DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

   Pizza is one of my favorite foods, it's probably alot of other peoples favorites too.  Especially here in the U.S.  I thought this story of one of America's favorite foods just to break away from the stuff that happens each and every day.  It's not just a Italian favorite, but also probably one of most Americans top foods to eat.    The history of pizza is cloudy at best, with a variety of theories and speculation. Some claim it is based on the pita bread found in the Mid-East. There is also a theory that pizza came from the unleavened bread "matzo" brought to Rome by Italian legionnaires. Others insist, pizza evolved from the famous "foccacia" served in Rome about 1,000 years ago, as a snack. Another theory is that pizza was brought to Italy by Greeks, during the first century.     There may be as many theories about the origins of pizza as there are different types of pizza!     There is agreem...

   The Corn Palace serves as a multi-use center for the community and region. The facility hosts stage shows, as well as sports events in its arena. The World's Only Corn Palace is an outstanding structure which stands as a tribute to the agricultural heritage of South Dakota.     The original Corn Palace, called "The Corn Belt Exposition" was established in 1892. Early settlers displayed the fruits of their harvest on the building exterior in order to prove the fertility of South Dakota soil. The third and present building was completed for it first festival at the present location in  1921.    The exterior decorations are completely stripped down and new murals are created each year. The theme is selected by the Corn Palace Festival Committee and murals are designed by a local artist. Corn Palace History    The World's Only Corn Palace is Mitchell's premier tourist attraction. Some 500,000 tourists come from ...

    It's unbelievable at the number of names witches are called from different countries and at different centuries in our history. Plus let me not forget the types of "witchcraft" each one may practice compared to another one. Good or bad witch, male or female and even what kind of heritage you come from. So here's a list of the different ones, all in alphabetical order. Alexandrian - This tradition was begun in the 1960's by Alex Sanders. Alex Sanders lived in England. He used what are known to be slightly changed Gardnarian traditions and calls himself the "King of Witches." Covens involve both men and women. British Traditional -This is, according to Silver RavenWolf a "mix of Celtic and Gardnarian beliefs." Covens involve both men and women. One can study a course and receive a degree in British Traditional Witchcraft. Celtic Wicca -Celtic Wicca focuses mainly on Celtic and Druidic gods and goddesses (along with a few oth...

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 cr...

    Obon  or just  Bon  is a  Japanese   Buddhist  custom to honor the departed (deceased)  spirits  of one's  ancestors . This Buddhist custom has evolved into a  family reunion  holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves, and when the spirits of ancestors are supposed to revisit the household altars. It has been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years and traditionally includes a dance, known as Bon-Odori.     The festival of Obon lasts for three days; however its starting date varies within different regions of Japan. When the lunar calendar was changed to the  Gregorian calendar  at the beginning of the  Meiji era , the localities in Japan reacted differently and this resulted in three different times of Obon. "Shichigatsu Bon" (Bon in July) is based on the solar calendar and is celebrated around 15 July in e...

A group a vampires has variously been called a clutch, brood, coven, pack, or a clan. Probably the most famous vampire of all time, Count Dracula, quoted Deuteronomy 12:23: “The blood is the life.” 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 or the holes in the net, delaying them until the sun comes up. Prehistoric stone monuments called “dolmens” have been found over the graves of the dead in northwest Europe. Anthropologists speculate they have been placed over graves to keep vampires from rising. A rare disease called  porphyria  (also called the "vampire" or "Dracula" disease) causes vampire-like symptoms, such as an extreme sensitivity to sunlight and sometimes hairiness. In extreme cases, teeth might be stained reddish ...