Christmas Customs Around The World

December is well-known for Christmas but do you know how people in countries around the world celebrate it? Here are some customs from various parts of the world.
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Australia

Greeting - Merry Christmas
Santa's Name - Santa Claus. Children leave him a piece of cake or biscuits and a glass of milk or a bottle of beer.
Food - Many Christmas dinners include roasted meats and vegetables, special fruit cakes, and puddings with a coin baked inside. Since the temperature can reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit, people are starting to eat cold meats and salads, tropical fruits like mangoes, and stone fruits like plums. Often, the main meal is eaten for lunch.
Gifts - These are left under the Christmas tree and opened Christmas morning.
Decorations - Shops and homes are decorated with tinsel, Christmas trees, decorations for the holiday, and special lights.
Customs - Traditional and Australian carols are sung by candlelight on Christmas Eve and are broadcast on television. On Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, two sporting events take place:
The Boxing Day Test Match (cricket game) and the start of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

Brazil

Greeting - Feliz Natal
Santa's Name - Papai Noel (Father Noel), who is dressed in a red, silk suit with boots.
Food - Many people eat a traditional feast with roast turkey and vegetables, while others eat chicken and rice or beans. Beer and wine are also served. Some regions begin eating around 9 PM on Christmas Eve, while others eat around midnight.
Gifts - Local charities take in donations but do not seem to have enough presents for all the children.
Decorations - Brazil has a mixture of people so Christmas is celebrated in different ways. In the northeastern area, it is common to find Nativity Scenes; in the southern part, snow is simulated with little pieces of cotton on pine trees.
Customs - Brazilians sing a number of Christmas carols.

Greece

Greeting - Eftihismena Christougenna
Food - Special holiday cakes are baked.
Gifts - Most Greek people exchange gifts on Saint Basil's Day, January 1.
Customs - To honor Saint Basil, the holiday cakes have gold coins hidden inside them. The cakes are cut at midnight on New Year's Eve. Whoever has a gold coin in his piece of cake will have good luck the following year.

Hungary

Santa's Name - Actually, the Baby Jesus is said to bring presents on Christmas Eve. A bell sounds signaling that the Angels have brought the tree and gifts.
Customs - On December 5, children leave out their shoes. During the night, Mikulas and Black Peter come to fill them with goodies for well-behaved children and switches for naughty children.

India

Decorations - Sometimes, houses are decorated with mango leaves; mango or banana trees are also decorated. Small, clay, oil-burning lamps are placed on the edges of flat roofs as decorations.

Israel

Greeting - Chag Semeach (Happy Chanukah)
Santa's Name - Actually, parents, grandparents, and other family members give presents to the children.
Food - Because oil is an important part of the holiday, many foods are prepared with it. A favorite is potato latkes (pancakes).
Gifts - Since Chanukah lasts for eight days, children may receive one present each night.
Decorations - Jewish stars, blue or silver foil garlands,
dreidels (spinning tops), Chanukah gelt (chocolate coins), and pictures of the Macabees (Jewish army that recaptured the Holy Temple and Jerusalem from the Assyrian Greek King Antiochus) are found around the house.
Customs - The menorah (candelabra) is lit each night. On the first night, one candle is lit; on, the second night, two candles; and so on until all the candles are lit on the eighth night. After lighting the candles, families eat a festive meal, dance, play games, and open presents. They also attend Chanukah parties.

Japan

Greeting - Kurisumasu Omedeto
Santa's Name - Santa Kurohsu. He does not appear in person but is pictured in advertisements as a kind old man with a round sack on his back.
Food - Depending upon the family's custom, they eat turkey on Christmas Day or on Christmas Eve. Japanese families also eat Christmas cake.
Gifts - Stores sell merchandise for men, women, and children; and on Christmas Day, families exchange gifts.
Decorations - More and more artificial Christmas trees are beginning to appear. They are decorated with small toys, gold paper fans, dolls, lanterns, paper ornaments, and wind chimes. A popular ornament is the origami swan. Other decorations are mistletoe, evergreen, tinsel, and lights. An amulet is put on the front door for good luck and children exchange 'birds of peace,' pledging there must not be anymore war.
Customs - The daiku, or Great Nine, refers to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and is performed many places.

Mexico

Greeting - Feliz Navidad
Customs - Beginning on December 15, some families carry colorful lanterns and walk from house to house in their neighborhoods, each night, until Christmas Eve. This is called La Posada, which means 'the procession.' On each of the nights, the families are invited into different houses where they become guests at a party. There is plenty to eat and drink. Children play the pinata game, trying to break open the papier-mache figure with a stick while blindfolded; when it is cracked open, candies and small gifts fall out.

Netherlands

Greeting - Hartelijke Kerstroeten
Santa's Name - Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas), who wears a red bishop's hat and bishop's cloak and has white hair and a white beard. He arrives on a white horse with his servant, Black Pete, to put small gifts in children's wooden shoes.
Food - The Dutch people eat lots of marzipan, spiced ginger biscuits, tall chocolate letters, and 'bankletter' - initials made of pastry and filled with almond paste. When they are around the Christmas tree singing songs, they eat 'Kerstkrans' - a Christmas ring.
Gifts - On December 6, after hearing a knock at their door, children find a bag full of toys, nuts, and gifts.
Decorations - The Christmas tree is known as the Paradise Tree. Decorations of the season include dolls, musical instruments, fruit, candies, and lights.
Customs - The Dutch sing carols, the most popular one being "O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree."

Sweden

Greeting - God Jul
Food - Coffee, cakes, and special buns are served on Santa Lucia Day, December 13.
Customs - Santa Lucia Day honors Saint Lucy, who helped blind people. The oldest daughter in each Swedish household dresses in a white gown with a red sash, wears a crown of evergreen
with seven candles in it, awakens the family with a song, and serves the coffee, cakes, and buns. Each town and city also chooses a young woman to be Lucia for the day. She then serves coffee and food to the townspeople at schools, hospitals, and other public buildings. From these women, a national Lucia is chosen; followed by a parade, feast, and dance.

Now that you have this data, let your children put the information in a comparison chart. Label the left side with the names of the countries and the bottom with the various information (ie: Greeting, Food, and so on). Then fill in the boxes! Let your children do research to find out the information I left out. Conduct research to find out the same customs for other countries, especially the heritage countries of students in your class or your own family. However you celebrate the holidays, have a safe, wonderful season and a Happy New Year! I hope these ideas are useful and inspire your own creative thinking.
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And remember...Reading is FUNdamental! About the Author: Freda J. Glatt, MS, retired from teaching after a 34-year career in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. Her focus, now, is to reach out and help others reinforce reading comprehension and develop a love for reading. Visit her site at http://www.sandralreading.com. Reading is FUNdamental! Source: www.isnare.com

Christmas Survival Guide

Christmas is less than 2 weeks away, parties are coming up and Christmas shopping is going to get more hectic as the big day approaches. With the Christmas season comes drinking, eating fun foods (Deserts, lots of food, drinking...etc), spending time with family and friends. This season causes people to develop short tempers, impatience, frustration...etc. I am sure we have all seen or know someone that gets affected in one of these ways around this time of the year.

Here are some tips to help enjoy this Christmas and not become a scrooge this season

1) We all have great parties to go to with a smorgasbord of food and deserts. Make sure you eat properly over Christmas. Balance out your meals with good quality carbohydrates, proteins and fats (Certified Organic is highly recommended). Have a good meal before deserts being more generous with the proteins before you start drinking and/or eating a lot of deserts. This will help balance out your insulin levels (Sugar levels) which will help stabilize your hormones, energy and moods. My rule of thumb is try to eat as best as possible 80% of the time and throw caution to the wind 20% of the time. Which means 80% of the time eat certified organic whole foods in balance with your bodies unique needs (Metabolic Typing) and 20% of the time go out party, drink, eat the fun foods you enjoy. For Example Monday to Friday is the 80% Saturday and Sunday 20%.
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2) Try to exercise 20min to 30min per day even if this means going for a walk in the snow. We all need to keep the metabolism going as well de-stress from some not so jolly Christmas partiers.

3) Rest as much as you can, we need to recharge our batteries when we have a chance. I recommended that you go to bed around 10:30pm when possible and if you've had a great night of partying. Take it slow the next day. As we get worn down we have less tolerance to deal with people and our immune system gets weakens which can lead to colds and flues this time of the year.

4) Try to complete your Christmas shopping at least 2 weeks ahead of Christmas before you get into the Christmas rush. Where lots of people rushing around, frustrated trying to finish their shopping last minute...etc. These people have less patience and shorter tempers closer to Christmas. No point going into a lions den if you don't need to

5) We all have different types of friends and families that we love in their own special way. Make sure you plan out your Christmas visiting that you enjoy it. If you can only spend 30min with someone over Christmas do yourself a favor and only schedule 30min. This way you leave happy and can enjoy your Christmas visiting.

6) When you eat all the good food around and sweets to follow this can rob the body of water. The Solution to pollution is dilution. To prevent this dehydration drink lots of good quality water (Evan, Fuji) 1/2 your body weight in ounces per day to keep hydrated through the seasons. For example 150lbs person is equal to approximately 3 liters of water.

7) Last but not least have FUN with family, friends and have a Happy Holiday!!!
Season Greetings,
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Brandon Krieger H.L.C 2, C.M.T.A http:///www.knssconsulting.com
I have been writing lots of articles of various genre. Writing good articles has always been my passion and has been a profession for me for the past 7 years. Please, visit the website athttp://www.knssconsulting.comto learn more
Christmas Survival Guide Information Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Thanksgiving - What Were the Pilgrims Thankful For

When I was ten years old I had occasion to travel to Plymouth, Massachusetts every day for one whole summer with my father. He had a three hour lay over in Plymouth and it was my chance to roam the beaches and visit Plymouth Rock. It is housed under a monumental canopy and sits deep below the iron gates that protect it from tourists and collectors who would want to relieve it of a historical chip or two. I would spend countless hours that summer viewing the rock and trying to imagine just how the Pilgrims actually alighted from their boats to the rock and then to the land.
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In boyhood I was satisfied to use my imagination to envision just how the Pilgrims set their feet on the Old Plymouth Rock. It began to take on an aura of the mystical and heroic to me, but I was far from the first person to be caught into these feelings. As far back as 1835, Mr. Alexis DeJocqueville spoke of the rocks ethereal qualities with far more eloquence than I. "This Rock has become an object of veneration in the United States. I have seen bits of it carefully preserved in several towns in the Union. Does this sufficiently show that all human power and greatness is in the soul of man? Here is a stone which the feet of a few outcasts pressed for an instant; and the stone becomes famous; it is treasured by a great nation; its very dust is shared as a relic."

As an adult I was more inclined to use my curiosity to discover why the pilgrims came to land on this rock in the first place. The answer would lead me to discover a people driven, not just to a new land, but to a land that was free of all the tyranny and oppression they had know in their own European countries. The Rock became less mystical to me as an adult while the purpose of the pilgrims became a more venerable matter in my thinking.

It is impossible to ponder those brave Pilgrims, our forefathers, risking life and limb and enduring the perils of the sea, the unknown, starvation and deprivation of every sort without wondering about the very strong reasons they were so willing to face these perils and hardships. Discovering their reasons also provided answers to how the first Thanksgiving came about. The Pilgrims gave thanks because they saw the promise of their quest near at hand and in some small way at the harvest time of that first year it looked like their dream had gotten itself underway.

No one knows the exact words that were spoken in that prayer just before the first thanksgiving meal was eaten. But if the collective thoughts of all who sat for that meal could be known, we can be sure they were about things greater than the personal or family gains and safety that many prayers are reduced to today.

Their thankfulness was for the possibilities of religious freedom, taxation with representation, fair hearings before magistrates when charged with crimes, relief from oppressive monarchs and freedom to speak their minds without fear of reprisal. Many of the things taken for granted and rarely mentioned in the thanksgiving prayers of today are what they were thankful for.

It is said that about ninety Indians were present at the feast which lasted about three days. The very sight of these natives with completely unknown and diverse dress and culture eating with our tattered but dignified forefathers in harmony and full acceptance is a picture of America’s original dream, the dream of a place where everyone is welcome and able to work together in a common society. I am sure that they were thankful for that small microcosmic example of the larger dream they all shared for the country’s future.
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The pilgrims were thankful for the beginning of their dream. We should be thankful for the fullness of that dream. The pilgrims were people who knew all to well that nobility was not inherent to those born in palaces but it was a state of the soul and a dignity of purpose found in people of higher thought. They were thankful on that first thanksgiving for the visible result of that higher thought. Happy Thanksgiving America.

Rev Bresciani is the author of An American Prophet and His Message, Questions and Answers on the Second Coming of Christ, Xulon Press His articles are read in every country in the world. Please enjoy a visit to http://www.americanprophet.org Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com
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Thanksgiving Games and Puzzles
Happy Thanksgiving from A Fun Zone. We add new Games and Puzzles November thru Thanksgiving. So please bookmark and check back daily.
Thanksgiving is a North American annual national holiday marked by religious observances and a traditional meal including turkey. The holiday commemorates a harvest festival celebrated by the Pilgrims in 1621, and is held in the US on the fourth Thursday in November. A similar holiday is held in Canada, usually on the second Monday in October.
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Thanksgiving Menu Idea: Crispy Deep Fried Turkey

Thanksgiving is celebrated in a number of traditions around the globe.. In America, it is a time we put aside to give thanks for all the things that are important to us and pay homage to an exceptional dinner with an afternoon of football watching and shouting at the television screen (at least that is what you do if you live in Detroit). In other areas of the country, friends and families actually do things together including playing board games, playing catch or any type of other activities that can be enjoyed by young and old alike. Other traditions are to get the men together on the front porch to talk about the current basketball season or about their new cars.
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However, the traditions that go along with Thanksgiving and giving thanks don't resolve the dilemna that many face each time Thanksgiving comes around. That dilemna would be what to cook for the big meal. Each year there are plenty of tremendous options. Since you are responsible for preparing the meal, you are entirely in charge as to what the menu will be.. The best piece of guidance that can be presented is that the earlier you cook the meal, the less stressful you will be on that wonderful day..

Here is a cool idea for a menu item that you have possibly never had before. First things first. Forget about cooking the traditional Thanksgiving turkey. Deep frying turkey is becoming increasingly popular every single year. Yes, there was a time in which these fryers were tremendously dangerous but those times have passed. Through the use of ingenious design and technology, deep frying turkeys is uncomplicated for everyone.

Previously, the most precarious aspect about deep frying turkeys was the hot peanut oil itself. You will be surprised to know that there is an infrared turkey fryer that requires no oil at all! Just put your turkey inside the cooking container, seal it shut and cook. Also, most people believe that all turkey deep fryers are for outdoor use only. This is a false statement as well. There are a few turkey fryers that are made for indoor use. The bottom line is, after preparing a turkey in any type of fryer, you will surely enjoy the most delicious, tender, crispy, juicy turkey you have ever had. Most turkey deep fryers are less than $100 and you can prepare a full 11-pound turkey in roughly 45 minutes.

How much time does it take to cook an ordinary turkey? As times change, the conventional Thanksgiving menu has changed. Deep fried turkey is becoming more and more popular every year though out the country. But turkey deep fryers can also be used for your every day frying needs such as chicken, fish, onion rings and hush puppies. Because of the quick cooking time, you can easily prepare an entire turkey on the morning of Thanksgiving. Or, if the weather is nice outdoors where you live, you can fry the turkey with your guests present as if it was a summer cookout.

The most crucial part of the Thanksgiving dinner is that you get to enjoy it yourself. Don't get stressed out from the preparation by planning ahead and trying something new. If you choose to serve deep fried turkey this Thanksgiving, your relatives and friends will experience the absolute greatest turkey they have ever eaten. Believe it or not, there might not be enough turkey leftover this year for making sandwiches.

For those who wish to find out more regarding the most popular and safe turkey deep fryers (including infrared, electric and propane), you can view my exclusive reviews by logging in to Best Electric and Gas Turkey Deep Fryers.
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If you found this article beneficial, please pass it along to your friends who may want to experience deep fried turkey as well.. Check Out These Turkey Fryers Bradshaw Polamalu is a writer specializing in growing tendencies in society, especially throughout the holiday season. He loves to pass these trends on to others searching for new ideas. Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

What Happened After The First Thanksgiving?

Various stories of the Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving exist. Some are conflicting while others have been greatly embellished. But, everyone concurs that the first winter at Plymouth was brutal, and deadly, with half of the colony losing their lives. It is not my intention to prove or disprove some of the stories told about that first Thanksgiving. Instead, I hope to share with you a story you may not be familiar with.
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While there are many stories that have emerged around that first Thanksgiving, you may not have ever heard what you are about to read. It is more than a story. It is based on accounts from the diary of William Bradford, the first governor of Plymouth. Anyone who takes the time to read what Bradford wrote will not only learn a great deal about the early days of the Pilgrims, but, in many cases, gain an accurate and true account of what really happened. Some may even been shocked to find out that some of the things that have been told about the Pilgrims are absolutely false.

What happened after the first Thanksgiving, after a very brutal and deadly year? The colonist decided to make a major change. They agreed that what had been set up was not working, and, that their very survival depended upon making a drastic change. Before they sailed to America, the investors financing the trip entered into a contract with the Pilgrims on July 1, 1620. It was a seven year partnership. In the contract, the investors were called, "Adventurers," while the Pilgrims were called, "Planters." At the end of the seven years, all profits would be "equally divided betwixt the Adventurers and Planters." The contract called for all property, as well as the fruits of all labor, to go into a common pool to be divided equally among all the Pilgrims. There was to be no private property. They called this arrangement a "commonwealth." Today, it would be easily identified and labeled as, socialism, or communism.

But after that first Thanksgiving, the leaders of the colony decided to make a very big, and in their eyes, a very critical change in how the colony operated. Seeing the results of the commonwealth, they chose to replace it with a system of private property. In observing how the commonwealth operated, they noticed the resentment by those who were working very hard only to have the fruits of their labor given to others who chose to not apply themselves equally as hard.
Bradford noted this at length in his diary: "For this community was found to breed much confusion and discontent and retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort." He also referred to those who imposed such an operation, "vanity of that conceit...as if they were wiser than God."
The leaders realized that in a commonwealth society people could not be expected to do their best work without some personal incentive. The solution was more than just private property. Each family was assigned its own parcel of land to work. They not only kept and enjoyed the fruit of their own labor, but they could then market what they did not need. Bradford later wrote, "This had very good success, for it made all hands industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been." They began to set up trading posts with the Indians. With their profits they were then able to pay off their debts to the Adventurers back in London.

And as you might imagine, news of their success traveled fast. Their prosperity began to attract more and more Europeans who also wanted to live in a society where there was promise and reward for hard work. The Great Puritan Migration began.

Even though this account is rarely taught in schools, it was recognized by the founding fathers as they labored to put together a viable government and constitution more than 150 years later. The phrase, "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" echoes what the Pilgrims decided to do. They worded it as, "the pursuit of happiness," not "the guarantee of happiness."

One of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, James Wilson, who was later appointed as an associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, mentioned that critical decision by the Pilgrims. In 1790 he wrote, "The introduction of exclusive property immediately produced the most comfortable change in the colony, by engaging the affections and invigorating the pursuits of its inhabitants."
On that first Thanksgiving, the Pilgrims were grateful to God for all that they had. They were thankful to God to be alive. They celebrated their thankfulness to Him. And then they made a very important decision. A decision we ought to be very thankful for, and never forget.
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Michael A. Verdicchio offers a FREE LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP to, "Enriching Your Life Now!" as well as a FREE NEWSLETTER at http://www.ConfidenceAndJoy.com He also offers a FREE series of articles on success at http://www.ReducingStressAtWork.com
Michael is a husband, father, minister, author, and broadcaster. He has also been the voice on numerous projects and productions including Mike's Pep Talks! Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

Thanksgiving - Understanding The Holiday

Thanksgiving to most folks means family and friends and Turkey, or maybe beer and football. Many do not know or even care about the significance of the Holiday. Way back in the 1600's a group of people who were members of the English Separatist Church (Puritan's) in England fled their homeland to escape religious persecution. They boarded a ship and sailed to Holland in the Netherlands. In Holland the people enjoyed a brief time free from the religious persecution they faced back in England, but they soon became frustrated with the Dutch peoples bad morals and what they considered sinful lifestyles.
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Seeking yet a better way of life, the Separatists made a deal with a stock company in London to finance a trip to America on a ship named the Mayflower. There were others from England that were not separatists, in fact the majority that made the trip on the Mayflower were not.

The group arrived in America on Dec 11, 1620 and they set ground at Plymouth, Massachusetts. The first winter season the pilgrims encountered in America was horrible. With extreme cold and blizzard conditions, they lost 46 of the original 102 who came over on the Mayflower. But the spring and summer of the next year was wonderful with most of the days pleasant and nice and most of the pilgrims staying healthy. The local Indians showed them where and how to hunt and trap for the available game, and shared their secrets on growing and storing of the native crops. The harvest of 1621 was very bountiful and the pilgrims along with the local Indians who had helped them survive their first year, decided to have a huge feast to celebrate and give thanks.

The feast or as it's commonly called 'The First Thanksgiving' was probably held outside on handmade tables and benches, most of the people sat on blankets on the ground while eating, because records show that the colonists didn't have a building large enough to accommodate all the people.
From an original letter of a member of the colony, Edward Winslow, here is the actual account of the First Thanksgiving celebration:
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"Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, Many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest King Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty."

From the hand written letter we can see that 1 Indian Chief or King and 90 others (91 total indians) that were invited as guests attended the event along with the pilgrims, and that the feast or celebration lasted 3 days. The celebration or feast was not repeated again until the year 1623, when during a severe drought the pilgrims all gathered and prayed for rain. The next day, a long steady rain occurred, and Governor Bradford proclaimed another day of Thanksgiving, and again the pilgrims or 'colonists' invited their Indian friends to celebrate.

The next Thanksgiving celebration did not occur until the year 1676, when the governing council of Charlestown, Massachusetts, held a meeting on the best way to celebrate and give thanks for the good fortune their community had experienced. By voting, they instructed Edward Rawson, the clerk, to proclaim June 29th as a day of Thanksgiving.

Other dates that were important to the Thanksgiving Holiday were October of the year 1777, when there was a Thanksgiving holiday that was celebrated by all 13 colonies that had been established. In 1789 George Washington proclaimed a national day of Thanksgiving, and after a campaign of letter writing to presidents and governors, in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a national day of Thanksgiving. The date was altered a couple more times, but finaly in 1941 it was sanctioned by Congress as a legal holiday, on the fourth Thursday in November, where it remains yet today.
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About the Author: Robert W. Benjamin has been in the software business on the internet for over 5 years, and has been producing low-cost software for the past 25+ years. He first released products on the AMIGA and C64 computer systems in the late 1970's-80's. RB59.COM Software http://www.rb59.com/software Source: www.isnare.com

Halloween treats: recipes for spooky snacks

With Halloween almost upon us, it's time to start thinking about how to best to spend the evening of October 31st. If you're planning on throwing a Halloween party, then as well as finalizing your fancy dress plans and any party games you're planning to play, you'll also want to have a think about some suitably spooky snacks for your guests. Here are a few ideas:
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Edible eyeballs
These effective little nibbles look incredibly creepy but are in fact nice and quick to make. Simply slice some carrots into 2cm pieces before adding a generous blob of cream cheese on top of each. To finish off, add a pitted black olive on top of the cream cheese to act as the eye's pupil. Simple but effective!

Bat cookies
Beat 100g of unsalted butter together with 100g of caster sugar in a bowl before adding a beaten egg and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. When the mixture has combined, add 275g of plain flour and stir. Roll the resulting dough to and use a bat-shaped cookie cutter to cut your biscuits. Bake them on a tray for 10 minutes in an oven preheated to 180C. To make your icing, sift 400g of icing sugar into a bowl and stir in just enough water to create a smooth mixture before adding three drops of black food colouring. Add the icing to the cookies when they've cooled.

Worm burgers
This is another simple recipe that's sure to cause a stir. Cut hot dogs into thin slices and add a few cuts down the side of each slice to score the edges. Add them to boiling water until they start to curl and resemble wriggly worms. Place four ‘worms' into a bread roll and add a small dash of ketchup.

Pumpkin soup
Cut the top off a small pumpkin and scoop out the insides leaving around 2cm of flesh around the inside. Melt 125g of butter on a low heat before adding two chopped onions and cooking for 15 minutes. Chop up the scooped out pumpkin flesh and add it to the pan along with a cinnamon stick and some nutmeg. Turn the heat up to medium, add a lid to the pan and cook for 45 minutes stirring occasionally. Next, add 1.7litres of chicken or vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Pour the soup into a food processor and blend. Pour the soup back into the pan and simmer for half an hour. When it's cooled, pour the soup into the pumpkin and replace the lid. Place on a baking tray in a preheated oven (180C) for around 40 minutes.

Meringue ghosts
Beat six egg whites along with half a teaspoon of cream of tartar until the mixture is foaming. Add around 80g of sugar gradually, beating the mixture until you can form stiff peaks. Add half a teaspoon of almond extract and beat until blended. Place your mixture into a plastic sandwich bag with one corner cut away and pipe the mixture into ghost shapes on a lined baking tray. Add two mini chocolate chips for eyes and bake for two hours at 200C. Allow to fully cool inside the oven once you've turned off the heat.
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Enjoy your Halloween spooky snacks with some scary fancy dress Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Long Live Halloween

The scent of fall is in the air and the colors of the season are gracing our landscapes. Know what that means? Halloween is right around the corner! Children everywhere are counting the weeks until this festive day arrives while parents wonder if their children should be allowed to trick or treat and whether today’s world is safe enough for the Halloween traditions of days gone by.

Well I say LONG LIVE HALLOWEEN! How can we deny our children the only day of the year when they are allowed to run up and down the street begging neighbors for candy? How can we deny them the pleasure of dressing up as superheroes and princesses and gallivanting around a neighborhood that’s been transformed into a one-night fantasy land?
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While I believe Halloween should be enjoyed, I do believe we should take some safety measures to ensure our children have a safe Halloween in addition to having a fun one.

A Watchful Eye. 
If you have young children who will be trick-or-treating this year, you need to realize that we live in a changing society. You need to keep a very close eye on your children and that means following along (even if from a few feet behind) as your children go door to door on their trick-or-treating mission.

Setting Ground Rules.
Halloween isn’t the time for a free-for-all. You need to set some ground rules. Let your children know what’s acceptable, what’s not, and what you expect from them in regard to their behavior. If the rules are laid out up front, there will be less confusion and, hopefully, less frustration all around.

Bright Clothing or Reflectors.
It can seem like kids are swarming through the neighborhoods on Halloween night. Drivers need to be especially careful, but not all are as careful as they should be. Because of this, you need to take extra precautions. Don’t let your children cross the street without you and when you do cross the street, make sure you have reflective clothing or a glow-in-the-dark nightstick with you.

Candy Checks.
As sad as it may be, you do need to check your child’s candy after they bring in the haul. Look for anything out of the ordinary. Throw away any unwrapped items, items with wrappers that look as if they’ve been tampered with, etc. And take care that not too much of the good stuff is eaten all in one sitting.

So is Halloween a dying holiday? Absolutely not! You just need to take the time to lay out ground rules and practice proper safety, and Halloween can be as much fun this year as it was when you were a kid! Watch out for those ghosts and goblins!
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Karen Fusco is co-founder of www.SilkBow.com which supports Busy Moms with free gift ideas and helpful tips to meet the challenges of motherhood. SilkBow is the perfect place for the perfect gift. Karen can be reached directly at: karen@SilkBow.com Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Be Halloween Ready

Halloween is just around the corner, so unless you plan on being the mean neighbor who plans to turn off all the lights, hide in the house and quietly pretend you're out, you'd better start getting ready for it. Carved pumpkins and spider webs are a must, but what you really need to take care of is all the trick-or-treaters that will come out on this magical night.

If you plan on taking your kids out for a tour around the neighborhood, the most important thing you'll need is of course a container for all the treats. Make sure it's ether a reusable pumpkin-shaped bucket or an eco bag you can decorate with some leaves picked off the ground the same day or wit a fake spider web. Since all the candy will be in individual wrappers, the least you can do is make sure the sweets are collected into an environment friendly bag. If you let your child have some candy on the way from one house to the other, make sure you have a small bag or deep pockets for the wrappers that will come off.
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It's a given that your trick-or-treating child will be dressed up in some kind of costume, and most likely you won't feel the need to wear one. But don't spoil the fun and put an effort into how you look. It doesn't mean you're to wear one of your couture dresses or a three piece suit and tie, but that you're supposed to add a touch of fun to your outfit. May it be a witch's hat or a pirate's, a wizard's cape or a clown's hair, wear it and have fun with it for you and for your child. And if you do get completely into the spirit of Halloween and dress up head to toe, make sure that when you knock on somebody's door you stand a few steps back as to not overshadow the little ones.

No matter if you go out trick-or treating or if you stay home, at one point or another you'll be the one that answers the door. It's best if you do it not only wearing something slightly scary, but also if the atmosphere around you is not typical, so put on a mask and fill the sweets bowl with fake eyeballs, stand up a plastic skeleton in the hallway, dim the lights or put some candles on ad of course remember about the most important thing, sweets.

For a lot of parents a healthy and balanced diet is very important, but one this one night it's okay to let the kids have some candy, so don't try to sneak in small boxes of raisins or dried apple chips into anybody's goodie bag. As far as being health conscious you should just make sure you have some peanut free candy, maybe some sweets without gluten and a small selection of fat or sugar free treats. And as for yourself, make yourself a snack that will keep you away from the candy dish but won't get cold when you have to open the door every minute, so make popcorn with parmesan, pita bread with turkey and avocado, pretzels with a mustard dip or chips and salsa, sit back and wait for the first doorbell.
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By Torri Myler, I am a web designer, a passionate writer and a healthy lifestyle enthusiast. I write articles about healthy food like this diabetic friendly pita bread. I am also a huge fashion fan writing about couture dresses collections worn by celebrities. Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

Children and The Scary Sights and Sounds Of Halloween

As autumn approaches, the signs of Halloween are everywhere. Nowadays, by late August, merchants are already gearing up for one of the most lucrative retailing seasons of the whole year. And, it's no longer just about kids trick-or-treating on one night in late October-Halloween is now an occasion whose celebration spans weeks and generations, with parties, "haunted house" attractions, and fairs, full of all kinds of scary scenes.
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For adults, it's easy to forget, sometimes, that the whole theme of the Halloween phenomenon is built around real fright. Young children, though, can get the point, all too clearly. Ghosts and goblins, witches and monsters-terrifying in every aspect-are broadcast at them nonstop for the whole season. And many younger children don't have fun, being frightened.

So, how should you deal with your children's fear?
Most experts agree, the most important thing you can do as a parent is acknowledge the fact that your child is afraid. Disregarding or downplaying that fear will teach your child that she has real feelings she shouldn't discuss with you, because you don't consider them legitimate.

Encourage her to talk about her Halloween fears, and take the opportunity to discuss your own childhood fears. Remind her of the things she was once afraid of, but isn't, anymore; she learned to master those fears. Discuss the things which frightened you, at that age. Perhaps together, you can develop a strategy for dealing with these current fears.

On the other hand, you needn't be overly protective of your child. We all have things we're afraid of, you can tell her-even grownups-and most of the time, we're perfectly safe. Fear, especially fear of things we don't understand, is a natural part of life.
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At the same time, don't force your child into frightful situations, just to teach her a lesson. Remember, she counts on you for protection as well as love, and that trust, once broken, is hard to win back.
Your town probably has Halloween events for families which place an emphasis on the fun part of the holiday-the costumes and the candy, the games and the comraderie. This can be a great way to assimilate her into the traditions of Halloween, enjoyed by lots of her friends.

Best of all, let her know that all the "scary" stuff is just meant for fun. Underneath all the masks and the sheets are just regular folks, playing around. Let her "scare" you, with a costume or a painted face-turn it into a game and take turns, "scaring" each other. Before long, you'll both be laughing too hard to be frightened, anymore.

Fear is a real emotion for young children. Dealing with it can be a real opportunity for families to grow together, emotionally. And once the fear factor of Halloween is conquered, it's a holiday that can develop long-lasting family traditions, and lifelong-happy-memories.
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About the Author: By J Gardener, Brought to you by Imaginary Greetings, a regular contributor of valuable family oriented content. For safe, family-friendly games and activities visit http://www.santaclaus.net. Source: www.isnare.com

A Short Biography On Some Of Europe's Most Loved And Hated Monarch Vlad Tepes or Dracula

During the last thousand years, European Monarchs have ruled Europe and the world with an iron fist and by fear, compassion and hatred. As their wealth grew from the riches of newly conquered continents and lands, they began building some of the worlds greatest castles as a sign of their status and wealth, leaving behind a legacy of beauty and splendor that has lasted well into the 21st century.
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These members of royalty have included tyrants, the mentally insane, drunks and the psychotic, who have murdered for pleasure and raped for enjoyment. They have imposed terrible taxes on already poor citizens. They married for financial power and traded in lives. Kinfolk were murdered so a favorable son could rise through the ranks. As their power increased so did the atrocities, bringing with it the hatred of a nation and its people.

Join me as we take a trip back in time, discovering which Monarchs were tyrants, mentally unstable, drunks and psychotic, as well as those who were loved by their people.
This series of articles will highlight the lives of Vlad Tepes (Dracula), King Ludwig II and King George III to name a few.

Vlad Tepes or Dracula was born in 1431, in the fortress of Sighisoara, Romania. His father was the military governor of Transylvania and a member of the Order of the Dragon. The order was created in 1387 by the Holy Roman Emperor and his second wife, Barbara Cilli.

In the winter of 1436-1437, Vlad(Dracul) became prince of Wallachia and took up residence at the palace of Tirgoviste, the princely capital. In 1442, he and his younger brother Radu were taken hostage by the Turkish Sultan Murad II. Dracul was held in Turkey until 1448, while his brother Radu decided to stay there until 1462.

At 17 years old, Vlad, supported by troops lent to him by pasha Mustafa Hassan, tried to seize the Wallachian throne but was defeated by Vladislav II (who had earlier assassinated his father and oldest brother ) after two months or armed conflict. Vlad had to wait until 1456, when he was able to seek retribution against his father's assassin.
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Vlad's first act of vengeance was aimed at the boyars of Tirgoviste for the killing of his father and older brother Mircea. Around Easter of 1459, Vlad had all the boyar families arrested and impaled the elder members on stakes while forcing the others to march from the capital to the town of Poenari. He then ordered them to build him a fortress on the ruins of an older outpost overlooking the Arges River. Many nobles died in the construction of this castle, the ruins of which can still be seen today.
Vlad became known for his brutal punishment techniques; often ordering people to be skinned, decapitated, blinded, roasted, hacked, buried alive, stabbed and blinded to name a few. He also liked to cut off his victim noses, ears and sexual organs. But his favourite form of torture was impalement on stakes, hence the surname "Tepes" which means "The Impaler" in the Romanian language. It was this form of punishment that he used against Transylvanian merchants who ignored his trade laws.
There are many tales about the psyche of Vlad Tepes. He was known throughout the country for his fierce adherence to honesty and order. Almost any crime, from lying and stealing to killing, could be punished by impalement. Being so confident in the efficiency of his law, Dracula placed a golden cup on display in the central square of Tirgoviste. The cup could be used by thirsty travellers, but had to remain on the square. It was never stolen and remained entirely untouched throughout Vlad's reign. He looked upon the poor, vagrants and beggars as thieves. Consequently, he invited all the poor and sick of Wallachia to his court in Tirgoviste for a magnificent feast. After his guests had eaten and drunk their fill, Dracula ordered the hall boarded up and set on fire. There were no survivors.
At the beginning of 1462, Vlad launched a campaign against the Turks along the Danube River which was very successful, managing several victories. In retaliation for these losses, the Sultan decided to launch a full-scale invasion of Wallachia with an army three times larger than Dracula's. Vlad was forced to withdraw towards Tirgoviste, burning villages and poisoning wells along the way.
These acts were designed to hinder the Turkish army in their search for food and water. When the Sultan’s armies finally reached the capital city, exhausted and hungry, they were confronted by a horrific sight: thousands of stakes held the bodies of some 20,000 Turkish captives, which came to be known as "Forest of the Impaled." The scene which was laid out before them had an immediate effect; the Sultan hungry and worn out retreated. The Sultan Mehmed left the next phase of the battle to Vlad's younger brother Radu who pursued his brother and wife to Poenari castle on the Arges River. Dracula's wife, in order to escape Turkish capture, committed suicide by hurling herself from the upper walls, her body falling down the cliff face into the river below.

Vlad managed to escape the siege and made his way to hungry with the help of local peasants. Upon his arrival the Hungarian king Matthias arrested Dracula and imprisoned him at the Hungarian capital of Visegrad.

In 1475, Vlad Tepes again became prince of Wallachia where he enjoyed a very short third reign. He was assassinated towards the end of 1476.
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I hope you have enjoyed reading about Vlad Tepes or as he was better known-Dracula.
About the Author: By Stuart Bazga A Guide to Castles of Europe was born from childhood dreams and aspirations. It is my hope to educate and stimulate you into exploring these castles for yourselves. www.guide-to-castles-of-europe.com Source: www.isnare.com

Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

Just like eating healthy and exercise, adequate sleep is an essential component for a health conscious life style. We are a sleep-deprived society and this is wrecking havoc on individual’s mental and physical health. Lack of sleep can be as dangerous to your health as smoking. Studies have shown that people who slept 7 to 8 hours a night lived significantly longer than those who didn’t.
Lack of sleep affects all areas of your life including:
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~Emotional- you may be more frustrated, irritable, cranky and moody
~Social-you may be difficult to get along with, lack of desire to socialize
~Cognitive-impaired ability to learn, poor memory, decreased problem solving abilities
~Physical- productivity is impaired, fatigue, a compromised immune system which leaves you vulnerable to disease, infection, and colds etc.
~Safety-judgment may be impaired, your less aware and alert which can lead to accidents, hand eye coordination is impaired.

Sleep also restores our physical and mental energy. The body repairs itself while we sleep. It detoxes and heals. Thus, for us individuals living with chronic illness or chronic pain, obtaining adequate sleep is vitally important. We need adequate sleep to help us cope with stress, to relieve pain and fatigue and keep symptoms to a minimum. Lack of sleep in the chronically ill often increases pain and fatigue and exacerbates whatever symptoms they may experience.

Experts used to recommend seven to eight hours of sleep, but it is now believed the average adult needs an average of nine hours sleep. Some need less and some need more. For those living with chronic illness more may be required, or frequent naps will be necessary. Your body will tell you how much sleep you need if you pay attention. Feeling refreshed and well is often not possible for those with chronic illness or pain, but find the amount you need to function as optimally as possible for your situation.

Tips To Improve Your Sleep
~No alcohol or caffeine
~Try and maintain a routine of getting up and going to bed around the same time
~Exercise at least 30 minutes daily
~Take a warm bath or shower just prior to bedtime
~Read or watch TV if these are relaxing for you, if they are stimulating then you would want to avoid ~Avoid conversations on the phone right before bedtime
~If your having difficulty getting to sleep or wake up in the middle of the night, having an orgasm can help you. After having an orgasm, endorphins are released that make you relaxed and sleepy. You must be lying down at the time of the orgasm and then immediately close your eyes and attempt to sleep, before the endorphins wear off.
~Keep your sleeping environment clean and free from toxic chemicals such as perfumes, cleaning supplies, pesticides etc. In addition to toxicity, chemicals can stimulate the brain and keep you awake.
~Use sheets and blankets that are made of natural fibers. Synthetic fibers are a chemical and can stimulate the brain and prevent you from sleeping. Don’t wash your bedding with bleach or scented laundry products for the same reason.
~See a holistic physician for possible nutritional deficiencies or thyroid abnormalities. Both of these can cause sleep difficulties.

*Do not use drugs (prescription or otherwise, to assist you in sleeping) Drugs interfere in stage IV sleep, which only aggravates symptoms and robs you of the benefits you should derive from sleeping. Drug induced sleep is not healthy sleep. If you need assistance, seek a holistic physician that can advice you which supplements and herbs such as melatonin, serotonin, valerian, chamomile etc. can be used to improve your sleep.
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Cynthia Perkins, M.Ed. is a holistic health counselor specializing in issues of living with chronic illness, chronic pain and disability as well as sexual intimacy. She is also author of the inspirational E-Book “Finding Life Fulfillment when Living with Chronic Illness-A Spiritual Journey”. Services, Ebooks and a FREE Newsletter can be found at her website. http://www.holistichelp.net/

Odd Driving Laws

Everyone has been in that situation, you are cruising down the road, singing to your favorite song, and then you see it. The cop car. Then you see it in your review mirror with its lights on. Yep. Surely at one point in your life you have gotten some kind of traffic ticket, whether it’s a parking ticket, speeding ticket, or something else. However, as common as those are, there are some strange driving laws out there that if you get a ticket for, well, let’s just say no one will feel sorry for you.
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For those of you in California, or even driving through it, watch out for these few laws because I don’t know what to tell you if you get caught. If no one is driving your vehicle, it cannot go above 60 mph, 50 may be pushing it though. So, tell that ghost to get out of the car and let you drive next time you’re in California. However, ladies do not drive your car while wearing a housecoat, since apparently fashion can be a crime.

I know this is a problem I have encountered several times. In New Jersey, it is illegal to plant trees in the middle of the street. Seriously, it is about time this law has come into play. I hate it when I’m driving and there is a tree in the middle of the road. So, that one may not be a driving lay, but it has to do with roads so why not.

For some people, driving on a sidewalk is the way to go. However, in Oregon, you must yield to pedestrians when you are driving on the sidewalk. Personally, I would think that is a given, but apparently not. Now, in Dunn, North Carolina, it is illegal to drive on a sidewalk period. You also can’t drive through cemeteries in Dunn. Oh, and in Dublin, Georgia, you cannot drive through playgrounds.

People who like to change clothes in their car may need to pay attention to these laws. In Sag Harbor, New York, you cannot disrobe in your car. That is a total bummer. I think the people who are living in their cars will have to figure out somewhere else to change. If you are in Evanston, Illinois though, you can change in your car; you just can’t block the cop’s view of you changing. Yep, that’s right. You can’t change clothes in the car with the curtains draw, unless there is a fire. Because I know during a fire, all I want to do is change my clothes in my car with the curtains drawn.

If you are planning on visiting Youngstown, Ohio, hope you filled up before hand. It is against the law to run out of gas while in Youngstown. Hope Youngstown isn’t too big of a city. Perhaps you don’t want to worry about running out of gas in Youngstown and have never had to put your car in reverse; then Glendale, Arizona is the town for you. It is unlawful for a car to back up in Glendale. However, strange those two are, nothing can beat the law in Crete, Illinois which says that you can’t drive a car through town. That one may take a little bit to figure out.

When it comes to getting pulled over, it really doesn’t matter what kind of traffic ticket you get, it’s never fun. Many people think if they get a parking ticket it will affect their insurance, but that’s not the case. If you don’t pay your tickets off when you are supposed to, that can count against you and raise your rates. You may want to check with your insurance company if you get a ticket for any of the above laws though.
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Leigha Fenster: Car Insurance Quote Types of Auto Insurance Article Source: http://www.upublish.info by Leigha Fenster

Winter Wonderland Trivia Quiz

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1. Which is NOT a fact about winter in the animal kingdom?
A. Some species of domesticated dog turn white in the winter.
B. Mountain goats with their luxurious 3-inch long winter coats can endure winter temperatures as low as minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit and powerful winds up to 100 mph.
C. The male moose sheds its antlers every winter and grows a new set the following year.
D. The weasel and the ermine are the same animal. The only difference is the brown coat of the weasel turns white in the winter when it is known as an ermine.

2. Which flying creature fact is true?
A. The Rufous, a species of Hummingbird, nests in Alaska and migrates miles to Mexico each winter and then back to Alaska in the spring.
B. Many species of butterfly fly south for the winter just like many birds.
C. None
D. Both

3. Ice fog is a winter weather phenomenon. Which fact is NOT related to this event?
A. It frequently occurs in Alaska.
B. It frequently occurs in Maine.
C. It glitters in sunlight and is colorfully known as diamond dust.
D. It contains minute ice particles.
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4. Did you know that human hair grows at different rates for different times of day and year? For example, it speeds up in the morning, slows down in the afternoon, and speeds up again in the evening. What is the rate of growth in the winter?
A. Slower than summer.
B. Faster than summer.
C. The same as in summer.
D. The same all year round because the QuizQueen is making this up.

5. During the winter, winds seem to bite through you with cold. Can you pick out the true windy phenomenon?
A. The Bora is a violent cold north wind in the Adriatic.
B. The Mistral is a strong cold dry north wind that blows during the winter in Rhone Valley, France.
C. The Puna is a cold dry wind that blows in Peru.
D. The Williwaw is a sudden strong cold wind off-shore from mountains in Alaska and Canada.
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6. Can you pick out the FALSE nor’easter fact?
A. This is the coastal warm front storm which typically strikes New England in February when warm moist air picked up from the tropics moves north up the coast and meets a mass of polar air from Eastern Canada and the North Atlantic which is moving south.
B. A nor’easter is created when a mass of warm air hits a mass of cold air somewhere in the vicinity of Cape Cod.
C. The winds of a nor’easter blow so strong and fierce that even when snow falls it does not accumulate.
D. When warm air moves up and over a layer of cold air, a nor’easter is created and snow crystals form and fall. If the storm moves quickly, cold rain or snow will fall for six to eight hours. If the warm air stalls against a high pressure wall, the snowfall may last 12-24 hours or even longer.

7. In 1888, the United States experienced one of the worst recorded blizzards. Which Blizzard of ’88 fact was made up by The QuizQueen?
A. On March 11, 1888, a nor’easter stalled over New York City and dumped 21 inches of snow with 70 mph gusts piling snow into 20-foot drifts which marooned New Yorkers in elevated trains, carriages, and office buildings.
B. The Blizzard of 1888 was completely invented by The QuizQueen and in fact no snow fell that winter in northeast America except in trace amounts.
C. The 1888 blizzard extended from Maine to Washington, D.C., and from New York to Pittsburgh. The storm stalled for a day and a half. In Connecticut and central Massachusetts, between 40 and 50 inches of snow fell. Winds piled it into 40 to 50 foot drifts which buried houses and trains.
D. From Chesapeake Bay to Nantucket, 200 ships were sunk or severely damaged. In 1888, 400 lives were lost, a tragedy that modern weather forecasting has spared us.

8. Do you know why 1816 was called “The Year Without Summer?” Are all these facts true, or is one false?
A. During June and July Connecticut experienced a rare summer blizzard and snow and sleet fell in Danville, Vermont.
B. While unseasonably frigid summer temperatures brought crop failures all over New England, Massachusetts had snow flurries.
C. Savannah, Georgia, had a high temperature of only 46 degrees Fahrenheit on July 4.
D. The eruption of the Tambora volcano in Java the previous year spewed dust and ash into the atmosphere and caused the unusually cold summer of 1816.
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9. Which United States city has the coldest winter temperature on average?
A. Mt. Washington, New Hampshire
B. Kotzebue, Alaska
C. Helena, Montana
D. Barrow, Alaska

10. On average, one inch of rain is equivalent to how many inches of snow?
A. 1
B. 5
C. 10
D. 12

11. How much do you know about snow? Which snow fact is true?
A. It must be 32 degrees Fahrenheit or colder for it to snow.
B. It must be 0 degrees Fahrenheit or colder for it to snow.
C. It cannot snow from clear skies.
D. The temperature of snow clouds must be 32 degrees Fahrenheit or colder for snow to form.
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12. Test your snowflake knowledge and pick out the incorrect answer.
A. Snowflakes comes in several basic shapes, hexagonal plates, stellar crystals, columns, needles, and graupel.
B. No two snowflakes are exactly alike.
C. Snowfall levels are categorized into flurries, showers, squalls, blowing snow, and blizzards.
D. It can be too cold to snow.

13. How advised are you about winter weather advisories? Is one of these false?
A. A blizzard warning means snow and strong winds will combine to produce blinding snow with near zero visibility, deep drifts, and life-threatening wind chill.
B. The difference between a winter storm watch and a winter storm warning is that severe winter conditions have begun when a winter storm warning is issued.
C. A winter weather advisory is when weather causes severe conditions that are inconvenient and may be hazardous, especially for motorists.
D. A frost-freeze warning means that temperatures are expected to fall below zero degrees Fahrenheit and may cause significant damage to plants, crops, or fruit trees.

14. The National Weather Service defines “heavy snow” as:
A. Snowfall that accumulates 6 or more inches in 12 hours or 8 or more inches in 24 hours.
B. Wet snow.
C. Thundersnow.
D. None of these answers is right, The QuizQueen must not know.
Click Here For Solutions
15. Which U.S. city has the highest average snowfall?
A. Stampede Pass, Washington
B. Valdez, Alaska
C. Mt. Washington, New Hampshire
D. Watertown, New York

16. Which U.S. city has the coldest record temperature?
A. Mt. Washington, New Hampshire
B. Glasgow, Montana
C. Nome, Alaska
D. McGrath, Alaska
Click Here For Solutions
About the Author: Deanna Mascle shares more Fun Trivia in her Fun Trivia Online ezine at http://funtriviaonline.com Source: www.isnare.com
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Thanksgiving: A Wonderful Day

Thanksgiving is an American holiday. It began when the European pilgrims that migrated to America invited the native American Indians to join them for a meal that celebrated all of the provision that had been bestowed upon them in the past year. Our nation has continued to observe Thanksgiving every year. I wish every country in the world had a Thanksgiving holiday to celebrate.
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There is nothing like enjoying a Thanksgiving day with friends and family. People gather from near and far to spend the holiday weekend together. It is a time filled with good company, good food, and enjoying one another and the gifts of abundance in our lives. What do you remember about Thanksgiving day growing up? I remember walking up lazily and quicklky coming up to the kitchen to find my mom working away at preparing food for our feast and my dad and brother already gone hunting for the morning. I had no real idea how to cook, yet each year on Thanksgiving morning I found myself washing my hands and preparing to help my mom make our family feast.

My mom and I would spend all morning preparing food. My special job was to remove all of the organs from inside the belly of the turkey before we could stuff it with her special Thanksgiving dressing. We prepared mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables, green been casserole, salad and pumpkin pie for dessert.

My father and brother would return from hunting and we would gather around the table and partake in our Thanksgiving meal. Sometimes extended family or friends would join us, but other years it would just be us. I loved Thanksgiving no matter who was or wasn't involved.

I remember taking a little time in each year to think about my life and make a long list of the people and things I was grateful for. Thanksgiving for me really was a time of being thankful. I think it is great for people of all ages to celebrate the day with good people, good food, and football, but I hope in the midst of our busy lives we have not forgotten the importance of observing the real reason for the holiday: to give thanksgiving.

After hours of football and game playing our family would often return to the table and make a second meal out of our Thanksgiving meal leftovers. I loved this time because my mom let us eat as much stuffing and as little turkey as we wanted, and this was my favorite way to eat the Thanksgiving food - anything I wanted and just before I went off to bed.

It is amazing that at the end of Thanksgiving day so many Americans, as if quickly forgetting everything they have been blessed with, make plans to get up before dawn the next day and spend hours shopping for the new and latest things. The day after Thanksgiving has been named Black Friday and it is the biggest shopping day in the American year. People race around from store to store to get deals on anything and everything they could possible need or want. They fill bags and carts with items and exhaust themselves to get their lists accomplished. It makes me wonder if people don't forget Thanksgiving day a little too quickly.
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Matthias Reightman has been enjoying Thanksgiving for many years. He has authored several articles about his favorite holiday. There is more to be learned at www.thanksgivinghub.info by Matthias Reightman Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Fall Foliage

You are in for a fantastic Fall Season of Colors this year! Get set for a fall leaf watching trip for the last week of September or make plans for the first week of October. The peak color times vary each year depending on weather and location, but the leaves are usually past their prime by around Thanksgiving. A good rule of thumb is that the leaves usually start changing color in September but hit their peak in the first few weeks of October.
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Around the 2nd to 3rd weeks of October the colors of fall seem to be at their best stage. This does vary greatly from year to year. Over the last few years, we've noticed that many trees are still showing great foliage colors as late as early November. Color change is a gradual process and takes some time to hit its peak. Altitude has an effect on the leaves turning colors and tress at higher elevations change first. If you want to enjoy early season foliage, it is best to head up in the mountains.

Moisture and temperature difference play a role in effecting color changes. The timing of the first frost affects the intensity and timing of the color changes. The amount of moisture the trees have received over the summer has an impact on the fall foliage. Summer drought plays a role in bring on the change earlier in the season and a wet fall tends to drive intense color changes.
What it comes down to is timing! For best results, shoot for the last few weekends in October up North and mid November down South.

Some of the top foliage destinations in the USA are listed below.

Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain has spectacular foliage and a great way to view it is by boat. Quaint historic communities and to the splendor of this trip.

Smoky Mountains National Park Fall Foliage
The best place to catch the North Carolina and Tennessee fall foliage is in the Smokies. An endless forest is abound and a great place to start your trip is at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You can’t go wrong with a trip to this hikers paradise.

Maroon Bells
When the Aspens start turning in Colorado the place to see fall foliage is Maroon Bells. A mixture of soaring elevations, creeks and hot springs awaits. This is a fantastic trip and very popular because of its vast beauty.

The Mohawk Trail
Massachusetts is a falls lover’s dream. Take a trip back in time on one of the oldest scenic route our country has to offer. Once a main artery for foot traffic between the colonies is now your pathway to fall foliage splendor.

Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway of North Carolina and Virginia is known to be "Americas Favorite Drive". The Appalachian Mountains explode with color each year and the 400 plus mile roadway is sure to impress. The roadway offers tremendous vistas to view all of the fall splendor.
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At Travel To Go, we hope you have had -- or will have -- a great vacation this year! For more information feel free to visit our website by clicking here or go to www.traveltogo.com. by Samuel Wynn

Christmas FAQ: Learning More About Christmas

* Why do people put up Christmas trees?
The tradition of the Christmas tree is a remnant of the old pagan tradition of worshipping trees. This paved the way for the popularity of Christmas tree decorations in people's homes during Christmas season.

* Why is Christmas on December 25th?
Many people believe Jesus was born on December 25, but there is no historical evidence for this. In fact, historical evidence points to spring as the time when Jesus was born.
It's most likely that December 25 became Christmas Day by a slick political move. By three or four centuries after Christ, Christians were numerous, and perhaps in an effort to stop religious bickering and unite the Christians with the pagans, the pagan holiday of Saturnalia (approximately December 25) was combined with the biggest Christian celebration of the year: the birthday of Jesus. Presto, a universal holiday!

* When and how did Christmas become an official government holiday?
There are several arguments regarding the declaration of Christmas as an official holiday. But according to many researchers, it was in the year 1870 that U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant declared Christmas an American national holiday. Prior to this declaration, a formal process was conducted that transformed the proposal into an act of Congress.

* Where does the name Christmas come from?
Christmas comes from the Middle English term "Cristis Masse." In literal translation it means Christ's Festival. There are also some accounts that translate it as "mass for Christ."
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* In which gospels was the Christmas story told?
It is in the gospels of Matthew and Luke where you can find most of the Biblical accounts pertaining to the nativity story or Christmas. Matthew discussed the story of Joseph and Mary, the angel Gabriel, and the Three Kings.
The story in Luke starts in the land of Nazareth, and is the one most people are familiar with. Luke does not mention the new star, the wise men, or Herod's slaughter of the innocents, but he does describe the journey of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem, Mary laying the newborn Jesus in a manger, and the angels appearing to the shepherds.

* What is the 12th Day of Christmas?
According to Encyclopedia .com: Epiphany "(ipif'ene) [Gr.,=showing], a prime Christian feast, celebrated Jan. 6, called also Twelfth Day or Little Christmas. Its eve is Twelfth Night. It commemorates three events-the baptism of Jesus (Mark 1), the visit of the Wise Men to Bethlehem (Mat. 2), and the miracle at Cana (John 2). In his baptism Jesus' sonship to God was manifested to the world; in the visit of the Wise Men he was manifested as king to the Gentiles; and at the marriage feast at Cana his power to perform miracles (a divine prerogative) was shown. In popular celebration the feast is far more ancient than Christmas. Technically it is more important than Christmas, ranking after Easter and Pentecost. It is a day of gifts in many countries. In the Eastern Church the waters are blessed on this day. The word epiphany means a manifestation, usually of divine power. Thus the actual appearance of God (as in the burning bush) or a moment of divine revelation may be called an epiphany."

* Why do we celebrate Christmas?
It has been a part of the Christian tradition to celebrate Christmas yearly. The bottom line for this is to witness and retell to other people the marvelous story of the Savior of mankind, who is Jesus Christ.
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About the Author: Crissy Yarnell is editor of Christmas Yes!, the online guide to Christmas. She also writes Christmas FAQ's for PrettyGreatAnswers.com. by Crissy Yarnell Source: www.isnare.com

Halloween Came From Where?

1. HAPPY HALLOWEEN
2. SUMMER'S END
3. SPOOKY
4. THE COLD SHOULDER
5. HALLOW'S EVE
6. BOBBING FOR APPLES
7. TRICK
8. OR TREAT
9. JACK O' LANTERN
10.THE GREAT PUMPKIN
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1. HAPPY HALLOWEEN
Of all the mainstay holidays that populate our year, Halloween is one of the oldest, dating back thousands of years. Thanksgiving, 4th of July, Easter and even Christmas are youngsters by comparison.

2. SUMMER'S END
Originally starting out as an ancient Celtic holiday, Druidic priests regarded the day as the end of the year and a celebration for the year's harvest. October 31 was the first day of a three-day celebration called Samhain, meaning "the end of summer". It marked the passage from the season of the sun to the season of darkness, but was also a festival for honoring the dead. The Celts believed the laws of space and time were suspended on this night, allowing the spirit world to crossover and intermingle with the living world.

3. SPOOKY
As the story goes, the disembodied spirits of all those who had passed away throughout the preceding year would come back on that night in search of living bodies to possess for the coming year. Apparently, it was their only hope for an afterlife. To protect themselves, the Celtic priests developed spells, charms and ritualistic burning sacrifices to appease the wandering spirits that roamed the night.

4. THE COLD SHOULDER
Of course, being alive you certainly didn't want to get possessed, so on the night of October 31st, people would put out the fires in their fireplaces and furnaces, to make their homes cold and undesirable to the wandering spirits. To complete the ritual, they would then dress in ghoulish costumes, parading around the neighborhoods causing ruckus and destruction in order to scare off the spirits looking for a warm body to inhabit.

5. HALLOW'S EVE
The word Halloween is a concoction. Samhain (pronounced sow-en, the sow rhymes with cow, that "en" part is important to remember) was combined with the November 1st Catholic holiday of "All Hallows Eve", otherwise known as "All Hallows Day "or "All Saints Day". The old English word "Hallow" meant to sanctify. It was the day for honoring the Catholic saints. By the 7th century AD it was adapted as "All Soul's Day" to honor all the dead and not just the saints. Over time, these two celebrations were combined into one mega-fest by the growing populations of Europe. And abracadabra, sow-en and Hallows Eve merged creating Halloween. In Ireland it is sometimes referred to as Hallow E'en and others still spell it, Hallowe'en, further emphasizing the marriage of terms and holidays.

6. BOBBING FOR APPLES
Eventually the traditional Roman celebration on November 1st honoring Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees, was absorbed into the Halloween punch bowl. Bringing its own traits with it, Pomona's symbol was an apple, which most likely inspired the party activity of bobbing for apples.

7. TRICK...
Celebration of Halloween came to America with early Irish and Scottish immigrants. The belief in spirit possession had subsided compared to the early days and the act of dressing as ghouls, goblins, ghosts and witches was more like today's ceremonious fun.
However, the anarchy still remained from the early Celtic days. Favorite tricks of the time were knocking over outhouses, especially with someone inside and unhinging fence gates, freeing farm animals and the like.

8. ...OR TREAT
The treat part of trick-or-treating originated with a 9th century European custom called "souling". On "All Souls Day", early Christians would walk door-to-door begging for "soul cakes", little squares of bread made with currants (yummy). You see, at the time, it was believed that the souls of the dead remained in limbo on earth and that prayers would speed the soul's passage to heaven. The more soul cakes the beggars would get, the more prayers they would promise to say on behalf of the dead relatives of the givers.

9. JACK O' LANTERN
An Irish folklore tells the tale of a lazy trickster named Jack. In his whole life he never made a single enemy, nor a single friend, never did an honest day's work or performed a single selfless act for anyone. But despite his sloth and constant state of inebriation, he was able to foil the Devil's attempt at taking his soul.

One Halloween Jack's number was up and the Devil arrived to do his deed. Jake was of course having a pint at the pub and asked the Devil for permission to finish his ale. The Devil agreed and Jack struck up a conversation. He asked, "If you really have any power, you could transform yourself into anything, right? Even a shilling." The Devil took it as challenge and transformed himself into a silver coin. Jack snatched up the coin and scratched a cross-shaped scar into the face. The power of the cross, being like kryptonite to Superman, made the Devil powerless and held him captive.
Jack bartered with Satan, he would free him if he would grant Jack another year of life so that he would have time to repent. Having little choice, the Devil made it so. A year passed, Jack being Jack, never got around to getting off his bar stool to repent.

Again it was Halloween, but Satan was a no show. Suddenly Jack knew why, presto-change-o, Jack was dead and standing at the pearly gates. He was getting to go to heaven. Ah, but before admittance he had to get the okay from St. Peter. Checking his records, St. Peter gave Jack the thumbs down, boo-hoo, for Jack had never performed a single selfless act. Off to hell Jack would go.
However, Satan wasn't having any of it either. He was still ticked for getting tricked. Having nowhere else to go, the Devil gave Jack a single burning ember in a hollowed out turnip. With only this simple lantern to light his path, rejected from heaven and hell, poor Jack was doomed to wander in the darkness forever.

The Irish originally used turnips as their "Jack's lanterns". But in America, pumpkins were far easier to come by than turnips. Pumpkins also pulled a double duty, symbolizing the giant full moon of harvest. So, the man-in-the-moon and trickster Jack combined to form the carved face pumpkins of our Jack O' Lanterns.

10. THE GREAT PUMPKIN
There you have it ghouls and goblins, the who's and boos of why Halloween is one of our favorite times of year! Jokes and candy to all ye this Hallow's Eve! After Halloween what is a vampire's favorite holiday? Fangsgiving!
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About the Author: To read more articles by Chad, please visit the American Pop Culture Encyclopedia at: http://www.americanpopcultureencyclopedia.com. If you would like to read this article, or others like it, on American Pop Culture Encyclopedia: http://www.americanpopcultureencyclopedia.com/halloween.htm Source: www.isnare.com by Chad Koch

A James Bond Villain Quiz: The Villains Make the Hero?

Superman might have larger than life powers to protect the Earth. Daredevil might have superhuman senses to defeat the Kingpin of Crime. Spider-man might be flexible enough to get out of any sticky situation. But then again, when an evil villain is out to cause mayhem on Earth via nuclear bombing or sophisticated biological weapons, only one fictional character sans the superpowers can salvage us from utter destruction: Secret Agent Bond---James Bond.

James Bond, unlike these superheroes, doesn’t have supernatural powers or wasn’t bitten by a genetically enhanced spider of sorts for him to be called a hero. Known to have the strength, wit, intelligence, charms, seamless gadgets, and of course, his natural appeal to women, he is an unstoppable brute. Agent 007, as he is commonly called, is a human weapon, ready to stop any atomic bomb, morally bankrupt villain or some unnamed armaments to save the world.
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The Villain Who Made the Most Movies
The hardest task for the creators of the James Bond franchise must have been the conceptualization nemeses that would be worthy and fit to be up against the most popular secret agent in Hollywood. They must have been in a heated James Bond Villain quiz discussion in order to reincarnate evil at its best to be eradicated by our suave hero in the end.

Ernst Stravo Blofeld is arguably one of the most hated villains to be fought by 007. As an evil mastermind of SPECTRE (Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion), he aims to take over the world and get truckloads of money in the process of doing so. He appears in 7 major James Bond movies and definitely continues to earn a lot of fans for his pure rashness. This bald, cat-totting and murderous villain is never adamant in annihilating James Bond. Blofeld, with his trademark accent and evil deeds, will be a staple character in any James Bond villain quiz no matter how many other villains might be baked in the oven of the screenplay writer’s imagination.

More Villains: A James Bond Villain Quiz
Villains might be abhorred, but no one can deny that we love them for what they do best---being EVIL. Let’s see how well you know James Bond’s nemeses. Take this James Bond Villain quiz and find out.

1. He has a penchant for sharks, crocodiles and killing, among others. This villain appears in Live and Let Die and was portrayed by Yaphet Kotto.
a. Elliot Carver
b. Mr. Big
c. Mr. Bullion

2. He tried to kill Bond by blowing him up with an atomic bomb to no avail. He is famous for the line, “Better than letting a handful of old men in Moscow bargain away our advantage in disarmament talks!”
a. Mr. Big
b. Kamal Khan
c. Octopussy

3. It is Soviet counter-intelligence agency portrayed in the early James Bond novels based on the real-life agency of the same name. In the novels, it was one of 007's greatest nemeses.
a. SPECTRE
b. SMERSH
c. KRYPTONITE

4. He wants to disarm world powers and have world peace by destroying missile silos and military bases around the world using the diamond satellite laser weapon he created. He appears in Diamonds are Forever.
a. Kamal Khan
b. Nick Nack
c. Professor Dr. Metz

5. He attempts to execute Bond in Korea, and drives a Jaguar XKR while chasing him across a flat plain in Iceland. He appeared in Die Another Day.
a. Zao
b. Gustav
c. Kanami
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Answers:
1. b. Mr. Big
2. c. Octopussy
3. b. SMERSH
4. c. Professor Dr. Metz
5. a. Zao

Villains Make Bond, THE James Bond
Villains can give the needed oomph to make someone a hero. In the case of our favorite fictional secret agent, James Bond would have never reached this pinnacle of popularity without these murderous minds out to cause considerable damages to the world. Sure enough, the quality of a James Bond film is contingent upon how evil, downright mean and callous his enemies could get. The more ruthless these villains become the more smashing and appealing James Bond becomes to the box office.

For more information and queries, you may visit James Bond Villain Quiz. by Joe Owens
Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

Halloween Costumes And Finding Clever Ideas

When someone is searching for Halloween costumes they may want to find one that is original and unique. There will be many stores that carry rows of costumes, but only a few will have the truly unique styles. Customers who wish to look different on their special night, may use several techniques to find the right one.

Every year there will be new movies out and special characters. These new characters may be found in Halloween retail stores. For a unique look, someone could look for an outfit that is from a recent movie. The outfit could come with accessories and props to go with it. The idea would be new from other seasons, but the concept may be a popular one for the season. To make the idea truly unique, a customer could look for an outfit idea from a secondary cast member.
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Some vintage stores will carry garments from movies that came out decades ago. These old styles may be the perfect choice for a new costume. Older styles may consist of characters from older movies. These movies may have been popular choices during their time. Classic movie characters can make interesting garments for the special day.

Women's Halloween costumers can include famous woman super hero figures. These figures may have been from a real movie or a cartoon movie. Action figure outfits may be sexy for a female to wear or it could be sporty. There will be a range of items for women to choose from. These items may be scary, sexy, or sexy and scary at the same time. Fun outfits can be worn that include sounds and electronic lights.

Sports jerseys and sport themed props can make excellent ideas for dressing up. Men and women can go as a famous sport's athlete. The athlete could be a basket ball star, football or baseball person. Hockey hero outfits can be worn with a stick for the prop. These outfits can be worn by kids, men and women.

Halloween costumes 2011, may include some electronic devices. These devices could include having a shirt or pants that light up. Attachment may move around when activated. Outfits for the next season will be more electronic based with devices that require batteries. Strange noises and lights may be part of the special effects.

Halloween costumes Canada can be found in several locations. There are party stores that will carry these scary outfits during the season. Extra stores may open up just for the season. They will open up their shop a few months before October and stay open until the day before Halloween.

Halloween costumes can be found used on the internet, at a second hand shop or at a retailer. There are many options to pick from when someone has to select an outfit just for them. Some people will go as a group or pick a couple themed outfit. The more original someone can be when they dress up, the more fun they will have with it. Styles will change with each new year, however some of the classics will always be available.
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Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com  by Adriana Noton