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 Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 4:51 pm
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 Happy October Sparkles! The year has flown by and we are quickly approaching the Holiday boom months so, as always, to start us off with style, here is FALL with HALLOWEEN! Yay! This is not going to be a typical issue of Sparkle Motion Monthly News. As a matter of fact it's our Halloween issue Weee!
Some highlights!- And fun an insightful article on origin of Halloween By: One Witchy Woman - The always awesomely fun Avatar Talk. With your favorite Vice Captain Xena91388 - A long overdo return to VJ hosted movies. A whole Month of Halloween movie viewing for Free! - A special 3 week Guild Game " Halloween Scavenger Hunt" |
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Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 5:08 pm
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Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 6:22 pm
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Samhain: Halloween’s beginning
An Article By: One Witchy Woman
Have you ever wondered where Halloween came from? Why do we dress up, carve pumpkin, trick or treat? Well, the answer is in the beginnings of Halloween. A Pagan holiday known as Samhain.
 Samhain, which actually means “summer’s end” is a Pagan holiday celebrated by the Celtic peoples to honor and celebrate the harvest. The Celtic Pagans split their year in half, the light half (or the spring and summer) and the dark half (fall and winter). To celebrate the end of the light half of the year and ring in the dark half of the year, the Celtic Pagans would have a large harvest celebration.
Because of the changing of seasons and the switch between light and dark halves of the year it was believed that the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead was thinner. To protect themselves from evil spirits, people would walk between two bonfires. To placate and appease the dead, youngsters would dress in costumes and masks or paint themselves and impersonate the dead or frightening beings to scare away spirits that would try to take their bodies in order to live again.
 Those in ‘guises’ would go door to door and offer to entertain the occupants in exchange for treats. The houses of those that refused were often ‘entertained’ by tricks and mischief being played upon them. It was the one time of the year when the young could flout the rules of order and make mischief on their elders.
To protect their houses and those too young or old to dress up they would hollow out turnips and carve them in scary faces to ward off dark and evil spirits. However evil spirits weren’t the only ones out to play.
The spirits of loved ones past over would also come to visit. To show them respect, their living relatives would light candles to guide the spirits home and back again and often leave them offerings of sweets.
And the name, Halloween? You may wonder how the name came to be. Well, in the 16th century, the Scottish practice of shortening the name All-Hallows-Even, which was a reference to the Christian holidays of All Saint’s Day and All Souls Day, made the name Halloween popular to all. As the years passed and the cultures began to mesh these celebrations began to meld together and became known as Halloween.
And why do we use pumpkins instead of turnips? Well, when the Irish, Scottish, Welsh, and Brits (Celts) began migrating to America, pumpkin grew large and more plentiful than the smaller turnips.
 Costumes, trick or treat, and parties may not happen for them same reasons as the Pagans, but they still happen every year. We don’t try to ward off the evil spirits or feed or villages by slaughtering the weak animals from a herd, but we do go hunting, have parties, dress up, carve jack-o-lanterns, and trick or treat. Further proof that the classics never go out of style.
So this year, when your don your costumes and light your jack-o-lanterns and have your parties. When you go out into the night to trick or treat or give trick or treaters their candy, think about why after all these centuries, and through all the countries and religious upheavals we still do these things. Why do we still follow long held traditions of warding off spirits if there is no such thing? Because maybe, just maybe, those sounds and shadows you can’t explain, those things that go bump in the night are more than just your imagination. Maybe it’s something else come to call.
 Disclaimer: Sparkle Motion is not a religious organization and under no circumstances will it promote or downgrade any faith or religion in or on Gaia and it's Guilds.
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Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2010 3:33 am
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As October rolls in, we plan our costumes for the second most beloved holiday besides . . . . what ever you choose to celebrate in December. Many of us choose to go for a non-human look be it a were-wolf, a vampire, a zombie, a mummy, or any other mythical/fantastical/undead creature.
This month for Avatar Talk, I am featuring Gaia's minority races! These underloved Gaians are not given much attention except for around October when they are considered in the creation of Halloween Avatars. Will you drink a potion this October to show these Gaians some love? (Potions are available at Skin Tyte)
- Gaian Minorities - The Centaurs - These wise and intelligent equestrians are Gaia's defenders. Will you run with the herd?
    @@@@@@@ @@@@@@@ The Elves - A mystical race of Gaians, the Elves keep things all in the family. You do not want to get on their bad side! Will you call Don Kuro your Godfather?    @@@@@@@ @@@@@@@ The Imps - Appearing as either bouncy little fluffs with wings or humanoid avians, these little guys can be either devilish or angelic. Will you flock to their side?   @@@@@@@ The Orcs - These strong and silent Gaians work hard with little complaint. One of the most unloved, they are usually only used in (bad) Hulk Cosplays. Will you honor their ranks?    @@@@@@@ @@@@@@@ The Vampires - Ruled by King Louie, the youngest son of the dreaded Zhivago and brother to Ian and Gino, the vampires are a powerful and dangerous race with divided loyalty. This race is most popular among newbie Gaians with the surging popularity of Twilight. Will you bare your fangs this October?  The Zombies - While not actually a race, zombies seem to gather in packs and hordes when more than one are present and form a untied front against their opponents. Brains brains brains brains brains?  The Zurg - The single most unloved and in some cases, unknown Gaians. No one quite knows why they came to Gaia or what their agenda was. They claimed they wish to help Gaians better their lives and yet they lurked in the shadows abducting cows and people to study. The Zurg Leader made First Contact with Johnny Gambino in the Gambino Mansion on Halloween Night 2006. They have since left Gaia, deeming us "incompatible" but not before helping us with the war with the Animated. Is the truth out there?  |
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Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2010 5:47 pm
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Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:16 pm
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Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2010 5:55 pm
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Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2010 6:17 pm
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Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 9:27 am
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Fashionable Conversationalist
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Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 11:20 am
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Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 3:04 pm
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