DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

The Mayflower    At daybreak on November 19, 1620, the Mayflower passed the headland of Cape Cod and found herself in peril.  The shoals were dangerously and she had to turn back northward.  Finding a favorable wind, the Mayflower and her human cargo enter the protected waters of the Bay and stared out onto an unknown land.  This was the Pilgrims new home.  After 66 hard days at sea and winter approaching, those faithful English Separatists faced the Winter of 1621.  Plymouth Colony     The first winter for the Plymouth Colony was filled with loss and longing.  More than half of the 102 Pilgrims that arrived on the Mayflower.  Food was scarce.  Hunger and disease plagued and weakened the people.  Cold and harsh conditions wore down moral.  Prospects for the new colony were weak.  The actions of smart men and the sacrifice of brave women contributed to the survival of the Pilgrims. The Mayflower Compa...

   Pull the covers over your head.  Don't get out of bed until January 2, for your wallet's safe being.  It has happened again.  The holidays have snuck up behind and smacked you up alongside the head, taken out your wallet, spent all the money in it and maxed out your credit cards while you check your bank balance everyday to see if you can buy that last gift for someone special, who will down the road, sell it at a garage sale or give it to Goodwill.  The gift will probably never be opened, but it's the thought that counts, right?    While you're stressed out over spending way too much money, you get blessed with an extra sense of guilt when you pass the Santa ringing his bell and you don't take all the change out of your pocket and throw it into his red pot.  You just put your head down, pretend you don't see the homeless man dressed as Santa and plow your way into the crowd merrily coughing and sneezing on each other, happily spreading a...

   The symbolism of bats varies across traditions and time.  Most famous is probably the bat's association with Halloween.  This article not only highlights reasons that bats and Halloween partner up, but also shares some others, lesser-known beliefs about bats.    Traditional burning of bright bonfires at summer's end was common around Halloween.  The fires were meant to ward off bad energies and soften the chilly air.  The bonfires' brilliant light often attracted plentiful insects as well as their natural predator, bats.  As such, bats were a common sight at these fall festivals, and are therefore connected with Halloween's magical theme.       In some Native American traditions, the bat was considered a symbol of intuition and vision due to it  being highly sensitive to its surroundings.  As such, a bat spirit would be invoked when special energy was needed to see though ambiguity, helping...