Hey, Saint’s Day Celebrators!

This upcoming major holiday, which we call Halloween in our contemporary day, was once known as Samhain (pronounced Sow-ween). A sort of ancient New Years and Harvest celebration, this celebration over time took on a new name and new meaning. Learn more about Halloween than you ever did before on today’s eerily interesting Blog post!

Check out these fun facts about our beliefs behind this celebration:

Everyone knows that black cats bring bad luck…right? Yeah—lots of people think that. Black cats are actually less likely to be adopted because of the superstition surrounding them. But this belief isn’t held worldwide. In fact, in other parts of the world such as the United Kingdom, it is a white cat which is thought to bring misfortune. I have an all-black cat named Aiden Carl who is the sweetest, most handsome cat I’ve ever met and I don’t feel unlucky!

Of course, it’s always good to take precautions with candy (especially overeating it!) But unlike what most people have come to believe about Trick-or-Treat candy, there have never actually been any reports of razor blades in apples or poisoned sugary treats. There have been some strange cases that involved poisoning and Halloween candy, but not to Trick-or-Treaters. That has all been rumor.

Halloween’s predecessor, Samhain, seems to have been an ancient Celtic festival in which they lit bonfires and wore costumes to ward off ghosts. So how did this celebration turn into Halloween? The Christian movement in Ireland (thanks to ol’ St. Patrick) delivered the Samhain celebration to the converted Irish Christians. It was in the 8th century that Pope Gregory III announced November 1st as a day to honor all saints. He called it All Saints Day. Hallow, being another word for holy or saintly is commonly used. So All Hallow’s Eve is also known as All Saint’s Eve which still incorporates some of the traditions of Samhain.

Hope this post has cleared up some misnomers and mysteries you may have had surrounding the Halloween celebration. I hope you’re all getting excited to don your dreadful costumes and enjoy some scares in the coming couple of weeks! Happy Halloween, Everybody! And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Happy Groundhog Day!

February has many of us dreaming of warmer weather and the joys of summer camp. As you may already know, Groundhog Day on February 2nd is the day on which we discover whether we’ll see an early spring or get six more weeks of winter. It hasn’t proven to be the most accurate method, but we like to go based off of whether or not a small, little critter called a groundhog spots his shadow upon leaving his den early in February. However, we can’t just get the word from any ol’ groundhog. Such a prognostication must come from no common groundhog, but from none other than Punxsutawney Phil.

This annual rodent Punxsutawney Phil delivers his annual prediction in his own language, ‘groundhogese’. And his word is translated by the president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club who reveals the answer to the Vice-President and then the entire gathering of Phil’s adoring fans. So, what else do we know about this special groundhog?

Nice Duds, Classy Hats

Some fifty-some years ago, it went into effect for members of the Groundhog Club Director’s Board (the Inner Circle) that they must wear a top hat and tuxedo uniform during the annual picnic at Gobbler’s Knob. The reasoning: A figure of such importance as Punxsutawney Phil must always be greeted with a tone of respect and formality.

Not your Ordinary Groundhog

A celebrity like Punxsutawney Phil makes just one public appearance a year at the Gobbler’s Knob picnic. Where is he for the rest of the year? He lives with his wife, Phyllis, and two other friends of theirs in a heated area of the Punxsutawney Memorial Library.

Hog Nog

It is said that Punxsutawney Phil has been giving us his forecast for 133 years now. How does one, little groundhog exceed the life expectancy of a super healthy person? Well, according to legend, Punxsutawney Phil takes a swig of ‘groundhog nog’ at the Gobbler’s Knob picnic which is a magic elixir of life that extends his life another seven years with each sip.

You can learn even more about the celebration of Groundhog Day on a previous post from a few years ago which traces back the origin of the Groundhog Day celebration. Check that post out by clicking right here and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hello, Winter Lovers!

This really is a magical time of year when we gape in the beauty of the natural world as it has transformed into an absolute wonderland. Take advantage of your kid’s time off from school this winter vacation and get the family out to do something fun! Winter days don’t always call you outside the way that sunny summer days do, but once you’re out in this puffy precipitation, you’re sure to have a wonderful time!

In case you’re stalling with choices, here are just a few examples of awesome, seasonal activities you could experience with your family:

Sledding

Sledding is a great thrill in winter. Feel the cold air rush past your face as you race down a hill of crunching snow. You can head out to a hill on your own or with a group of friends—so long as you bring a sled along, it’s sure to be a blast! And, of course, hauling your sled all the way back up a hill creates a taxing exercise with irresistible incentive! 

Ice Skating

Sure, you could do an indoor rink, but, for maximum enjoyment, I would recommend taking your skating trip outside. This is a great way to spend a winter afternoon and can deliver some great exercise!

Sleigh Ride

Treat your family to the splendor of a ride in a one-horse open sleigh! The memory made is sure to last a million winters. A fantastic treat like this is sure to leave a lasting thrill for winters to come and such a cool memory to share!

So don’t let the doldrums of cabin fever settle into your household this winter. Get your family out there in the great, white outdoors and get your body movin’! And, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Folks!

- John

Happy Hanukkah, Boys and Girls!

How do you celebrate this holy day of Judaism, the religion of the Jewish community? I’ve written a number of Blog posts to explore the history and the meaning behind these honored eight days, but here are some totally new facts about Hanukkah that you maybe didn’t know. Check out these three interesting points:

Enough Sufganiyot for Everyone!

Sufganiyot is a traditional doughnut treat that folks really fill up on during this celebration! First, the doughnut is deep-fried, then filled with jam or custard, and then topped with powdered sugar. There are about 17.5 million of these oily, little doughnuts eaten in Israel and during Hanukkah. That’s a lotta doughnuts!

You'd Better be Gambling in There…

Ever wonder how the dreidel became such a popular Hanukkah tradition? Well, back in the days of Greek oppression, studying the Torah was considered illegal. When the Greeks would make surprise raids, these quick-thinking students would stash the Torah under a sheet and start rolling a dreidel as though they were playing a simple, gambling game all along. Pretty sneaky, eh?

Are You Sure it’s Supposed to be Eight Days?

Yeah. Hanukkah is celebrated over the course of eight days, but the miracle of the oil really only lasted seven, right? When the Maccabees recaptured the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, it’s true that they found a jar of oil to use that was naturally supplied to them—nothing miraculous, you might think. But including the front day in the celebration signifies that everything of the ‘natural’ world is a miracle from God.

Did you already know any of these holiday facts about the celebration of Hanukkah? We hope you learned something today! And be sure to check out our new Hanukkah print apparel that we have available for the holiday by clicking here! And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, all you good girls and boys!

Today is St. Nick’s Day—a sort of precursor to Christmas Eve in which this jolly ol’ elf makes a visit to our houses and leaves a small gift. It’s typically a bowl of ripe produce like apples and oranges and maybe a couple of tasty chocolate treats too. But I think it’s mostly just about getting kids of all ages excited about the coming Christmas visit that he’ll make!

More than 1700 years ago, before he was known as Santa Claus or he got the nickname Kris Kringle, he was known as Nicholas. As a young man who lost the both of his parents to sickness, Nicholas used his inheritance from his parents to give to the poor and help the sick people in his community.

Even in a society that rarely sought justice, Nicholas went through the trouble and risk of imprisonment in order to continue helping those in need. He even thought of sneaking on rooftops and dropping gold coins or medicine or toys down folks’ chimneys. 

Despite his deeds of goodwill—or more so because of his deeds of goodwill—St. Nicholas eventually was imprisoned. A law that claimed he could not help out his fellow man was something that he could not abide and so he rebelled against it by continuing his acts of goodwill. For this, he was made to spend 20 years in jail.

When finally released from prison, the Roman government had shifted its views on Christianity and Nicholas simply continued the life of goodwill he had started before his imprisonment. He was eventually made into a saint for his unending generosity. Since he’s never stopped his tradition of giving, to this day, girls and boys find presents magically waiting for them on Christmas morning.

Happy St. Nicholas Day and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John