DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

Stingy Jack rinding away from the devil     People have been making jack o'lanterns at Halloween for ages and ages. The practice started from an old Irish myth about a man named "Stingy Jack". According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn't want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy the drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing into his original form. Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would  not claim his soul. The next year Jack tricked the Devil into climbing a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree's bark so that the Devil could not come down un...

   Found this little diy while doing a little web surfing.  Brought to you by www.adiamondinthestuff.blogspot.com .  I hope you enjoy making a few of these for this fall season.  Don't forget to stop by her blog for other useful stuff you might like. Dryer Vent Pumpkin {Tutorial}    Last year I made some dryer vent pumpkins . I didn't really post a tutorial and since I was making a bunch more this year I decided to tell you how I did it. It's super duper easy and there are a ton of ways to personalize them to your style.    I bought two different sizes of dryer vent at Home Depot. They measure 3in and 4in, I only made one size last year but I wanted to add some variety this go around. I cut them using wire cutters and scissors, making sure I had enough length by twisting the vent in a circle and giving a little extra room for gluing.   I used hot glue to attach the two raw ends of the dryer vent together. Side note: the ...

    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...

  Yom Kippur , the Day of atonement, is the most sacred of the Jewish holidays. It is regarded as the "Sabbath of Sabbaths." By Yom Kippur the 40 days of repentance, that begin with the first of Elul, have passed. On Rosh Hashanah the God Almighty has judged most of mankind and has recorded his judgment in the Book of Life. But he has given a 10 day reprieve. On Yom Kippur these 10 days of reprieve ends and the Book of Life is closed and sealed. Those who have repented for their sins are granted a good and happy New Year. (Yom Kippur is on 7th-8th October, 2011) History     Yom Kippur , the Day of atonement, is the most sacred of the Jewish holidays . It is regarded as the "Sabbath of Sabbaths."    By Yom Kippur the 40 days of repentance, that begin with the first of Elul, have passed. On Rosh Hashanah the God Almighty has judged most of mankind and has recorded his judgment in the Book of Life. But he has given a 10 day reprieve.  ...

    Myths and legends are a part of virtually every culture. One of the most interesting legends of Russian culture is that of Baba Yaga . She is, however, not unique to Russia. There are similar stories about her, under other names, in Poland as well as in the Czech Republic.     The figure of Baba Yaga is most often pictured as that of an old hag on a broomstick, reminiscent of the kitchen witches we often see today. Some believe that she might have been the precursor for the ugly, old crones that most often represent witches at Halloween.     In truth, however, Baba Yaga is a complicated creature associated as much with fertility and fate as she is with death. Some believed that she also had the gift of prophecy and great wisdom. However, for reasons never understood, she seldom chose to use those skills without exacting a gruesome payment. Anyone wishing to partake of Baba Yaga's wisdom had to take on a challenge, which bega...

  The Autumn season brings with it the cool air, pumpkins, the color changing in the leaves and most of all the fun! Who can resist a fun fall festival or parade. Below are some fall parades that will be going on in the U.S. Have fun. The Village Halloween Parade In Manhattan, New York     With 53 Bands of Different Types of Music, Dancers and Artists, The Village Halloween Parade in Manhatta n is said to be the most outrageous and most colorful Halloween parties in the United States. This parade has everything you would think a Halloween parade would have. Everything from huge paper-mâché puppets, jugglers, stilt walkers and break dancers and one of the hugest crowd of onlookers possible leading up in the millions. The parade takes place on October 31 st at 7pm in Greenwich Village, along 6th Ave from Spring Street to 22nd Street. New Orleans Halloween Parade ~ Krewe of Boo     The Krewe of Boo in New Orleans is a Voodoo themed H...

Johann Konrad Dippel (1673-1734)Germany A fact that few know is that this alchemist and theologian of the seventeenth century, the inventor of one of the first synthetic dyes, he worked in the Castle Frankenstein, near Darmstadt, Germany, not clear whether the writer Mary Shelley was inspired by this character to create her famous novel. The truth is that Dippel spent much of his life in search of an elixir of immortality, and ironically died in the attempt to drink a potion of his invention. Jack Parsons (1914-1952)United States Rocket propulsion researcher at one of the founders of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of NASA was also a believer in the occult and black magic practitioner. Part of the success of the space program of the United States is the work of this remarkable self-taught scientist. Friend of the 'wizard', English Alestes Crowley and L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Dianetics. Parson's tragic death in a home lab cemented his legend. Oliver H...