DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

first Oktoberfest in 1810     Many people have heard of Oktoberfest.  Some know it as a German celebration.  In fact, it is the largest and longest celebration in Germany.  In Germany, it is celebrated across the country.  However, many people don't know how Oktoberfest began.  Early Oktoberfest Beermaids    Its origins have roots in Bavaria where it began in Munich.  Oktoberfest started on October 12, 1810 as a way to celebrate the marriage of Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese.  As was customary in those days royal marriage celebrations extended for several days.  On October 17, a horse race was held at the city gates in which the citizens of Munich were invited to watch.  The horse race proved to be a popular event with the citizens and it started a tradition of an annual celebration which included horse racing until 1938. A German folk Band Member  Tapping of the first keg of Oktoberfest    By 1...

   In the United States and all around the world are hundreds of haunted places.  But did you ever think that while on vacation, the place you choose to sleep could be the very place a ghost or spirit is looking over you?  Haunted hotels are known to be the most haunted places on earth.     Kate Morgan   Hotel Del Coronado       This hotel is located in California and is known to be haunted since 1892.  It is also considered to be one of the top resorts in the U.S.  There have been reports of voices and apparitions coming from all floors of the hotel.  It is also reported that Kate Morgan, a young woman in her 20's was killed by a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.  Her body was found on the steps to the front entrance of the hotel.  Ms. Morgan is she ghost haunting the rooms of the Hotel Del Coronado.  Stanley Hotel   Stanley Hotel ghost    The Stan...

   Superstitions abound around the Halloween holiday.  And why wouldn't they?  It's that time of the year again, where the dead rise and the spirits abound.  Or at least that's what alot of people believe.  Many people have very strong beliefs involving this holiday and the days around it.    Every one knows that black cats are supposed to be bad luck, especially if they cross your path.  Years ago it was thought that black cats are supposed to be bad luck, especially if they cross your path.  Years ago it was thought that black cats were actually the devil, or at least filled with evil spirits.    For unmarried girls, there were many ways to find out about your future husband.  On Halloween night, if you keep a rosemary herb and a silver sixpence under your pillow, supposedly you will dream about your future husband.  For a better glimpse of your future, a girl must carry a broken egg in a glass, take it to a spr...

   A Ghost Town is a place that no longer exists.  For some reason, and many times unexplained reasons, the people of the town leave and never return.  The town is left to rot and be forgotten.  But, a lot of these places allow you t come and visit, to step on the land that is no longer wanted, and to learn the mysteries behind their disappearances.  Here is a list of some of the best Ghost Towns in the United States.  Roanoke Island, North Carolina    The Lost Colony.  Everyone knows that the first settlers in the new world created colonies in Jamestown and Plymouth, but there was also a colony on Roanoke Island, North Carolina.  History tells of a woman, named Virginia Dare, who settled there with her family.  Sir Walter Raleigh had led ships there.  It would be the first settlement on American soil, but it was short lived.        That's because everyone disappeared!    To this day, sc...

   There are several prisons located throughout the United States that are said to be the most haunted prisons in America today.  Individuals who are considered to be hobbyists and those that are considered to be professionals in the area of ghost hunting often find prisons to be enticing when it comes to the opportunity to validate life after death.  It is not uncommon for these investigators to capture unexplained voice phenomenon on digital audio recorders, indications of strong magnetic fields with the KII Meter, and even frightening images in pictures and video recordings.  Here, I will profile 2 of the most haunted prisons in America today.  Moundsfield  West Virginia Penitentiary    The Moundsfield West Virginia Penitentiary is considered to be one of the scariest prisons on Earth according to individuals who have spent any length of time in the immense structure that once served as a prison.  Construction on this building star...

   Death, "the time at which life ends".  It is inescapable no matter what you do, or where you go, death will find you.  It is just one of the many facts of life.  And the one personification of this event has been the Grim Reaper.  Different parts of the world have their own take on where this mythological figure originated.    Probably the most accepted version of the Grim Reaper is the Skeletal figure wearing a black robe wielding a scythe, sometimes on horseback.  Also know to be carrying a hour glass, just waiting for time to run out, so that he may reap your soul.  But the legend of the Grim reaper can be tracked all the way back to Greek mythology.  Thanatos    The Greeks had two different takes on the origins of the reaper.  A pleasant version, and a not so pleasant version.   On the lighter side of things there was Thanatos, who had a twin brother Hypnos, the god of sleep.  They were ...

      The RMS Queen Mary is reputed to be one of the most haunted objects in the world.  The ghost stories and haunted tales told about the ship are so popular that it has inspired countless investigators to climb aboard.  Whether you believe the ship is haunted or not, there is no discounting its long history.     The Queen Mary was built as a fabulous ocean liner that could cross the Atlantic in just two weeks.  She was built for the Cunard White Star Line, the same company that built the ill fated Titanic.  Construction started on the ship in 1930, but took nearly four years to complete.    Though the ship operated for over thirty years, there were a few problems associates with it.  During its maiden trip just after it had been officially named, the ship lost control.  She came close to hitting another ship, before managing to stop.  During World War II, the Queen Mary became one of several ocean li...