DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

The Obamas    The White House Christmas tree is a tradition that dates back to 1889.  The very first Christmas tree in the White House was when Benjamin Harrison lived there.  It was displayed in the Oval Room on the second floor.  The Harrison White House Christmas tree was decorated with lit candles.  This very first simple Christmas tree displayed in the White House has transformed into a treasured, national tradition.  The national Christmas tradition didn't take off right away, however.  Not all of the presidential families displayed Christmas trees during the holidays.  The event became official with the 1929 White House Christmas tree.  First Lady Lou Henry Hoover was in charge of the decorations for the Christmas tree in the White House.  Since then, decorating the White House Christmas tree has become an honor bestowed upon the First Ladies.  The Bushes II   The Bushes I   ...

   A solstice, as defined by the dictionary is "a furthest or culminating point; a turning point".  The winter solstice occurs when the sun is furthest from the celestial equator (a theoretical projection of the earth's equator into space).    Technically, the winter solstice lasts for only the instant of time during which the sun is at its furthest.  However, "winter solstice" typically refers to the entire day.  In the Northern Hemisphere the day of winter solstice is the shortest day of the year and the point at which days begin to lengthen.  This usually occurs on the 21st or 22nd of December.    There are much more fascinating aspects to the winter solstice, however.  For thousands of year the winter solstice has been associated with religious and philosophical importance. Around 46 BC, the 25th of December was established as the winter solstice.  At that time the Julian Calender (named after Julius Ceasar who first int...

   Chocolatre lovers come in two categories.  One-you love chocolate so much but feel like your being naughty when you divulge your pleasure in eating it (I tell my wife that I love it soooooo much! I want to marry it!!).  Two-Must have it at all cost and could care less if it adds a pound or more.  It's worth it (kind of also goes with the marrying part again!!).    Regardless, you're a chocolate lover and you should read these factrs about your forever obsession.  While you're at it, grab a Snickers Bar, you'll need the extra peanut protein as you expend precious energy reading.    Mel Gibson said: "AFter about 20 year of marriage, I'm finally starting to scratch the surface of that one thing women want and I think the answer lies somewhere between conversation and chocolate." Fun and Interesting Facts about Chocolate :    Contrary to rumor, the Baby Ruth candy bar created in 1920 was not named for the legendary basebal...

    There are many locations throughout the world that are considered to be one of the scariest places on Earth.  However, there is one road that is approximately 200 miles in length that has many individuals frightened to travel on.  This is Highway 666.   While the U.S. officially renamed this haunted highway "U.S. Route 491" in 2003, those that have traveled upon it, live near it, and have heard or directly experienced its horrors, continue to refer to it as the ominous 666.  There are many different types of unexplained phenomenon that have occurred and continues to occur on this desolate road.  Throughout this guide on the scariest places in the U.S., you will learn why it instills fear in so many individuals. Historical Notes    Throughout the entire nation of the United States, Highway 666 is considered to be one of the top haunted highways.  This particular highway is so large that it is found in 4 individual states-Arizo...

    From pumpkin farmers to confectioners to costume shops and beyond, Halloween is big business in the U.S.--generating nearly $6 billion annually in retail sector alone.  We dig into the numbers to show where the big money is spent, on everything from national charities to neighborhood dentists. 36 million -Number of trick-or-treat aged kids 5 to 13 in the U.S. 93% -Percentage of children who get to dress up and go door to door. $5.77 billion -Total spent in 2008 on Halloween, including candy, parties and witches' brew. $140 million -Money Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF has raised since 1950. 51.8 million-Number of adults who don their sexy nurse, pimp or pirate outfits on Halloween. 73.4% -Percentage of households that say they will dish out treats on Halloween (26.6%: Number of households just asking for a nasty trick) 28% -Number of children, aged 2 to 5, who will get cavities. 1.1 billion -Pounds of pumpkins decorated, turned into pie and smashed in the...

Jaws is still the Number 1 horror movie ever, with a worldwide gross of $470 million. 37 Stephen King scary stories have been made into feature films. Jamie Lee Curtis starred in 6 horror movies between 1978 and 1981, earning the nickname "THE SCREAM QUEEN." 189 horror movies were released in 1972, the most prolific year in Hollywood for the genre. The nightly wage for a zombie in 1978 was $1 ($3.55 adjusted for inflation), according to an extra who played one in that years Dawn of the Dead . 4267 Roxbury St., the house in Simi Valley, Ca., where POLTERGEIST was filmed, was last sold in 1979, for $143,500 ($431,247 in todays money).  Zillow estimates the home's current value at $573,500. The real-life Wisconsin grave robber and killer Ed Gein, who disembodied and skinned his victims in the 1950s, inspired three villians: Psycho's Norman Bates, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre's Leatherface, and The Silence of the Lamb's Buffalo Bill.  One 1 h...

Number 5, Catacombs, Paris, France When Paris as a city was starting to grow, they needed more room for the settlers to live in, which meant that they needed to remove the Parisians who would not resist to move, in this case the dead.  They removed all dead corpses, millions to be exact and took them and placed them along the dark passageways underneath the city where they lie till this day and have been given the name The Empire of the Dead.  The Paris Catacombs attract over a million visitors a year who walk along the skeletons and remains that are left.  Many of the visitors and guides who have visited the place have encountered many ghostly inhabitants that still roam and follow the visitors as they walk along the Catacombs.  There have been many visitors who can't handle the tour and become very overwhelmed that the tour is cut short.  It is also said that if you were to take pictures within the Catacombs they will reveal orbs and ghostly apparitions....