HALLOWEEN BLOG

[GEMINIGUY]

never ask a fisherman where he is going when he is about to set sail, never admitting to being very well if someone enquires after one's health, and never wishing actors and actressese good luck when they are about to go on stage."

[GEMINIGUY]

OCTOBER 27TH

                               Goat
"The goat has always been associated with virility and the darker supernatural forces, in ancient times often being identified with Pan, who was half man and half goat, and subsequently with the Devil himself, who is said to have a goat's cloven hooves and is sometimes depicted with a goat's head. Satan's favorite disguise, the goat shows its allegiance to the Prince Of Darkness by visiting him once every twenty-four hours to have its beard combed.
The primitive notion that sins and diseases can be transferred to a 'scapegoat' is reflected in the still-observes tradition that a farmer should always keep a goat or two to absorb the physical ills that would otherwise afflict his livestock; the stronger the smell of a billy goat, the less likelihood there is of any cows or horses falling sick."

[Gina Marie]

Funny, even with the typo...

[GEMINIGUY]

OCTOBER 28TH

                         Goat (con't)
"The goat's connections with the supernatural mean that the flesh, skin and milk of the animal were valued in folk medicine. Rubbing sore feet, eyes, and heads with fresh goat's cheese was recommended in Anglo-Saxon times and its brain, passed through a golden ring, were sometimes fed to children suffering from epilepsy.
Som people carry goat's feet and hairs from a goat's beard as lucky amulets, while sailors have been known to fix a goatskin - or even a whole goat - to the mast to ward off foul weather.
A goat's horn slipped under the pillow will cure insomnia.
It is good luck to meet a goat when setting out on an important journey, and encountering a black goat on a bridle path suggests that treasure is hidded nearby."

[GEMINIGUY]

OCTOBER 29TH

                                  Eclipse
"People around the world have long feared the eclipse of the sun or moon, not infrequently attributing the happening to evil spirits trying to rob the Earth of light. Eclipses have often been interpreted as omens of the death of some high-ranking person such as a monarch - among them the Roman Emperor Nero and Catherine of Aragon, first wife of King Henry VIII of England in 1536,
Alternately, they may presage some dreadful national calamity, such as the coming of the Black Death in 1348 and the outbreak of the First World War in 1914,
Considerable panic has accompanied predictions the eclipses mark the start of the end of the world.
Making a great deal of noise, by banging on drums, discharging guns in the air and so forth, is customary in many countries when an eclipse takes place, the idea being that the cacophany will frighten away the malevolent spirit responsible for the phenomenon."

[GEMINIGUY]

OCTOBER 30TH

                              Pumpkin
"Revered by the Chinese above all other plants, the pumpkin is widely respected as an emblem of fertility, presumable of its generous size.
Associated throughout the Western world primarily with the celebration of Hallowe'en, pumpkins hallowed out  and carved into grotesque faces and then illuminated  from within with a candle are reputed to scare away evil spirits that roam abroad on this particular night.
In keeping with this reputation, pumpkins are best planted on Good Friday. Once growing, they should never be pointed at, which will cause them to rot
Pumpkin seeds may be consumed to quieten an excessively passionate nature and, if mixed into a paste with oil and rubbed on the skin, will eradicate freckles."

[GEMINIGUY]

OCTOBER30TH       
                     ALL HALLOW'S EVE

                            Madness
"The superstitious have traditionally regarded mad people with awe, sometimes avoiding them altogether and sometimes welcoming their appearance on the grounds that the simple-minded are in some mysterious way harbringers of good luck. It is said that the mad are chosen by God and enjoy the special favour of Heaven. Accordingly, it is thought particularly lucky throughout Europe  to live in the same house as someon who is mad and historically the mad have often been well cared for by the local community.
Meeting such a person in the street is itself a lucky event, particularly in the folklore of fishermen, who interpret that the day's catch will be a good one. The spit of a simpleton is said to have special healing powers and such persons are often reputed to be able to see into the future.

[GEMINIGUY]

In many areas there was once a strong taboo against letting a mad person move out of their home district, because it meant someone else in the area would become retarded in their stead.
The Japanese warn that anyone who had their hair set alight is almost certain to go insane, while inhabitants of Lincolnshire have traditionally avoided naming their children Agnes, as they contend that anyone with that name will go mad.
Cures for madnes include an Irish recipe which involves the consumption of honey, milk and salt before sunrise, and  a more challenging European antidote for rabies, which dictates that anyone bitten by a rabid dog should be fed the burned and powdered liver of the dog concerned with bread and butter."


FOR ALL OF YOU KBers "MAD" ABOUT HALLOWEEN, HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO ALL OF YOU!!!!! IF YOU'RE NOT, WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!?!? lol

[TinyDancer]

Not to worry folks, this is just GG getting ready for his favorite time of year.

[msslave]

Mine too.  Wife & I used to host a big Halloween party for years, when we had a large building in St. Paul.  It was only used for our walk in freezer and rest of building was empty.  Kept decorations up all year.

Wife made some epic costumes too.  Maybe I'll post a few as we get closer to Boo! day.

[GEMINIGUY]

As per tradition, the Halloween Blog shall return October 31st. To the best of my ability it will be at midnight Eastern Time.
I'll steroid everyone up will a five-day fix, then every fifth day until the twenty-fifth when I overload you again for six days with superstition tidbits. [Damn, I sound like Dee Snider talking about what coming up on the House Of Hair... ]

[Gina Marie]

As per tradition, the Halloween Blog shall return October 31st.

Are you sure about this date? I thought you posted through the whole month of October.

[coacheric]

 Come on Gina, you use the wrong calendar

[Well Behaved Lady]

As per tradition, the Halloween Blog shall return October 31st. To the best of my ability it will be at midnight Eastern Time.
I'll steroid everyone up will a five-day fix, then every fifth day until the twenty-fifth when I overload you again for six days with superstition tidbits. [Damn, I sound like Dee Snider talking about what coming up on the House Of Hair... ]

You should read the opening post 

It's now 11 minutes after the Witching Hour [at least east coast time here in the states] so it's now October 1st. I don't really consider this a blog per say, but i just want to share daily tidbits related to Halloween and superstitions. If KB decides to make this a really blog, all are welcome to add seperate threads on any subjects related to Halloween, horror, superstitions, etc.

[GEMINIGUY]

lol How'd I slip a 3 on the 1st?!? Thank you, Lady Gina, while it would have been easier for you to have edited my slip there in any case you are correct. It shall return October 1st. :^)

[GEMINIGUY]

2014
OCTOBER 1ST

Cobweb

"The web of a spider is said to have concealed the infant Jesus from Herod's soldiers, and perhaps it is for this reason the cobwebs are regarded as very lucky. In stables and barns they should never be cleared away as they protect the livestock, and it is widely believed that destroying a cobweb on purpose will only provoke misfortune.
No pinishment will be exacted a person who accidentally runs onto a spider's web, but this may may mean a friend is about to appear. Similiarly, US superstition claims that a girl who find a cobweb on her door is being advised that her lover is unfaithful, while a cobweb in the kitchen reveals to the attentive observer that there is little love in the house.
Laying a cobweb on an open wound will promote the healing process (this may in fact assist in coagulation and kill bacteria). Cobwebs rolled into small 'pills' are sometimes taken as treatment for asthma, while rubbing a web over a wart and then burning it is said to destroy the wart itself

[TinyDancer]

Good post GG.  I can see where they are considered lucky in barns as the webs trap insects that can infect livestock with nasty infections and such. 

[GEMINIGUY]

Do you hear that, Lizzie? ;-)

[MissBarbara]

Good post GG.  I can see where they are considered lucky in barns as the webs trap insects that can infect livestock with nasty infections and such. 

I agree, great post GG.

And thanks for resurrecting this thread for another Halloween Season!

[GEMINIGUY]

OCTOBER 2ND

Spider

"Superstition generally regards spiders as lucky, though many people regard them with loathing and even fear.
In legend, spiders are said to have saved the lives of the infant Christ, Mohammed and Frederick the Great, in Christ's case by spinning a web at an entrance of a cave in which the Holy Family was hiding from Herod's soldiers, thus making it appear that no one passed by recently.
Tradition insists that it is most unwise to kill a spider, as one ancient rhyme makes clear:

If that you would live and thrive
Let the spider run alive.

This notion probably dates from medieval times, when spiders in the home helped to keep down the number of flies and thus reduce the risk of disease. Killing a spider will, superstition adds, only cause it to rain or, according to the Scots, result in crockery breakages before the day is over.