Gifts – Salem Happenings

Shop for Charity This Holiday Season

If you’ve been reading my posts from the past couple of weeks, you may have noticed that there is sort of a theme developing. This theme is, of course, charity, and with the Christmas season rapidly approaching, there is probably no better time to explore a sense of giving than now. In fact, with all of the events happening in the world around us, there is certainly no shortage of individuals who could use a hand. Fortunately, if you would like to try to alleviate some of the “darkness” around you, there are a number of ways that you can lend a hand to your friends, families, and communities this holiday season.

One of the easiest ways that you can help others this season, however, is to shop. Yes, you read that right. Shop. You see, there are a number of vendors who will actually donate some of their sales to various charities in order to not only help others but also to encourage you to buy more products from them. As a result, you may be able to support your favorite charity and get your holiday shopping done at the same time by using sites like Amazon Smile, which will give the charity of your choice 0.5% of everything you spend on Amazon. This means that you can actually help a local, national, or international charity without spending anything more than what you would normally spend on gifts this year anyway.

Some of the other major retailers that give a portion of your purchase to charity include Target (5% of their profits are donated to charitable organizations), Macy’s (approximately 7 – 8% of their profits are donated to charitable organizations each year), Walmart (they give hundreds of millions of dollars to charitable organizations each year in the form of grants), and a number of other companies that try to give back each time you make a purchase through their brick and mortar stores, their own websites, and/or websites like Shop2Care.

Photo credit: FutUndBeidl via Visual Hunt / CC BY

Superstitions and Their Origins: Part IV

With Christmas only two weeks away, I figured it was a good time to discuss some of the superstitions surrounding the holiday. As a result, if you’ve ever wondered why we hang mistletoe, where this Krampus guy came from, or why some people feel it is necessary to give gifts to carolers, then you’ve come to the right place.

9. Mistletoe: It is bad luck to refuse a kiss from anyone that has asked you for a kiss while you’re standing under mistletoe.
Origin: There is some question as to exactly when the association between mistletoe and kissing first appeared, but there is no question that mistletoe has been associated with fertility since ancient times. In fact, the Ancient Celts believed that mistletoe could be used in a number of rituals to cure infertility and strengthen the body. This belief stood the test of time quite well, as the idea that mistletoe could somehow make people healthier was extremely popular throughout the Middle Ages. However, it wasn’t until the mid-1800s (long after people started to use mistletoe to decorate their homes) that the working class of England started to use mistletoe in an interesting game.

You see, kissing games like spin the bottle are not actually a new thing. They have been around for quite some time, but the way that society views these games has changed drastically over the years. Originally, kissing games were seen as an acceptable form of courtship or, in other words, a way for two people to get to know each other a little better without getting themselves into too much trouble. As a result, these games were typically viewed as harmless fun, and many people believed that they might even help young people find their future spouses. Kissing games were extremely popular during the Victorian period, which took place from 1837 to 1901, and it should, therefore, come as no great surprise that a plant that had long been associated with fertility, vitality, and all of the other things that go with those attributes, would become the perfect excuse for a kissing game.

10. Krampus: While Santa brings gifts to children who have been good around Christmas time, Krampus comes to punish children who have not been very nice.
Origin: Krampus has been growing in popularity very quickly in the United States and the world as a whole. In fact, Krampus has appeared in artwork, cartoons, comic books, movies, video games, television shows, and a whole lot more. However, even though Krampus is suddenly becoming a mainstream phenomenon, the legend of Krampus has actually been around since at least the 1600s and creatures like Krampus can be traced all the way back to ancient times. Enkidu in the Epic of Giglamesh, the beast that King Nebuchadnezzar becomes in the Book of Daniel, the Devil himself in virtually every depiction, and a number of other similar figures that resemble beasts or wild men have regularly been used as a means of frightening people into behaving in a certain manner.

Krampus is, of course, no different, as this hairy, devil-like beast with horns and hoofs originally started as a counterpart to St. Nicholas who would deal with all of the children that didn’t deserve gifts. The people of Austria, Italy, Germany, and many other alpine nations regularly told their children to behave or Krampus would steal them away in the night and commit no end of horrible acts to them. These stories were eventually incorporated into widespread parades and celebrations that carry on to this day. These celebrations, known as krampusnacht or Krampus Night, take place on December 5th (the day before the Feast of Saint Nicholas) and feature people dressed up as devils, wild men, and all manner of evil creature. Yet, even though these celebrations and the legends of Krampus began centuries ago, Krampus is becoming ever more popular as more and more people disenfranchised by the over commercialization of Christmas look for alternatives to some of the more traditional celebrations.

11. Carolers and Gifts: It is bad luck to let a caroler or a group of carolers leave without first offering them a gift.
Origin: Christmas caroling has existed in one form or another since the time of the Roman Empire, but the tradition of giving gifts to carolers didn’t actually appear until the mid-1800s. During the reign of Queen Victoria (also known as the Victorian period), it became a common practice for small groups of people to go wassailing by singing or, in other words, go door-to-door singing in order to spread good cheer and wish their neighbors well (wassailing has existed for millennia, but singing wassailers weren’t very common until the 1800s.)

However, some of the neighbors that these carolers sung to felt that they had to give the carolers something to reward their kindness. As a result, many neighbors began to share some of their food, drink, or money with the carolers as a way to pay for their songs, and this eventually became a tradition. In fact, the song “Here We Come-A-Wassailing” is actually about this tradition and the carolers’ hope that they may receive a gift in exchange for their good wishes. The idea that it is bad luck to let a caroler leave without a gift is ultimately based on this tradition, and it is very similar to the idea of stiffing a bellhop, a valet, or another similar individual who might consider you to be a cheapskate.

Want to learn more about superstitions and their origins? Check back next week for the final part of 13 Superstitions and Their Origins!

Photo credit: ekelly89 via Foter.com / CC BY

Works Consulted

“Christmas Superstitions.” Superstitions Online. Superstitions Online, 13 Dec. 2009. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

Cooper, James. “The History of Christmas Carols.” whychristmas?com. James Cooper, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

“Who’s Krampus? The XMAS Devil.” Krampus.com. Krampus.com, 2013. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

Oloffson, Kristi. “Christmas Caroling.” Time Magazine. Time Inc., 21 Dec. 2009. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

Wikipedia contributors. “Christmas carol.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 9 Dec. 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

Wikipedia contributors. “Krampus.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 9 Dec. 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

Wikipedia contributors. “Mistletoe.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 4 Dec. 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

Wikipedia contributors. “Ritual of oak and mistletoe.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 24 Aug. 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

Wikipedia contributors. “Victorian era.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 9 Dec. 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

Superstitions and Their Origins: Part III

Have you ever heard of a Christmas Crow? Well, if you haven’t, don’t worry. You’re not alone. In fact, I had never heard of a Christmas Crow until I started researching superstitions for this series. However, there is in fact an interesting superstition (if you can call it that) related to crows and gifts, and if you would like to know more about this superstition and some of the other superstitions surrounding these black-feathered creatures, all you have to do is keep reading.

6. Crows and Gifts: Some people believe that if you feed a crow and treat it kindly, the crow will actually reward you by bringing you small gifts (especially around Christmastime.)
Origin: It’s not completely clear when the association with crows and gifts first appeared, but it is most likely a modern development. In fact, while some ancient cultures believed that crows were divine messengers, most cultures did not view crows in a very favorable light (see the other two superstitions in this post for more on the reputation of crows.) However, there were some cultures, including the Ancient Greeks, which believed that crows and ravens could actually bring good luck, and this belief may have served as a foundation for the “Christmas Crow”.

The belief that crows will actually reward you for being kind to them is probably a more recent development though because there is no clear reference to crows giving gifts before the late 1900’s, and the association between crows and gifts appears to have really taken hold within the last 5 to 10 years. Yet, the strangest thing about this superstition and the thing that really has given it a life of its own did not occur until this year because the truly bizarre thing about this “superstition” is that it may actually be true. Research has indicated that the American Crow is an extremely intelligent animal that has a fascination with shiny objects and the ability to distinguish different humans from one another based on their facial features. As a result, it wouldn’t be a problem in the least for a crow to pick up some shiny objects and bring them to a human that had been kind to the crow in the past. In fact, it has actually happened.

You see, an 8-year old girl in Seattle, who used to regularly drop her food on the ground outside by accident (like most young children) acquired quite the fan club. A group of crows that really liked all of the food that she dropped began to wait around her house for her to come home so that they could eat any food that she spilled. Eventually, the young girl, enjoying the attention from her newfound friends, began to deliberately feed the crows on a daily basis, and the crows became so attached to the young girl that they would leave a shiny bead, an earring, a piece of metal, a polished rock, or another similar trinket each time they took the food that the girl left. The most amazing thing, however, is that the crows actually recovered a camera lens cap that the young girl’s mother lost in an alley across town, washed the lens cap in the bird fountain, and left it for the young girl and her mother to find.

7. Crows and Bad Luck: A single crow is considered to be bad luck (especially near a church), but more than three crows is considered to be an extremely bad omen. In fact, some believe that the closer the crows are to your home, the more likely it is that someone near you is about to die.
Origin: Crows have been considered to be the harbingers of war, death and darkness since ancient times. In fact, the Celts, Danes, Greeks, Romans, Swedes, and just about everyone else thought that these black birds were bad luck and a sign that death was on its way (either due to the belief that the crows were a bad omen or due to the belief that they were the very servants of death themselves.) A lot of the fear surrounding crows comes from the fact that crows are hard to see at night (they have dark colored feathers after all), and they’re not very picky about what they eat. This is because crows are actually a carrion bird, so they have no problem eating something whether it is alive or dead and decaying. As a result, their rather creepy eating habits, their dark appearance, and their tendency to eat the crops of hardworking farmers have earned them a reputation as creatures of death and disaster.

8. The Crow’s Caw and Murder: A single crow flying over a house, a single crow inside a house, or a crow cawing is considered to be a sign that someone nearby may be about to suffer a violent and/or unexpected death, especially if the cawing seems to be coming from far away.
Origin: As I mentioned above, crows have been associated with death since ancient times largely because of their dark appearance, their somewhat unusual taste in food, and the level of devastation they can cause to crops and livestock (which may, in turn, lead to the death of the people the farms serve through starvation.) However, the crow’s association with murder actually arose sometime during the 15th century when a number of scholars began to create specific terms to describe specific groups of animals. The term used to describe a group of crows was actually a murder, and while the exact origin of the term is unknown, it was probably related to the crow’s reputation as a harbinger of death. According to the Word Detective, the origin of the term may have also been related to the level of intelligence that crows have shown as they are considered to be incredibly intelligent animals capable of using tools, capable of using past experiences to anticipate behavior, capable of recognizing specific humans by their facial features, and capable of communicating their past experiences to other crows at a later time by cawing. If there were ever an animal (other than a human of course) with the skills necessary to carry out a murder, it would be a crow.

Dying to learn more about superstitions and their origins? Part IV of 13 Superstitions and Their Origins will appear next week!

Photo credit: wolfpix / Foter.com / CC BY-ND

Works Consulted

Morris, Evan. “Murder of Crows, etc.” The Word Detective. Evan Morris. 22 Feb. 2009. Web. 4 Dec. 2015.

Nosowitz, Dan. “Seattle Girl Befriends Neighborhood Crows, Making Bird Lovers Everywhere Jealous.” Audubon.org. National Audubon Society, 2 Mar. 2015. Web. 4 Dec. 2015.

Sewall, Katy. “The Girl Who Gets Gifts from Birds.” BBC News. BBC. 25 Feb. 2015. Web. 4 Dec. 2015.

Wikipedia contributors. “Corvus (genus).” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 3 Dec. 2015. Web. 4 Dec. 2015.

‘Tis the Season for Cookies and Crafts

Christmas Eve is only two weeks away, which means no matter which holiday you celebrate, time is running out fast. In fact, if you or your friends celebrate Chanukah, time has pretty much run out already as the celebration begins at sundown on Tuesday. This means that if you haven’t found gifts for everybody on your list yet, you may be looking for some not quite last minute, but pretty close to the end ideas. Fortunately, if this is indeed the case and you’re trying to cross a few more names off your holiday list, there are a couple of awesome events this weekend that are sure to help you find presents for all of the people and/or pets in your life.

First, if you’re searching for the perfect gift for the cookie-lover in your life, the Girl Scouts of America have you covered. This is because the Girl Scout Cookie Sale actually begins today, which means that if you know someone who just can’t live without their Thin Mints ®, Caramel Delights®, Peanut Butter Patties®, Lemonades™, Cranberry Citrus Crisps, or any of the multitude of other Girl Scout cookies out there, all you need to do is find a local Girl Scout troop. Now, finding a local troop can be easier said than done in some cases, but the Girl Scouts have actually already thought of that. In fact, if you’re having trouble finding a local troop, you may want to try out the Girl Scout Cookie Finder because this handy little website (or app) will allow you to put in your information and a local troop will find you. For more information on the Girl Scout Cookie sale, including all of the cookies that are available, please visit the Girl Scouts of America website.

Secondly, if your loved one is a fan of handcrafted gifts and you can’t make it to any of the craft fairs that I mentioned last week (which with the exception of CraftBoston are still running), there is another local fair that you may want to check out. The 11th Annual SoWa Holiday Market is scheduled to take place from 11:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. on Saturday (December 13, 2014) and 11:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. on Sunday (December 14, 2014) at the Benjamin Franklin Institute on Berkeley Street in Boston. This holiday fair will feature candy, cards, candles, ceramics, clothing, coffee, glassware, jewelry, and more. For more information on the SoWa Holiday Market, please visit the SoWa Holiday Market website.

Photo credit: JD Hancock / Foter / CC BY

Girl Scouts ®, Thin Mints ®, Caramel Delights®, Peanut Butter Patties®, Lemonades™, and all associated names and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Girl Scouts of the USA.

Friday Fun: Harvard Square

Black Friday may be over, but the holiday season has just begun. As a result, almost every mall, plaza, and independently-owned store will be filled with people who are still desperately trying to find gifts for all of the hard-to-shop-for friends and family that they didn’t cross off their list last weekend. Unfortunately, with the forecasters predicting rain followed by a significant temperature drop, it’s probably not going to the best weather to be wandering around looking for gifts. However, if you are determined to get some shopping done this weekend or you’re just looking for a way to have some fun without your extremities getting too frosty, Harvard Square is definitely the place to be.

First, if you’re looking for a way to stay warm while you’re shopping, Yelp Shops Local is hosting a Hot Cocoa Crawl in Harvard Square tonight (December 6, 2013) from 5:30 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. This event will give you the opportunity to try some of the best hot chocolate around and includes stops at Algiers Coffee House, Black Ink, Cardullo’s Gourmet Shoppe, Crema Cafe, and LA Burdicks. For more information on the event and to find out more about the exact times that the Yelp crew will be in each shop, please visit the Hot Cocoa Crawl in Harvard Square’s Yelp page.

Once you’re done with your hot chocolate or if you just want to skip the hot chocolate and get straight to the shopping, you can head over to the Harvard Square Holiday Fair. The Harvard Square Holiday Fair, which is hosted by the First Parish Church, is a craft fair that will give you a chance to peruse and, as far as the vendors are concerned, hopefully purchase a wide assortment of handmade calendars, cards, clothing, jewelry, pottery, and other similar holiday gifts. For more information on the holiday fair, which runs every weekend until Christmas, please visit the official Harvard Square website.

Photo credit: stefg74 / Foter.com / CC BY