As in "Data's Day," Data points out, "Besides the arrival of Ambassador T'Pel, other events occurring today include four birthdays, two personnel transfers, a celebration of the Hindu Festival of Lights, two chess tournaments, one secondary school play, and four promotions.

"Overall... an ordinary day."

About Klingons in particular, during the events in "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places," Quark notes, "Come on! There has to be another way out of this! You people have rituals for everything except waste extraction... you must have a ceremony or a secret handshake or something I can do."

Saying that Starfleet and the life-forms it interacts with don't have a fair share of rituals and celebrations is to miss a fantastical side of it all. Any culture can be experienced through its celebrations, from weddings to funerals to rites of passage. The Klingons and Bajorans seem to have a ritual for almost everything they do, but that reflects who they are. Bajorans are spiritual, Klingons are warriors, but their every move stands for something.

This book is an attempt to encapsulate the celebrations that have permeated Star Trek throughout the years. So enjoy the fun -- and remember, there is no Klingon word for joy!

--Maureen McTigue