"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
--Theodore Roosevelt
Something I enjoy is reading the history of various holidays and the traditions that many people follow. I am providing links so that you can enjoy learning a bit about the New Year's holiday.
At Infoplease, you can read about "A History of the New Year" and "New's Year Traditions". The history article talks about the different dates celebrated through the years and you'll learn a bit about calendars in the process. The traditions article has all the words to "Auld Lang Syne" and a bit of history and explanation about it, as well as some of the other traditions that have come into being over the years.
Another interesting article is at Wikipedia under "New Year" and tells more about calendars and countries and when 1 January became the norm for many in celebrating the new year.
Good reading. Enjoy! And if you know about some additional traditions, please tell us about them in the comments!
The scariest movie I've ever seen wasn't even a Halloween movie or a horror movie. It was a western--"Ulzana's Raid". I couldn't even finish watching it. For horror--I like subtle stuff like Alfred Hitchcock. "Psycho" was nice and scary.
2. What was your favorite Halloween Costume from childhood, and adulthood?
I'm not one to dress up myself, but I enjoy other's costumes. We have a guy at work who is great--last year he was Dog, the Bounty Hunter. A few years ago, he was the Joker. Excellent costumes. I also get a kick out of people dressing up as things like tacos or other ordinary things. And a dachshund dressed up as a hot dog always makes me smile.
3. If you had an unlimited budget, what would your Fantasy Costume be for this Halloween?
I would love to do a really good medieval costume--perhaps a squire's wife. Not too fancy and not too plain.
4. When was the last time you went Trick Or Treating?
When I was a little kid.
5. What's your favorite Halloween Candy?
I guess Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. That's my favorite anytime candy.
6. Tell us about a scary nightmare you had.
I will pass on this one--I've had nightmares since I was a small child. I can even still remember parts of some of them. I am not about to talk about them
7. What is your Supernatural Fear?
I'm not sure what this question is asking for, but I would say something like what happened in Stephen King's Pet Sematery. That was the book that scared me too much to ever read Stephen King again, even though I think he is a good writer.
8. What is your Creepy-Crawlie Fear?
I'm not overly afraid of creepy crawlies, but I don't like to have bugs crawl on me and I wouldn't want to be alone in a room with a rat.
9. Tell us about a time when you saw a ghost, or heard something go Bump in the night.
It hasn't been often and I don't want to talk about it.
10. Would you ever stay in a real Haunted House overnight?
No. I have a vivid imagination and even if nothing happened, I'd be scared silly.
11. Are you a traditionalist (just a face) Jack O'Lantern Carver, or do you get really creative with your pumpkins?
I don't carve pumpkins, but if I did, I would want to get some of those fancy stencils you see these days and do something beautiful.
12. How much do you decorate your home for Halloween?
I don't decorate for holidays as a rule. Nothing against it, but I live by myself so it really isn't important to me.
13. What do you want on your Tombstone?
Sausage, Peppers, and Onions. (I couldn't resist!)
