|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
#31
10-01-2009, 05:28 AM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Some facts about Halloween
1. Halloween is the Celtic New Year. It was originally a pagan holiday to honor the dead. It took place, as it does now, on October 31st, and was called All Hallow’s Eve (the next day, November 1st, was called All Saint’s Day). It dates back more than 2000 years.
2. The Mexican version of Halloween Day is called Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), and takes place on the 1st and 2nd of November. They use the occasion to to gather together with family and friends and pray for loved ones who have died. They believe that during the Dia de los Muertos, it is easier for the souls of the dead to visit the living. 3. The “Jack-O-Lantern,” according to Celtic folklore, got it’s name from a guy named Stingy Jack, a miserable old drunk who liked to play tricks on everyone from his own mother to the Devil himself. 4. You must hold your breath while walking past a cemetery or you might breathe in the spirit of someone who has recently died. And if I’ve learned anything from years of watching scary movies, there is no way that can be a good thing. 5. Jack-O-Lanterns originated in Ireland, where people would put candles into hollowed out turnips and beets to keep away evil spirits and ghosts on the Samhain holiday. 6. To the original European immigrants who first brought it to North America, Halloween was a celebration of the end of the summer harvest, and they would observe the holiday by gathering around a bonfire to tell ghost stories, sing, dance, and tell fortunes. 7. Halloween is the second most commercially successful holiday (Halloween candy sales average more than $2,000,000,000 [$2 billion] annually). Christmas, of course, is number 1. 8. Tootsie rolls were the first wrapped penny candy in America. They were introduced in 1896 by an Austrian candy maker named Leo Hirschfield, who opened a tiny candy shop in New York City. He named the candy after his 5-year-old daughter’s nickname, “Tootsie.” 9. The ancient Celts believed that spirits and ghosts roamed the countryside on Halloween night, so they began wearing costumes and masks to avoid being recognized as human! 10. It is believed that the Irish started the tradition of trick-or-treating. In preparation for All Hallow’s Eve, Irish townspeople would visit people throughout their neighborhoods asking for contributions of food for a town feast. 11. Another theory is that trick-or-treating originated with a 9th century European custom called “souling.” Christians would go from village to village on November 2nd (All Souls Day) and beg for “soul cakes,” which were square pieces of bread with currants. The more they received, the more prayers they would promise to say for the souls of the donors’ lost loved ones. At that time, it was believed that the dead remained in limbo for some time after death, and prayer, even from strangers, could quicken a soul’s passage to heaven. 12. About 21% of pet owners dress up their pets for Halloween. 13. There is some debate, with opinions generally divided, as to whether or not Halloween is a Satanic holiday. What do you think? 14. In North America, it’s bad luck if a black cat crosses your path but good luck if a white cat crosses your path. In Britain and Ireland, it’s the opposite. 15. Black and orange are the colors of Halloween because orange represents the Fall colors and black represents darkness and death. 16. Superstition says that if a bat flies around a house three times, it is considered a death omen. So if you live in bat country, keep a BB gun handy. 17. It’s bad luck to allow a fire to burn out on Halloween. 18. The significance of black cats is that they are believed to be the protectors of a witch’s powers. If a black cat walks toward you, it brings good fortune. But if it walks away, it takes the good luck with it. Again, keep that BB gun handy. 19. Every year almost without exception, the most popular Halloween costume for women is something that starts with the word “sexy.” 20. Also almost without exception, men who dress up for Halloween in a costume that begins with the word “sexy” do not look sexy at all. 21. Halloween did not become an American holiday until the 19th century because the restrictions of lingering Puritan tradition prevented even the observance of Christmas before the 1800s. 22. It was the transatlantic migration of millions of Irish immigrants following the great Irish Potato Famine (1845-1849) that finally brought Halloween to America. So basically, we have an overseas potato shortage to thank for our second most commercially successful holiday! 23. Halloween was mostly a social holiday from the 1800s until around 1910, when the introduction of postcards first commercialized it. Masks and costumes were not being mass-produced until the 1930s, and trick-or-treating didn’t become a permanent holiday fixture until about 20 years after that. 24. Salem, Massachusetts claims to be the “Halloween Capital of the World,” while at the same time trying to disassociate itself with its history of persecuting witches. Anoka, Minnesota also claims the world title, but sadly has no history of witch trials to make it stand out. For some reason, national attention continues to evade its beloved annual Halloween parade. 25. The Legend of Stingy Jack One dark Halloween night, a deceitful and bitter old drunk named Stingy Jack managed to trick the Devil into climbing up an apple tree. Once he was in the tree, Jack quickly put crosses all around the tree, trapping the Devil. He then told the Devil that he would not let him down until he promised not to take his soul when he died. The Devil gave the promise and Jack finally let him down. Years later, when Jack finally died, he met Saint Peter at the Pearly Gates of Heaven and was told that he had lived a worthless and miserable life on earth as a drunken trickster, and so would not be allowed into heaven. He was sent to Hell to talk to the Devil, and once there, Jack reminded the Devil of his promise not to take his soul. The Devil kept his promise and didn’t allow Jack to enter Hell. Now, Jack was scared and had nowhere to go. All he could do was wander forever in the total darkness between Heaven and Hell. He went back to the Devil and asked him how he could survive when there was no light, and the Devil, in an unusual gesture of kindness, responded by tossing him an ember from the flames of Hell to help him light his way. Jack placed the ember in a hollowed out turnip, one of his favorite foods which he always carried with him, and from that day on, Stingy Jack roamed the earth without a resting place, lighting the way as he went with his lantern…
__________________
"If you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche 
|
|
#33
10-01-2009, 05:46 AM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
I had him down as one of your alter-egos, newb. Cant think why...........
__________________
  Battle Royalty, 2009 @Wolf_Scousemac
|
|
#35
10-01-2009, 05:59 AM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Your Favorite Halloween monster
If we had a poll for everyone's favorite Halloween boogeyman, Michael Myers would win both hands down, and with a pretty commanding score.
But what about everyone's favorite Halloween creature/monster? And by monster I mean a real monster. Mine would have to be Frankenstein's monster...  ...followed by the Horseman from Sleepy Hollow. 
__________________
"If you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche
|
|
#39
10-01-2009, 06:41 AM
|
||||
|
||||
|
What exactly is a 'Halloween' monster? Because normally i'd say Cthulhu but that doesn't seem to fit... I'll go with Pumpkinhead as well.
__________________
 Quote:
None of this is real
|
|
#40
10-01-2009, 07:54 AM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Knew a few of these but they're all interesting. I think I might have to do the ol' turnip lantern for some authenticity!
__________________
 The Ferrets like it...
|
 |
|
|
