Epic Crossbar Challenge MiniShooters - By Toufic Halawi

History of Halloween - By Toufic Halawi

HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN

Standing on the line between fall and winter, plenty and paucity, life and death, Halloween is a time of celebration and superstition. It is thought to have originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts. The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1.This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the New Year, the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.

In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints and martyrs; the holiday, All Saints’ Day, incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows’ Eve and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into community-based event characterized by child-friendly activities such as trick-or-treating.

HALLOWEEN COMES TO AMERICA

Celebration of Halloween was extremely limited in colonial New England because of the rigid Protestant belief systems there. Halloween was much more common in Maryland and the southern colonies. As the beliefs and customs of different European ethnic groups as well as the American Indians meshed, a distinctly American version of Halloween began to emerge. The first celebrations included “play parties,” public events held to celebrate the harvest, where neighbors would share stories of the dead, tell each other’s fortunes, dance and sing. In the late 1800s, there was a move in America to mold Halloween into a holiday more about community and neighborly get-togethers than about ghosts, pranks and witchcraft.

TODAY’S HALLOWEEN TRADITIONS

The American Halloween tradition of “trick-or-treating” probably dates back to the early All Souls’ Day parades in England. During the festivities, poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them pastries called “soul cakes” in return for their promise to pray for the family’s dead relatives. 

The tradition of dressing in costume for Halloween has both European and Celtic roots. Hundreds of years ago, winter was an uncertain and frightening time. Food supplies often ran low and, for the many people afraid of the dark, the short days of winter were full of constant worry. On Halloween, when it was believed that ghosts came back to the earthly world, people thought that they would encounter ghosts if they left their homes. To avoid being recognized by these ghosts, people would wear masks when they left their homes after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits.

HALLOWEEN SUPERSTITIONS

Halloween has always been a holiday filled with mystery, magic and superstition. Today’s Halloween ghosts are often depicted as more fearsome and malevolent, and our customs and superstitions are scarier too. We avoid crossing paths with black cats, afraid that they might bring us bad luck. We try not to walk under ladders for the same reason. This superstition may have come from the ancient Egyptians, who believed that triangles were sacred. And around Halloween, especially, we try to avoid breaking mirrors, stepping on cracks in the road or spilling salt.

How to spend your best Friday night - By Toufic Halawi

Zac Efron

Zac Efron is a Hollywood heartthrob who appears in films and on television, most notably in the High School Musical films.

 

Born on October 18, 1987, in California, Zac Efron made his first television appearance on the series Firefly. In 2005, Efron landed the lead role in a Disney Channel film called High School Musical. He went on to appear in 17 Again (2009), Hairspray (2007) and The Lorax (2012) before dropping his Disney image and taking on more mature roles in films such as The Lucky One (2012) and Parkland (2013).

Early Life

Actor and singer Zac Efron was born on October 18, 1987, in San Luis Obispo, California. He is actually 28 years old. 

                                

 

Glee

Glee is a comedy-drama TV series that aired from May 19 2009 to March 20 2015. It has 6 seasons and it's a musical show THAT I LOVE!! Its amazing because there's alot of drama and they express their feelings with a song. I also love the actors like Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Dianna Agron and so much more! I recommend you to watch it if you love music!

Thanksgiving

THANKSGIVING DAY IN THE UNITED STATES


Thanksgiving Day in the United States is a holiday on the fourth Thursday of November. It precedes Black Friday.


WHAT DO PEOPLE DO?
Thanksgiving is traditionally a day for families and friends to get together for a special meal. Thanksgiving Day is a time for many people to give thanks for what they have.


Thanksgiving Day parades are held in some cities and towns on or around Thanksgiving Day. Some parades or festivities also mark the opening of the Christmas shopping season. Some people have a four day weekend so it is a popular time for trips and to visit family and friends.


The first thanksgiving was held in the autumn of 1621.
Thanksgiving didn't become a national holiday until over 200 years later.

Josh Hutcherson

Josh Hutcherson born October 12, 1992 is an American actor. A native of Kentucky, Hutcherson began his acting career in the early 2000s and appeared in several commercials and minor film and television roles before landing his first major role in 2002 in the Pilot episod of House Blend. His first film role was in Miracle Dogs (2003) on Animal planet, followed by a motion capture performance in The Polar Express (2004) and a voice-acting role in Howl`s Moving Catle (2005).

Hutcherson's other early film appearances include Little Manhattan, Zathura (both 2005), RV(2006), Journey To The Center Of the Earth (2008), and The Kids Are All Right (2010). In 2011, he landed the leading role of Peeta Mellark in the box office record-setting film series The Hunger Games, released annually from 2012 to 2015, for which he won three MTV Movie Awards and a People`s Choice Award. During the same period he also played a lead role in Journey 2:The Mysterious Island(2012) and a voice role in the animated film Epic (2013).

Throughout his career, Hutcherson has expressed an interest in Directing and producing. He has served as an executive producer in Detention (2011), The Forger (2012) and Escobar Paradise Lost (2015), while also playing a lead role in each film.