DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

   This diy comes from www.goorigami.com .  Make a few of these and put them in unsuspecting places people wouldn't think of running into your paper bats! I’ve been looking for a nice and simple origami bat to fold this Halloween and found plenty of various designs – from really simple to just way too much complicated (well, at least for me!). This one, designed by Nick Robinson, is my favorite so far. It looks great, doesn’t involve cutting or gluing and very easy to fold. I made it from a square sheet of origami paper, black on both sides, but one-sided paper will do too! Description Name: Origami Bat Designer: Nick Robinson Paper ratio: square Paper size: 7.5 cm Model size: ~ 8 cm Paper: Kami (mono color), JONG IE NARA Diagram: Origami Bat by Nick Robinson

    There is no shortage of haunted houses in America, but perhaps America's most famous house, the one that resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the White House. The White House was built near the end of the 18th Century, and today it's composed of 6 stories of 132 rooms and 412 doors. With so many rooms, is it any wonder that some of them are haunted by past presidents and first ladies alike? The more doors in a house, the more of a chance some of them might open and close on their own. But who is haunting the executive mansion and playing havoc on our senses of reality? Most obvious of all, past presidents and their wives are the most frequent haunters of the White House and for some of them their haunting are more memorable than their tenures in office. William Henry Harrison     William Henry Harrison's presidency lasted less than 32 days back in 1841, yet his ghost can still be heard, rummaging through the White House attic, 168 years la...

Dragon Boat Racing History     On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month every year, Chinese communities worldwide celebrate the Duanwu Jie festival , which commemorates the death of the Chinese patriot/poet Qu Yuan .     As a rival state conquered his home kingdom, Qu Yuan committed suicide, drowning himself in the Miluo river on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.     His countrymen paddled swiftly out to the middle of the river to retrieve his body, while others threw packets of rice in the water to distract the fish from eating the poet's body.     These two acts, it is said, are the origin of the festival's two main preoccupations - the glutinous rice dumplings known as zongzi, and the dragon boat races. Dragon Boat Racing in Modern Times     Dragon boat racing, despite its roots in ancient tradition, are as exciting a sport as they come. Two or more boats compete against each oth...

   A little orange peel adds a bright, sunny note to this homey dessert. Ingredients cake 3 cups all purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom 1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil 4 large eggs 2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel frosting 1 1-pound box powdered sugar, divided 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 3 Candied orange peel* Preparation cake Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides, tapping out any excess flour. Whisk first 9 ingredients in large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat pumpkin, sugar, and oil in anot...

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 Germany the traditio...

    Tinku , an Andean tradition, began as a form of ritualistic combat. It is native to the northern region of Potosí in Bolivia. In the language of Quechua , the word “tinku” means encounter. In the language of Aymara it means “physical attack". During this ritual, men and women from different communities will meet and begin the festivities by drinking and dancing. The women will then form circles and begin chanting while the men proceed to fight each other; rarely the women will join in the fighting as well. Large tinkus are held in Potosí during the first few weeks of May.     Because of the rhythmic way the men throw their fists at each other, and because they stand in a crouched stance going in circles around each other, a dance was formed. This dance, the Festive Tinku, simulates the traditional combat, bearing a warlike rhythm. The differences between the Andean tradition and the dance are the costumes, the role of women, and the f...

There can be a big difference between different types of Christmas trees. Some are not available in some areas and so where you live may be a factor in determining the types that you get to choose from. For example Noble or Douglas firs are most popular in the Pacific Northwest whereas in North Carolina and Fraser Fir are more common. However if you order by mail order then you can pretty much choose whatever you like. Colorado Blue Spruce This is one of the most popular trees among people who want living Christmas trees . The color can be blue but is more likely to be silver or gray. It grows in a conical shape naturally and so there is little need for pruning it. It tends to grow in Southern Canada and Northern USA but it can usually be found in most nurseries or retail tree lots.                 Noble Fir The Noble Fir has strong branches and stays fresh for a long time. The needles can look silvery although they are blue/green i...