Bruce Forbes, professor and chair of religious studies, recently had his book “America’s Favorite Holidays: Candid Histories” published by the University of California Press.

Bruce Forbes, professor and chair of religious studies at Morningside College, recently had his book “America’s Favorite Holidays: Candid Histories” published by the University of California Press.

Forbes’ new book discusses the importance of Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween and Thanksgiving in American culture. Forbes also explains how these holidays came to be, as well as what they are today.

“I wrote this book to survey scholarly information about these holidays and condense it in a way that it would be interesting and available to a general audience,” Forbes said. “Much of the conventional information about these holidays is sugar-coated and sometimes flat-out wrong. This book is my answer, when someone asks me, “What’s the real story?’”

Forbes previously wrote the book “Christmas: A Candid History” that was published in 2007. He is the co-editor of two other books, and the author of numerous articles and book chapters. He holds a master’s degree in theology, and a doctorate in the history of American Christianity. He is an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church.

“Americas Favorite Holidays: Candid Histories” can be purchased at the Morningside College Bookstore, Barnes and Noble at the Southern Hills Mall in Sioux City, Barnes and Noble online and Amazon.com.