The series is devoted to the description and analysis of traditional folk rites, customs, holidays of different peoples of the world. Each issue shows the history of the origin and formation of rituals, its social essence, reveals specific features for each people and common to the entire population of Europe or religious groups. The series was prepared by the team of authors of the N. N. Miklouho-Maclay Institute of Ethnography of the USSR Academy of Sciences and was published by the Nauka publishing house in 1973-98. consisting of 8 volumes.