October 31, 2009
Happy Halloween!!
According to the Library of Congress American Folklife Center, Halloween began as an ancient, pre-Christian Celtic festival of the dead. The Celtic peoples divided the year by four major holidays. According to their calendar, the year began on a day corresponding to November 1st on our present calendar. This date marked the beginning of winter. The date marked both an ending and a beginning in an eternal cycle.
The festival observed at this time was called Samhain (pronounced Sah-ween). The Celts believed that at the time of Samhain the ghosts of the dead were able to mingle with the living, because at Samhain the souls of those who had died during the year traveled into the otherworld. People gathered to sacrifice animals, fruits, and vegetables. They also lit bonfires in honor of the dead, to aid them on their journey, and to keep them away from the living. On that day all manner of beings were abroad: ghosts, fairies, and demons–all part of the dark and dread.
When Christian missionaries arrived, they attempted to put an end to pagan rituals and ceremonies.The Christian feast of All Saints was assigned to November 1st. The day honored every Christian saint, especially those that did not otherwise have a special day devoted to them. This feast day was meant to substitute for Samhain, to draw the devotion of the Celtic peoples, and, finally, to replace it forever. That did not happen, but the traditional Celtic deities diminished in status, becoming fairies or leprechauns of more recent traditions. Check out this page on the Folklore and Fantasy of Halloween at the Library of Congress for more information.
Looking for some ghost stories to read this Halloween? Check out the American Folklore page and find scary stories online.
Are scary movies your thing? Look at this list of the Top 50 Scary Movies, compiled by the Boston Globe.
However you decide to celebrate this Halloween, have a safe and fun Halloween week-end!!
July 7, 2009
HelloMovies
HelloMovies is a fun site at which to find that old movie you loved, but have not been able to find anywhere. The site will provide recommendations for you, based upon your interests. HelloMovies lists obscure movies and lets you know where you can find them to rent or purchase. The site is useful for movie fans ranging from the casual movie watcher looking for a comedy to watch with friends to the movie fanatic searching for the most obscure Italian giallo horror. With HelloMovies you can:
Browse movies by genres, tastes, and other categories.
See where to get movies.
Get the information that matters to you including aggregated ratings, trailers, synopses and other facts and opinions from the Movie Genome Project.
Catalog what you’ve watched.
Track the movies you want to watch and see where to get them.
See what people you care about are watching.