceremonies themselves are surprisingly original and moving. My wife and I used one recently to commemorate the passing of my father-in-law a year ago. We were tearful at first, laughing soon thereafter, and somehow made a little more whole by the end. The personal stories the authors tell are also well worth reading. Their warmth and wisdom come across beautifully. Highly recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting and Useful Rituals for All Occasions, August 2, 2007

By 

Susan Eisenberg (Silver Spring, Maryland United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: How to Bury a Goldfish: And Other Ceremonies & Celebrations for Everyday Life (Paperback)

I had a copy of Ms. Lang and Ms. Nayer's earlier edition of HOW TO BURY A GOLDFISH, but a friend borrowed it and never gave it back. So I eagerly bought a new copy when this new Skinner edition came out, and it's better than before. The authors give charming insights into their lives and advice about how to celebrate all occasions. Burying a goldfish is one kind of ceremony; welcoming a newly adopted child is another. You should order two copies of this helpful enchanting book, because you'll be lending it to someone who won't part with it!

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awareness of life, June 24, 2010

By 

Little Stevie (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How to Bury a Goldfish: And Other Ceremonies & Celebrations for Everyday Life (Paperback)

The purpose of this book is not to be an instruction manual or 'how to celebrate', but instead to help the reader become aware of the importance of noting events that happen and caring for our lives as we progress through them. It is too easy in our modern society to to measure life's progress by the level of sophistication of our cell phones (do you remember getting your first cell phone? What it felt like to be able to call someone anytime, without getting coins for a payphone?) and we forget there are other things going on. To become an adult is not easy, there are no traditions or markers, no rite of passage that tells us when it happens. It is the same for most of the other steps we take through life. Paying attention to the events of our lives and noting them with some small ritual is a good way of seeing what is happening and stopping for a brief moment to make sure we are okay and ready to move on to the next thing. So use this book as a reminder to pay attention to life, unless you're OCD then you must use it as guide for proper conduction of a ceremony!