DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

The Jolly Old Man In The Big Red Suit!       Santa's history is long and varied but for many decades the American Santa has been a universal figure in English speaking countries.  With the 20th century revival of globalization and the advent of the internet, Santa Claus has become a prime Christmas figure in every corner of the globe.    Although other countries have long had different gift-giver characters, Santa is now number one in much of the world.  So  with that in mind let's take a brief trip around the world and find out about Santa Claus in other countries.    In Brazil Santa is known as Papai Noel and in Rio he arrives by helicopter to kick off Christmas celebrations on December 20th. In Austria and Switzerland Santa Claus has all but replaced Austria's traditional gift giver, Christkind or the " Christ child ."  Many Austrians are attempting to overthrow Santa and bring Christkind back in preeminence. In G...

   When the moon is full it is said that the canine shape shifters prowl the night seeking new prey!  Gypsies around the world tell folktales that warn about the anthropomorphic wolf-men cursed to endure a life of transmutation when the moon is full, becoming a predatory killer until the sun rises.    Are these half-human, half-wolf  "monsters" real, or are they a figment of our imagination, that people ages ago created to explain shadows in the night?  Could these shape shifters actually exist?  Perhaps Hollywood has instilled a false memory and predisposition for beings of the night, like vampires, zombies and werewolves.  Maybe latent fear of the unknown drives the human mind to justify their fear of the dark by creating and believing in strange and bizarre creatures.    Then it may also be true-werewolves may be more than mythical creatures in stories told by many people with roots that run deep in the old country of their o...

Mummification was not limited to Egyptians.  Greeks and Romans who resided in Egypt were also mummified in Egyptian fashion. The process of mummification continued in Egypt as late as the fifth century C.E., then slowly tapered off when Christianity took hold. From 400 to 1400 C.E. there was a common belief that mummia was a potent medicine with curative powers.  This mummia was obtained by grinding up actual mummies. Many travelers who visited Egypt from Europe in the 1600s and 1700s took mummies home and displayed them as centerpieces or in curio cabinets. The study of Egyptian antiquities, known as Egyptology, became a popular academic discipline in the 1800s.  The event of "unwrapping a mummy" became a popular attraction and draw to European museums. In 1896, British archaelogist William Flinders Petrie began using X-ray techniques to examine mummies without unwrapping them. In the early 1970s, scientists began using computed tomography, or CAT scans, to create ...

I was watching HDNET concerts a couple of weeks ago and came across this band- HERE COME THE MUMMIES .  They are a cross between jazz, funk and rock.  They don't sound half bad.  They were mummy outfits and have a full compliment of band members and a horn section also. Here is a link to their web site, I think you'll like their music.  Some of their videos are a little tongue and cheek riskay, but it's all in fun, nothing bad.  Heres the address: www. herecomethemummies.com , let me know what you think.  There are about 3 or 4 videos of them performing on the Bob and Tom show and a couple musica festivals.

WATCH OUT LADIES!!!!HE'S COMING TO GET YOU!!!!    There are many hairy guys out there (even I have extra!) in the world.  Most of them are completely harmless, sort of.  However, every now and then, a werewolf might be on the prowl and these are the type of creatures you don't want to take home to mom and dad.  Man or woman, a werewolf will likely try to rip you up! You need to know what to do to protect yourself from the hairy beasties.  And I do not mean your big bro. How to tell if the person you're with is a werewolf    Just because a man is hairy does not mean he's a werewolf.  There are a number of things to look for to help you find if the man stalking you is a werewolf or not.  According to Warren Zevon song,  The Werewolves of London , a werewolf likes Chinese food, especially the beef lo mein.  They also love pina colada's (and getting caught in the rain).  The biggest trait that will stand out the most, i...

     I know that Halloween is closer than Christmas is but I think it's time for a little change up (It's my favorite, right next to Halloween).  Let us not forget about Thanksgiving, the holiday that gets hardly any praise at all by most people.  Here's a list of some Christmas trivia and folklore for all of us to enjoy!    Let's take a look back at the origins of Christmas and some of the lesser known facts involving one of my favorite holiday's. While the Pilgrims may have been responsible for beginning the tradition of Thanksgiving, they did not celebrate Christmas--it was against their Puritan belief and in fact, it was illegal. It was once believed that whoever (husband or wife) first brings holly into the house will rule the home all year. (wishful thinking on the mans part these days.) Young men of the 1700's believe that if they saw a redheaded girl at Christmastime, he would be pursued by flame-haired vixens throughout the coming y...

   A group of vampires has variously been call a clutch, brood, coven, pack or clan. (a clan if their Scottish!) The Muppet vampire, Count von Count from Sesame Street, is based on actual vampire myth.  One way to supposedly deter a vampire is to throw seeds ( usually mustard) outside a door or place fishing net outside a window.  Vampires are compelled to count the seeds on the holes in the net, delaying them until the sun comes up. A rare disease called porphyria vampire like symptoms, such as an extreme sensitivity to sunlight and sometimes hairiness.  In extreme cases, teeth might be stained reddish brown, and eventually the patient may go mad. One of the most famous "true vampires" was Countess Elizabeth Bathory (1560-1614) who was accused of biting the flesh of girls while torturing them and bathing in their blood to retain her youthful beauty.  She was by all accounts a very attractive woman. Vampire legends may have been based on Vlad of Walachi...