DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

    Halloween has ancient origins that are embedded in tradition and the Halloween parade is one of the many celebrations associated with this holiday. Halloween parades today represent an opportunity for people to show off their Halloween costumes  and even compete for prizes. However, this fun part of modern-day Halloween tradition actually began thousands of years ago, with the intent of warding away malevolent spirits.    The tradition of having a Halloween parade can be traced back to the earliest origins of Halloween. Halloween actually began as the pagan festival Samhain, which was observed thousands of years ago with the ancient Celts who occupied what was is now Ireland , the United Kingdom, and northern France. Samhain represented a time when human spirits were supposed to come to earth to wreak havoc on human souls.    Each year on Samhain, the Celts dressed up in gruesome animal-like costumes that were usually made from animal heads and skins and they

   Moon Festival, Mooncake Festival , or the August Moon Festival - they are the different names of the same festival, which is popularly also known as the Mid Autumn Festival . It is a celebration of abundance and togetherness.   The Chinese believe in praying to the moon god for protection, family unity, and good fortune. It falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, a date that parallels the Autumn Equinox of the solar calendar.On this day the moon is unusually bright, clear and round. Historical accounts are silent about the exact origin of this festival, but as far as the assumption of the scholars are concerned , it is related to the two customs in China.    The first customs concern the Chinese farmers. China is an agricultural country and farming in China is intricately associated with the seasons. In the ancient times, the farmers used to worship Earth God and prayed for a good harvest when they sowed the seeds during spring. Once again during autumn

   Santa’s elves are known to be tiny, dwarf-like creatures, either male or female, with pointed ears. They are immortal and have magical powers that can control what you see and hear. Christmas elves can become invisible any time they wish and are very hard to see. They were once thought to be youthful but are now depicted as more like Santa himself in age. Since they are rarely seen, no one really knows their true ages.    Nearly two centuries ago the Scandinavian elves, famed for their magic and story telling abilities, revealed through the popular writers of the day what their true purpose was: to help Santa Claus . Since then we know that the elves help Santa design and create the wonderful toys and gifts he brings to the world’s children. The best time to spot an elf is in the days before Christmas. They are believed to be Santa’s spies and report their findings back to him. Since they take their responsibilities very seriously, they sometimes forget to become invisible until

  Labor Day , the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the prosperity and well-being of our country.    It was hard times in the days of depression that hit the country in the 1880s. It led to widespread wage cuts and unemployment in the traditional pattern of the economic cycle. This was when the Knights of Labor came into being. It was their initiative that Labor Day turned out to be a civic event with parades and meetings. The First Labor Day       Contrary to the present practice the first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City , in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union . The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, l883.    Howeve