Decoration Day is a late spring or summer tradition that involves cleaning a community cemetery, decorating it with flowers, holding a religious service in the cemetery, and having dinner on the ground. These commemorations seem to predate the post–Civil War celebrations that ultimately gave us our national Memorial Day. Little has been written about this tradition, but it is still observed widely throughout the Upland South, from North Carolina to the Ozarks. Written by internationally recognized folklorist Alan Jabbour and illustrated with more than a hundred photographs taken by Karen Singer Jabbour, Decoration Day in the Mountains is an in-depth exploration of this little-known cultural tradition. The Jabbours illuminate the meanings behind the rituals and reveal how the tradition fostered a grassroots movement to hold the federal government to its promises about cemeteries left behind when families were removed to make way for Fontana Dam and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Richly illustrated and vividly written, Decoration Day in the Mountains presents a compelling account of a widespread and long-standing Southern cultural practice. “ Decoration Day in the Mountains offers many features worthy of praise, not the least of which is its physical appeal….It’s necessary reading for anyone interested in Decoration Day as well as death-related customs in general, but those who want to experience how ethnography ought to be done, no matter the particular topic, should read this model work.” — Arkansas Review “Captivating, thoughtful, well-researched and detailed.” — Wisconsin Bookwatch “By far the most thorough examination of the custom available. . . . Necessary reading for anyone interested in Decoration Day as well as death-related customs in general. . . . Those who want to experience how ethnography ought to be done, no matter the particular topic, should read this model work.” — Arkansas Review “Richly illustrated. . . . [The] photos punctuate, enliven, and graphically augment the authoritative, though accessible, text.” — Appalachian Heritage “The most lengthy and authoritative account of this folklore ritual to date.” — Studies in American Culture “The book is not only a useful reference for its subject matter and interpretations but also a model of research and writing.” — Journal of Southern History “Extensively researched. . . . Scholars of the upland South will be interested in the cultural history documented in the book, while others with ties to the region will read the book on a more personal level as a visual documentation of key family and community ceremonies.” — The Alabama Review “[An] interesting book.” — Goldenseal “Sound groundwork for future researchers. . . . I found much here that was wise and stimulating.” — Western Folklore “This book will interest folklorists, historic preservationists, culture resource management workers, cultural geographers, archaeologists, and cemetery scholars. It also is an excellent resource for use in classroom instruction. Its accessible style and beautiful illustrations would also recommend it to a popular readership, especially anyone who has a family history of participation in Decoration Days.” — Journal of Folklore Research Fills a significant void in the study of American folk culture. In examining the establishment of Memorial Day (originally called Decoration Day), the Jabbours make a compelling case for the pre-existence of a widespread folk observance providing the model for this new military-oriented observance. And the photographs beautifully illustrate the text and capture the spirit of both the decorated landscape and the decorators.--Joey Brackner, Alabama Center for Traditional Culture A little-known but powerful cultural tradition of the American South Written by an internationally recognized folklorist and illustrated with more than 100 photos, this book is an in-depth exploration of a little-known cultural tradition that dates back to the Civil War and is still observed widely throughout the Upland South, from North Carolina to the Ozarks. Decoration Day is a late spring or summer tradition that involves cleaning a community cemetery, decorating it with flowers, holding a religious service in the cemetery, and having dinner on the grounds. The Jabbours illuminate the meanings behind the rituals and reveal how the tradition fostered a grassroots movement to hold the federal government to its promises about cemeteries left behind when families were removed to make way for Fontana Dam and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Alan Jabbour served as head of the Archive of Folk Song at the Library of Congress, director of the Folk Arts Program at the National Endowment for the Arts, and director of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. Now retired, he continues to do research as an independent folklorist. Fhotographer Karen Singer Jabbour and her husband, Alan Jabbour have