d'oh!

okay...

as brian so kindly pointed out--thanks, bri!!--with all that reminiscing going on, i totally forgot to post the answers to last week's "five for friday"...

here y'are...


"five for friday"

1. What phobia do you suffer from if you have an intense fear of Halloween? (this one was for matt...!)

A: Phasmophobia, B: Samhainophobia, C: Wiccaphobia, D: Halloweenophobia


Samhainophobia refers to an abnormal and persistent fear of Halloween. This time of year may also stir up other phobias such as the fear of: cats (ailurophobia), witches (wiccaphobia), ghosts (phasmophobia), spiders (arachnophobia), the dark (nyctophobia), and cemetaries (coimetrophobia).


Although there are many theories on the origin and history of Halloween, it is generally accepted that Halloween dates back to an ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain, or the Celtic New Year. It was believed that the spirits of everyone who had died during the year would return on the eve of Samhain to seek living bodies to possess for the following year. The Celts would dress in ghoulish costumes and hold noisy revels in an attempt to frighten away these spirits. Food and drink was also offered to pacify the dead. There are many tales of unfortunate souls being burned at the stake because they were perceived to have been possessed by one of the returning spirits. Around the turn of the first century AD, Romans abandoned this custom of human sacrifice in favor of the burning of effigies.



2. According to superstition, if you stare into a mirror at midnight on Halloween, what will you see?

A: Bloody Mary, B: Your Future Spouse, C: Your Death, D: Dead Ancestors




3. How much does the world's biggest pumpkin weigh?

A: 245 pounds, B: 485 pounds, C: 685 pounds, D: 1,385 pounds




4. How many "witches" were burned at the stake in the Salem Witch Trials?

A: Twelve, B: Twenty, C: Thirty-three, D: None


None of the "witches" put to death in the Salem Witch trials were burned at the stake. All those executed were hanged but one, Giles Cory, who was pressed to death. Several others died in prison, including Sarah Osborne, Roger Toothaker, Lyndia Dustin, and Ann Foster.




5. The first Jack-o-Lanterns were made out of what?

A: Watermelons, B: Coconuts, C: Turnips, D: Pumpkins


The first Jack-o-Lanterns were made in Ireland out of hollowed-out turnips. A piece of coal was inserted into the hollow and the "lantern" was meant to guide the way of poor old Jack who wasn't welcome in Heaven but was also barred from entering Hell for tricking the devil. According to legend, the devil gave this crude lamp to Jack so that he could walk the earth forever in limbo. When the Irish brought this tradition to America, they apparently decided that pumpkins were much easier to carve than turnips, and the modern-day Jack-o-Lantern was born!


smell ya later!
todd