Bit By the Bug Tuesday -- "Friendly Frankie"

 Welcome to Week 2 of...

Hello everyone.  Yes, once again I'm running late.  What else is new?!  I'm going to need to have a conversation with the 'boss' about changing the times these posts go out!!!  Then maybe they could start being on time!!!

It is LISA HERE with the second image that is part of our Too Cute To Spook Collection.  Today I bring you...

Friendly Frankie

Click HERE to get "Friendly Frankie".  Available from October 8th until October 22nd. 

After that it will be replaced with another freebie.

Until Naomi gets back into the swing of things and has a chance to put the image in the store, you can grab it straight from here.  Make sure you click on it to bring it up in the lightbox and then right click and save it to your computer.

Isn't he just the friendliest monster you've ever seen?  How could he not be happy surrounded by all the cool images that Naomi has created?!!

Origins of Hallowe'en

Some 2000 years ago, the Druids of the ancient Celtic people--from the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France--celebrated a number of holy days by having fesitivals. One of these occasions, the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in) was celebrated from October 31st to November 2nd and it is believed that the time marked the start of their new year--that day which marked the end of summer and the harvest, and the beginning of the cold dark winter.

Celtic society, like other societies of that time period, was rather structured and organized with everyone knowing their place. To keep this order ongoing, the Celts knew that the people needed a time of release--a time when order and structure were set aside so that people could let go and be free. Samhain was the perfect time to allow this freedom. For the three days of the festival, people did uncharacteristic things--men dressed as women and women as men. Pranks were pulled (plows would end up in fields far from their owners) and children would knock on neighbours’ doors for food and treats. But of course, there was a deeper meaning behind the uncharacteristic behaviour taking place.

This was a time of year that was often associated with human death. The ancient Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead became blurred. So, on the night of October 31st, when it was thought that the ghosts of the departed returned to earth to help usher those who were prepared, to journey safely to the 'other side', the Druids commemorated the occasion. It was believed that the spirits of the departed were sources of guidance and inspiration rather than sources of dread. The dead were honoured as the living spirits of loved ones and of guardians who held the basic wisdom of the tribe.

One of the ways in which Samhain was celebrated was by building huge sacred bonfires, and offering up crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic gods. During this event, the Celts wore costumes, which typically consisted of animal heads and skins, and they attempted to tell each other's fortunes. At the end of the celebration, they would return home to relight their hearth fires, which had been extinguished earlier in the evening, with fire from the sacred bonfire to help protect them and their family during the coming winter season.

By 43 A.D., the Roman Empire had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. During the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic lands, two of the Roman festivals were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain.Then in 609 A.D., Pope Boniface IV established a dedication in Rome to honor all Christian martyrs, and the Catholic feast of All Martyrs Day was established in the Western church. Then in the early to mid 700's, this feast was expanded to include all saints as well as all martyrs and the date of observance shifted from May 13 to November 1. By the 9th century the influence of Christianity had spread into the Celtic lands, where over time it blended with and then supplanted the older Celtic observances. In 1000 A.D., the Catholic church made November 2 All Souls' Day--a day to honor the dead. Unable to get people to stop celebrating this holiday, it is widely believed that the church was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of Samhain with a holiday that was related, but sanctioned by the church. Not only did the purpose of the festivals match but so did the length and some of the customs. All Souls Day was celebrated with big bonfires, parades, and people dressed up in costumes as saints, angels and devils. The All Saints Day celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas and the night before it, which was the traditional night of the Celtic Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve. This eventually morphed into what we know today as the celebration of Hallowe'en.

Stay tuned next week when we continue to learn more about this unique holiday.

Now let's check out what two of our DT came up with to showcase Naomi's funky Friendly Frankie...

 

Hee, hee!  I love the touch of humour that she added to this week's card.  You can check out the details of this creation over on Jen's blog Krafty Keepsakes.

 

Vicky has done a great job with her first official DT card.  Check out all that texture and depth and especially those googly eyes.  Also, that stand of hers is pretty freaking cool too!  You can check out the details of this project over on Vicky's blog Crafting Vicky. 

Sneak peek guesses...

Well there was no fooling you guys this week.  The three people who offered up guesses all got them correct.  So, D~, Fit Kitty and Kimberly Goodman, all three of you are entitled to a Hallowe'en goody or two as soon as I decide what I am doing and then make it.  Yeah, I'm behind in more than just this post this week.  Hopefully by the end of the week I'll have it ready.  In the interim, you can send me an email by clicking HERE with the title 'CBD Sneak Peek Guess:  Friendly Frankie' in the subject line.  As soon as it is finished, I'll pop it into an email for you!

DON'T FORGET...

 there is still time to sign up for your chance to win Naomi's latest new release:  The Pumpkin Kins!  Click HERE to find out how.

Now just before I go, how about another Hallowe'en joke...

 Q:  Have you seen Quasimodo? 

A:  I have a hunch he's back!

(source:  http://www.enchantedlearning.com/nosuchfile.htm) 

Well, it is time for me to crawl into bed peeps.  Once again I'm sorry the post is a couple hours late going out and I also apologize if I've missed any spelling or grammar errors.  While I did proof it, given that it is 6:30 am and my eyes have started crossing, I'm not sure I caught all my mistakes.

I hope you all come back and see me on Saturday when I show a sneak peek of the next image coming out of Naomi's workshop.

Until then, have a great week everyone!

References 
Author Unknown. (1996-2013). Halloween. Available: http://www.history.com/topics/halloween. Last accessed 8th Oct. 2013.
Author Unknown. (Date Unknown). Halloween around the world. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween_around_the_world. Last accessed 8th Oct. 2013.
Author Unknown. (1995-2013). Halloween in Canada. Available: http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/canada/halloween. Last accessed 8th Oct. 2013.
Banville, Sean . (2009). Esl Listening Exercises. Available: http://www.eslholidaylessons.com/10/halloween.html. Last accessed 8th Oct. 2013.
Bonewits, Isaac . (1997, 2006 c.e.). The Ancient Celtic Fire Festivals. Available: http://www.neopagan.net/Halloween-Origins.html. Last accessed 8th Oct. 2013.