DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

   Mummies are a popular part of modern Halloween imagery. But how much do you really know about them? This Halloween season, entertain yourself and your kids with these thirteen intriguing facts about mummies. 1. According to Egyptologist Salima Ikram , the word mummy comes from the Arabic word for bitumen: mumya . Over time, the word mumya evolved into the name we recognize today: mummy. 2. It is believed that the ancient Egyptians began to mummify their dead as early as 2500 B.C. - but the Chinchorros of South America did it first. 3. The Egyptians believed that the dead could enjoy earthly pleasures in the afterlife. For this reason, many mummies were entombed with treasures, food, and even loyal servants. 4. The jackal-headed deity Anubis was considered to be the god of mummification and embalming. 5. All of a mummy's major internal organs were removed and placed in canopic jars - except for the heart, which was thought to be the center of intelli...

Scorched earth policy: Blazing trails as proceedings get fiery Goodness gracious: Pitched battles watched by onlookers    Pause before a flare-up: Revellers take a breather    It looks like a warzone or at least a riot in full swing. Fireballs tear through the streets painting the night air orange as young men, their faces emblazoned with fearsome patterns, prowl the streets waging in pitched battles against one another. The incendiary missiles explode on impact – sometimes in the faces of their targets. Pyromaniacs take note. If you love fire – and fireworks or trick or treat are too tame for your taste buds – you’ll be blown away by the Bolas de Fuego festival in El Salvador.    Every August 31, the El Salvadorian town of Nejapa is set alight by Bolas de Fuego, meaning balls of fire – though some might consider balls of steel equally essential for taking part. In the kind of event that would’ve been banned or smothered by health ...