DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

    Oktoberfest  is a 16–18 day festival held annually in  Munich ,  Bavaria ,  Germany , running from late September to the first weekend in October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and is the world's largest fair, with more than 5 million people attending every year. The Oktoberfest is an important part of  Bavarian  culture, having been held since 1810. Other cities across the world also hold  Oktoberfest celebrations , modeled after the Munich event.     The Munich Oktoberfest originally took place during the sixteen days up to and including the first Sunday in October. In 1994, the schedule was modified in response to  German reunification  so that if the first Sunday in October falls on the 1st or 2nd, then the festival would go on until October 3 ( German Unity Day ). Thus, the festival is now 17 days when the first Sunday is October 2 and 18 days when it is October 1. In 2010, the festival lasted until the first Monday in October, to mark the 200-ye

Because the movie  Halloween  (1978) was on such a tight budget, they had to use the cheapest mask they could find for the character Michael Meyers, which turned out to be a William Shatner  Star Trek  mask. Shatner initially didn’t know the mask was in his likeness, but when he found out years later, he said he was honored. The first Jack O’Lanterns were actually made from turnips. Halloween is the second highest grossing commercial holiday after Christmas. The word “witch” comes from the Old English  wicce , meaning “wise woman.” In fact,  wiccan  were highly respected people at one time. According to popular belief, witches held one of their two main meetings, or  sabbats , on Halloween night.  Samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween. Fifty percent of kids prefer to receive chocolate candy for Halloween, compared with 24% who prefer non-chocolate candy and 10% who preferred gum. The owl is a popular Halloween image. In Medieval Europe, owls were t

   The National Eisteddfod of Wales  is one of the great festivals of the world, attracting over 160,000 visitors every year. An eclectic mixture of culture, music, visual arts and all kinds of activities for people of all ages, there’s something for everyone on the Maes during the first week of August every year.    The Eisteddfod is a travelling festival which belongs to the people of Wales – wherever they live, and this is an integral part of its appeal. The festival visits areas in north and south Wales alternately, and hosting the National Eisteddfod is a great boost for any area.    It’s an ideal opportunity to promote and encourage people to use and learn Welsh locally, to take part in cultural activities in their area, and it’s also a great opportunity to promote the region as a tourist destination. The economic effect on the area is huge, with the Eisteddfod contributing between £6-8 million to the local economy during the week.    The Eisteddfod is the

 This was found at  www.countryliving.com  .  I really like this idea.  Even having the eyes glowing or blinking on and off. Paranormal Portraits You'll never look at loved ones the same way after transforming their images into a ghostly display. STEP 1:  Make a black-and-white copy of a portrait on printer paper and cut out. STEP 2:  To "age" the picture, lightly brush it with a sponge dipped in a solution of a few drops of black craft paint mixed with water. Let the paper dry. STEP 3:  Cut a piece of card stock the same size as the photo, glue to the photo's back, and let dry. With an X-Acto knife, cut out the eyes of the picture's subject(s), piercing through the card stock and creating holes about 1/4 inch in diameter. STEP 4:  Open the frame's back, remove the glass, then fit the photo inside. STEP 5:  Insert red mini LED Christmas lights (try Superior Holiday Lighting's flattop version, $11.26 for a 25-foot string; 

The History of Loi Krathong Festival     Loi Krathong festival  is a Thai tradition which has been conducted for a long time ago. Loi Krathong has been held since the middle of the eleventh to the middle of the twelfth lunar month, which is a great flood season- especially on the full moon night of the twelfth lunar month. When the moon shines at night, it makes rivers clear. It is very beautiful scenery which is suitable for floating krathong.    In the past, we called Loi Krathong as Chong Pa Rieng- floating lantern of royal ceremony. It is a Brahman festival to worship Gods- Siva, Vishnu, and Brahma. When Thai people adopted Buddhism, they adapted this ceremony to honor the Buddhas cremated bone- the original Buddha at the second heaven ruler. They floated lantern to worship the foot-print of the Buddha on Nammathanati River beach in India.    Floating krathong along the river was created by Nang Noppamas; the most favorite concubines Sukhothai king. She made krathong as