Halloween History, Traditions and Superstitions

Presenting a quick discussion highlighting some interesting and fun facts about the Halloween holiday; mainly, its history and the superstitious beliefs associated with it.

The History (and My History) of Halloween

I attended Catholic school and can remember that one of my teachers was very adamant about NOT celebrating the Halloween holiday. She insisted that it supported pagan practices and traditions and it was a work of the devil. I did not want to disrespectful so I did what most well-mannered and well-behaved children did when their teachers said things they did not believe or agree with. I ignored her. Hey! I just wanted a pumpkin full of candy! LOL.  Plus, I enjoyed making jack-o-lanterns with my big sister.

But as an adult, I was a little curious about the history of Halloween. It turns out my teacher was right. It was derived from pagan customs. More specifically, it is a modification of activities associated with an ancient Celtic ritual of Samhain, which was a festival that celebrated the changing of the seasons from summer to winter. Uumm? That doesn’t exactly sound devilish.

Amanda Pagan wrote a post titled “A Brief History of Halloween”, which was published in the official blog for the New York Public Library. Her explanation of the holiday’s history is very colorful. As it is a library blog, she also provided a list of a dozen books as recommended reading if you want to know more. Halloween may have had religious import or application in the beginning but as of today, for most people (including me), the day no religious significance at all. It’s just a day set aside for apple-bobbing, eating tricks and treats, visiting haunted houses that simultaneously frighten you and make you laugh, dressing up in funny costumes, and maybe binge-watching some scary movies. Nothing more.

Halloween Superstitions

Black cats, witches, and pumpkins? Oh my! Where do all of these superstitions come from? Obviously, since the holiday is derived from a Celtic ritual, the superstitions that are prevalent to this day have Celtic roots. I personally don’t believe these superstitions, especially not the one about black cats being bad luck. Some believed black cats were witches in disguise or witches reborn or they were just witch-helpers. If you do the research you will find a lot of information pertaining to all of the folklore about black cats. You’ll find everything except the name of the person who started it!

There are numerous superstitions linked to this holiday. If you are interested in an explanation of the various beliefs about everything from bats and black cats to ghosts and spirits to spiders and trick or treat, check out this “Guide to Halloween Superstitions”.

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Fun Links of Interest:

Halloween History – How Halloween Has Traveled the Globe | SAPIENS

The History of Halloween: A timeline through the centuries | Make It Grateful

Samhain Folklore, Superstitions and Legends | Learn Religions

12 (Mostly) Spooky Halloween Superstitions | Mental Floss

Original Source

1. Halloween has been around longer for 2,000 years. Dating back to an ancient Celt festival called Samhain, the exact origins of Halloween is challenging to pin down since many religions have adopted their own versions. However, it is widely accepted that Halloween has always been a day to honor the dead and ward off evil spirits.
2. Irish immigrants popularized the holiday in the United States! During the potato famine, Irish immigrants introduced several Halloween traditions to neighboring communities. 
3. Halloween is the 2nd largest commercialized holiday. In 2020 Americans spent approximately $8 billion alone. The majority being on costumes and candy, imagine that!
4. Illinois is the pumpkin state! Every year, Illinois farmers pump out approximately 500 million pounds of gourds! 
5. Skittles are American's #1 trick or treat candy! Skittles have ranked #1 for the past 11 years. I mean, who doesn't love them?
6. The City of Keene, New Hampshire holds the Guinness World Record for the most lit jack-o'-lanterns on display (a whopping 30,581).

Source for these 6 Halloween Fun Facts.

Food and Drink: It's October! Let's Celebrate Apples

In the USA, October is the month we celebrate Halloween, pizza, and apples. I especially like the fact that October is National Apple Month. It was founded as National Apple Week in 1904 and later expanded to the entire month of October. Apples are such a delightful fruit and come in numerous varieties. There is a variety for practically every letter of the alphabet, including the letter Z. The variety is called Zestar.

Image credit

Apples in Legends, Myths and Folklore

Ever Hear of Johnny Appleseed?

From childhood, I have heard all kinds of stories about apples. The story I remember vividly is the one about Johnny Appleseed. As a child I remember hearing the story about a man who walked everywhere in America and everywhere he went, he dropped apple seeds on the ground and apple trees grew. That’s not really true. It is true that he was a real person and not a legend. His real name is John Chapman (1774 – 1845) who became known as Johnny Appleseed. He introduced apple trees to various parts of America such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. It’s not just the fact that he planted the trees which contributed to the environment. He was also a very kindhearted man and became known for his acts of charity, as well as his conservation efforts. It made him somewhat of a folk hero.

Other Legends and Myths About Apples

Is it in the Bible?

An apple is not mentioned in the Garden of Eden. Neither the Old or New Testament specifically state what the forbidden fruit was that Adam and Eve ate. However, for years people have insisted that it was an apple. Eating it caused them to be driven out of the Garden of Eden. An apple? Not sure why. (O.o)

Non-Biblical Myths

In Greek mythology, it was said that a golden apple is what caused the Trojan War. “The war originated from a quarrel between the goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite, after Eris, the goddess of strife and discord, gave them a golden apple, sometimes known as the Apple of Discord, marked “for the fairest”.”

In Norse mythology, it was believed that apples held the key to immortality. The name of the Norse goddess who was the keeper of the apples was Iðunn. Her name means “ever young”.

The Celtic people buried apples with the dead. To the Celts the apple was sacred and it was associated with rebirth. Excavators have found graves dating back 5,000 years that had petrified apple slices.

In ancient Silesia (now modern-day Poland), people believed if they slept under an apple tree, it would induce dreams; and if a young woman put an apple under her pillow on New Year’s Eve, she would dream of her future husband.

How Do You Like Your Apples?

Apples can be eaten raw. Just pick them right off the tree. Bake them in pies, make cobblers, cookies, brownies, put them in salads, turn them into jelly, and more. My favorite way to enjoy apples? Warm apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. YUM! What about you? 

Original Source

Tales of Pirates and Fairies in Africa

Africa is the second largest continent in the world. It has a colorful history, flavored with mystery. If one wanted to write about this continent they could easily publish thousands of books and millions of articles. I have a pinboard on Pinterest which I named “Mother Africa”. As of today, it has about 200 pins. The images are varied and unique and link to very interesting reading material. Just in case you don’t have access to Pinterest, the original content links can be found at Ancient-Origins.net. See “References” below. This site has over 12,000 articles and its purpose is to try to reconstruct the history of humanity by reporting on archaeological findings, scientific discoveries, mysterious phenomena, and more. 

Have You Ever Heard of Black Caesar?

I sort of have a fascination with pirates. There is nothing glamorous about them really. I mean … they’re thieves. But my fascination is with all the places they traveled in the world. Most of the stories I have heard about pirates placed them on the beautiful islands of the Caribbean. The most famous and notorious pirate is Edward Teach aka Blackbeard.

Most people have heard of Blackbeard. But have you ever heard of Black Caesar? Well! It turns out he was an African Chief who was lured onto a ship owned by slave traders with the promise of gold and other treasures. When he realized that he was being transported to the New World to be a slave, it was too late. But would you believe it? The ship he was on ran into a hurricane and the vessel sank. He escaped and turned to a life of piracy. Guess who he teamed up with? Blackbeard! The story goes that he was the lieutenant of Blackbeard’s flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge. In the end, however, the authorities caught up with him and he was tried and hanged for piracy.

There are Fairy Circles in Africa?

I’ve heard of crop circles, but fairy circles are a new topic for me. Another thing that’s new and different? I don’t usually associate fairies with Africa. But there are fairy circles found in the Namib Desert of southwestern Africa and they are much like the crop circles in that they are circular patches of ground. All kinds of stories developed around the crop circles such as they are the work of aliens from another planet. As for the fairy circles? There are also lots of stories. One of the stories is that they must be the footprints of the god Mukuru (from the mythology of the Himba people who live in Namibia and Angola).

Of course, a team of researchers conducted computer simulations and they have theorized that these fairy circles could be the combined result of two natural processes: root-eating sand termites and self-organizing plants that competes for water. The team believes these theories will not only explain the fairy circles in Africa but in other parts of the world like Australia. Umm? I don’t usually associate fairies with Australia either. 

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Ancient-Origins Article References:

• Ḏḥwty. (13 Apr. 2019). “Black Caesar: The African Chief Who Was Captured by Slavers and Became a Pirate”. (history-famous-people)
• McDermott, Alicia. (26 Jan. 2017). “Secrets Behind the Namibian Fairy Circles May Finally Be Solved”. (news-general)

Original Source

Read.Cash (Spanish)

Texas Cities Where I Have Lived: ElPaso, 22nd Largest City In The USA

El Paso is a thriving Texas city on the US-Mexico border. According to a 2018 US Census, it was the 22nd largest city in the USA. How did I first learn about this city? When I was a kid I watched a Clint Eastwood movie. The bad guys were going to rob a bank and it was located in El Paso. Never did I ever dream that one day I would move to that Texas city. But I did! Why El Paso? It was an official job transfer and I lived there from 1995 to 1998.

As soon as we relocated to the Maryland/DC area (another official job transfer) and I realized that I could not stand working in our nation’s capital, I started PRAYING!!! My goal was to find a job in Austin, Texas. Ended up working in DC for about 8 years (my original plan was no longer than 5 years). I lived and worked there longer than I expected, but finally managed to get a job transfer to Texas. However, it was in El Paso; not Austin.

Was I happy there? Uhh … let’s just say it served a temporary purpose. Since it was temporary (even though it was supposed to be permanent) it was tolerable. I wasn’t miserable there but at that point in my life … it really wasn’t where I wanted to live. However, it was better than living in Maryland and working in DC. I thought of my job transfer as an escape and also as a stop-off point until I reached my final destination, which was Austin, Texas.

Are there good things to say about living and working in El Paso? Yes!

The Bank of El Paso was mentioned in that Clint Eastwood movie, “For a Few Dollars More”. I count that as a good thing to say about El Paso.

But here are some more positives:

+ Cost of living? SUPER CHEAP! Groceries, utilities and housing.

We bought our first home there. You wouldn’t believe it! 4BR, Living room, Dining Room, large eat-in kitchen, huge family room w/ fireplace, etc. It even had a maid’s quarters. The house was priced at $108K. That wasn’t a bargain price. That was normal housing prices!

+ The church? Good edifying sermons from a sound preacher, with practical life applications; and a dedicated group of believers who walked the walk and didn’t just talk the talk.

+ My job? It was 15 minutes away from my house so I could go home for lunch if I wanted to. But I didn’t! I preferred to go across the street to the Barnes & Noble store instead.

Would I recommend others live and work in El Paso? Sure!

+ I also recommend it for real estate investing. Particularly for rental properties.

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Links of Interest:

5 Reasons Why You Need to Visit El Paso Texas | Simply Wander

Things to do in El Paso Texas | The Traveling Fool

Original Source

Street art from El Paso, TX. #satwelpaso #satw #visitepaso #art #streetart #wallart #murals #travel #photography #streetphotography pic.twitter.com/brOyNZdpxJ

— Bruce N. Meyer (@BruceNMeyer) October 23, 2019

Why You Should Pick Florida and the Bahamas for Vacation

Planning a vacation? Need suggestions? How about South Florida and The Bahamas? They both have beautiful beaches. Isn't that enticement enough?

I was born and raised in Miami, Florida. My husband and father are both from The Bahamas, a country right next door to Florida. For those who are planning a vacation, I usually tell them to go to South Florida. Specifically, they should go to Miami, Florida and The Florida Keys. Then I advise them: “While you're there since you're close, you might as well go over to The Bahamas.” It's a half-hour plane ride. Some people fly over and come back in the same day. Others take a 1-day cruise. I don't recommend it. Hey! It's a vacation! Why rush? Of course, if you don't want to leave the country you could stay in Florida, drive up to Orlando, and visit Disney World. How fun is that?

Here are some interesting and fun facts about Florida and The Bahamas. When you travel, it's good to know a little bit of history or trivia about the places you will visit. Somehow you appreciate the visit a lot more. At least I think so.

About The Bahamas

Christopher Columbus was an “accidental Bahamian tourist”. He wasn't really looking for these islands. “Long Island is where Columbus anchored the Santa Maria when he discovered the island in 1492.” (Quote Source) “After the American War of Independence, thousands of pro-British loyalists and enslaved Africans moved to the Bahamas and set up a plantation economy.”

This fact makes me laugh and makes me cry. First of all, if you are “enslaved” you don't really have much of a choice about where you're “moved”. That's the part that makes me cry. On the other hand, the part that makes me laugh is … if I am being an eternal optimist no matter what my circumstances, to end up in a country as beautiful as The Bahamas, slave or not, I'd have to say “Well alright!” Sunshine! Pink sand. Turquoise blue waters. Excellent diving and fishing! Hey! It's not like I was moved to Siberia! Besides. A few decades after that move, slavery was abolished. A couple of centuries later, The Bahamas became an independent nation just like America.

About South Florida

Miami is a hot spot. There's nothing I could say that a bazillion people have not already said except that I loved growing up in that city. My memories are blessings.

Some have likened the Florida Keys to an “American Bahamas”. I disagree but totally understand why the comparison was made. The Florida Keys and The Bahamas are very much alike. Jerry Wilkinson published a very informative article titled “History Of The Bahamas” where he explains the similarities. Both places were inhabited by indigenous Indians and after the American Revolution, some English loyalists moved to the Keys and settled there.

So what do you think about these vacation suggestions?

Are South Florida and The Bahamas on your bucket list of "Places to Visit"?

Original Source

Quick List of My October 2019 Articles at 100 Springs

Hello! If you are visiting this blog for the first time, I am happy you're here. I'm happy I'm here too! I have been busy with a new writing job. I was accepted as an article writer at a site called 100 Springs. 

The site's owner is also a friend and allowed me to express myself by writing on a variety of different topics. Oh yeah! He basically told me to go crazy! And I did! For the month of October, I published 10 articles. There is an alpha listing below. View my writer's profile. 

1.   Africa: Tales of Pirates and Fairies

2.   As a Tumblr Alternative, Try Over-Blog

3.   El Paso, Texas: 22nd Largest City in the USA

4.   Favorite Movie Stars and Favorite Movies

5.   Halloween: A Quick Study of the History and Superstitions

6.   October is the Month to Celebrate Apples

7.   The Adults at NASA Care About Climate Change

8.   US Presidential Election 2020: The Fighting Dozen (An Opinion Piece)

9.   Vacation Suggestions: South Florida and The Bahamas

10. Where to Find Reliable Healthcare Information

♦ Hope you enjoy reading all of the articles at 100Springs.com; not just mine. ☺ When you're done there, don't forget to visit Joie de Vivre on Tumblr where you will find lots of delightful content collected from around the web, which express the joy of living.  Joie de Vivre is French for "joy of living".

https://joiedevivre-magazine.tumblr.com/post/188454449311