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There are few characters in the world quite so well known as the witch. From the time we are children we’re terrified and dazzled by the powers they possess. Whether it is the old crone and her broomstick or the beautiful good witch with her wand, everyone knows that no Halloween costume party is complete without some kind of witch in attendance.

But when did this fascination begin, and how has it evolved to become the current image of the Halloween witch? There are stories and legends involving witches that date back to medieval times when Europe was overrun with a great fear of witches.  It was believed that these practitioners of magic were able to do things that were unnatural to affect other people or their property against their will. Many women were persecuted and tortured as witches. They were blamed for natural disasters or sicknesses that befell their villages and were consequently burned at the stake as punishment.

Generally, we’re told now that it was wise-women who bore the brunt of the fear and hatred of others. Women who had knowledge of herbs and healing techniques were often respected for what they could do, yet that respect often carried with it a certain degree of fear as well. Such magical arts were rarely understood by those who did not study them, so the witch’s abilities seemed supernatural, and anything supernatural was to be feared. Therefore when something bad would happen it was quite easy for that mild fear to turn to blame. As the religions of Christianity and Islam began to grow, it became widely accepted that witches were minions of the Devil, fooling people with their supposedly good works in order to later steal their souls.

Looking back on these claims now only increases the allure of the image of the witch, because it enhances the mystery surrounding who they really were and what they could honestly do. Were they truly innocents who were unjustly accused, or were they vicious, conniving women who enchanted and tricked people to get what they wanted? Did they really communicate with the dead or do the devil’s bidding? What control did they possess over the world around them? Could they defy gravity and fly on broomsticks across the moonlit sky? Which are just stories and which legends are actually steeped in truth? We are left with so many questions in regards to these figures that it is inevitable for a bit of fear to mingle in our perception of them.

This uneasiness with the idea of the witch has more or less molded the image that we hold today of the old woman with green skin and a long nose sporting a hairy mole somewhere on her face. It was common, even before movies began to portray witches in this manner, to depict them in stories as haggard old ladies with no teeth, hunched over, with scraggly hair. A story was always considered to be more frightening when the antagonist was ugly or otherwise repulsive. It is believed that the green skin of the witch actually evolved from the 1939 movie “The Wizard of Oz”, in which the Wicked Witch of the West had a green skin tone, lending even more to her appearance the feeling of something unnatural.

Some might believe that witches are only associated with Halloween because they are scary, but this is not the case. In fact, it was witches and other pagans who are mostly responsible for bringing Halloween or All Hallows Even into existence at all. October 31^st and April 30^th are both celebrated by the pagans as holidays. The celebrations revolve around the changing of the seasons. Samhain, which is the pagan celebration that takes place on Halloween, is associated with death (and therefore fear) because it is the end of the summer. It signifies the time that the earth will be entering the cold season of sleep. Beltane, celebrated on the last of April, is the observance of the earth returning to life. Coincidentally, in some countries in Europe, like Sweden, children are known to dress up as witches on Easter, rather than Halloween and go from door to door trick or treating.

There is a great deal of history and meaning behind the current connection between Halloween and the witch. Even though the witch is no longer considered to be evil just because she is a witch, that small touch of doubt in her intentions is always enough to maintain a special spark of uncertainty that keeps us wondering. She is the perfect symbol for Halloween.

If Halloween is the holiday which celebrates the autumn season, and all the spooky associations that the end of the year, the shortening of the days, and the withering of summer’s life has, then Easter is in many ways its opposite. Celebrating the fresh life and brightness of Spring, Easter is a cheerful holiday, which most people think of in terms of colorful flowers, chocolates, brilliantly-colored Easter eggs, and, of course, that light-hearted icon of life’s renewal, the Easter Bunny.

Whether Americans are religious or secular, there are a lot of traditions that many families observe when Easter arrives. Making Easter eggs is one of the most popular traditions, and the one most recognizable. There’s no doubt that a colorful Easter egg, decorated in red, yellow, white, blue, black, and other vibrant colors in stripes, dots, and zig-zags, is a beautiful object and is a cheerful symbol of the time. Some people make their own Easter eggs, dyeing or painting actual eggs or egg-shaped forms bought from hobby and craft shops. This can be a lot of fun if everyone participates, and the eggs look great to those who made them, even if they wouldn’t win a beauty contest against a Faberge egg.

Alternately, many people buy pre-painted plastic Easter eggs. Many of these can be opened so they can be filled with chocolates and other treats, for the Easter egg hunt that often follows the painting or viewing of the eggs. The trade-off, of course, is that the eggs aren’t as unique as those you’ve made yourself.

Easter Egg hunts are an eagerly-awaited part of Springtime fun for many kids across America. Lots of families stage their own Easter egg hunts, with parents hiding eggs in every nook and cranny of the yard and house, and their children then enjoying a playful Easter Sunday searching for the colorful eggs. There are also official Easter egg hunts, of which the egg hunt at the White House is only the most famous.  Schools, local governments, and churches all organize egg hunts for kids of various ages.

Americans also engage in Easter egg rolls — again, the White House’s is the most famous but not the only one. An egg roll is a fun competition where kids roll eggs over a lawn using long-handled spoons, sticks, or whatever other implement seems most useful for it. The federal edition of the event includes people dressed as the Easter Bunny and many speeches as well.

Special food is also used to mark the Easter holiday by Americans. Hot cross buns are a perennial favorite because of the cross symbol that is associated with Jesus and His resurrection, but there is also a traditional dish made out of baked ham, vegetables, and potatoes.

Since Easter is a major Christian holiday, many people attend dawn services specially arranged on Easter Sunday morning. At the opposite end of the scale from the spiritual, the sensual extravaganza of Mardi Gras is held during the Easter season in New Orleans and other American cities.

The Easter Bunny is this season’s equivalent of Santa Claus — a good-natured rabbit who, in folklore and legend, lays colorful eggs to symbolize fertility and rebirth. The Easter Bunny is a pagan symbol from antiquity — the hare of the goddess Eostre — but has become a fluffy, amusing mascot for the year’s most lighthearted, cheerful holiday.

Miley Cyrus is the daughter of 80′s one hit wonder Billy Ray Cyrus whose single “Achy Breaky Heart” was one of the most well known singles of the decade and is still used as a pop culture reference today.  In 2009 Miley Cyrus was named number 29 on Time’s list of the most influential people in the world. Time magazine named her not just because as a teenager she made more than $25 million in one year but also because of the influence that she holds over teen culture and trends. She is known for setting fashion trends and influencing the fashion and purchasing choices of the millions of teen girls who watch her perform as Hannah Montana.

Miley Cyrus is most well known for playing secret pop star Hannah Montana who is a superstar singer by night wearing a blonde wig and with a smart, urban, starlet style and is a normal teenage girl by day going to school and having adventures with her friends.  The show became a smash hit, and an album of songs from the show sung by Cyrus hit number one almost instantly. Miley does perform as herself and has released her own albums under her own name that have been wildly successful, with her single Party in the USA hitting number one almost immediately upon release. Disney announced this year that the Hannah Montana show would be ending in 2011 after just four seasons, but having performed as Hannah from the beginning, mounting numerous concert tours as her alter ego and starring in a feature film as Hannah Montana Miley Cyrus is ready to take a break and start following new opportunities.

The Hannah Montana feature film mirrored Cyrus’ own life and had the famous secret star wondering if she should choose to give up her stardom and return to a normal life or embrace her star status and delve more deeply into a musical career. Interviews with Miley Cyrus revealed that the star had grappled with those issues in her own life and had a tough time finding the right balance between performing as her alter ego Hannah Montana and retaining her own identity and goals.

Miley’s parents have tried to keep her grounded in normalcy so that she doesn’t fall into the trap of drugs and alcohol like so many other teen stars do when their shows end. Born and raised near Nashville, TN  both of her parents have tried to instill in the star small town values despite her huge Hollywood success.  Her godmother, another famous Tennessee native Dolly Parton, acts as a mentor and career advisor to Miley and Miley often speaks in interviews of her close relationship with Dolly. Hopefully Mily Cyrus will be able to make the transition from teen pop sensation to serious actress and musician without some of the blunders of other pop sensations like Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, or even Britney Spears.  She has already proven that she has the talent to be a major player, only time will tell if she can build a lasting career for herself.

Renaissance costumes are always a lot of fun for Halloween. If you want to really get the chance to live as someone else for a night dressing up in Renaissance costumes is a great way to transform yourself into a denizen of the past for an evening.  Renaissance costumes usually contain replicas of styles worn during the Renaissance period but are not usually made with historical accuracy in mind. If you want a historically accurate Renaissance costume you can create your own by doing research into costuming or you can rent a costume from a prop house or costume rental store. If you don’t want to spend a fortune on a costume you can choose from a wide range of fun and sexy Renaissance style costumes including:

The Wench – Wenches are low class women who weren’t as refined as the ladies of the court would have been. Most wench costumes consist of an off the shoulder white peasant blouse, some type of vest or girdle around the waist that is usually brightly colored, and long sweeping skirts and petticoats. The skirts are usually dark colored and the petticoats are usually white.  If you want to customize your Wench costume you can sew some ribbon or trim onto the skirt or the edge of the petticoat.  Simple shoes or clogs and a long wig, usually blonde, are the crowing touches on a fun Wench costume.

The Lady – Ladies of the Renaissance wore elaborate gowns that can be a lot of fun to dress up in.  A Lady’s dress would start with layers of petticoats or a hoop and a corset under an elaborate two piece dress. The top of the dress has a lot of lace and the center panel of the top is usually done in a contrasting color or has some type of decoration on it. The skirt should be long enough to touch the ground, since it was considered scandalous for a woman to show her ankles or any of her leg.  A tiara or head piece is commonly worn with a Renaissance dress although ladies may wish to braid their hair over the top of their heads instead.

The Knight – For men a Knight’s costume is always a fun Halloween costume that will impress the Ladies of the court.  A chain mail shirt and helmet, or a long tunic with trim worn over tight fitting pants and tall leather boots are both appropriate for a Knight’s costume.  Don’t forget to complete the costume with a sword and a cloak.

Jester – Another fun Renaissance costume for either men or women is the Court Jester. Jesters were the clowns of the their day so their costumes are usually brightly colored and have lots of decorations on them including bells on the pointy toed shoes that go with the costume and bells on the pointy hat that is a must have item for a Court Jester. Jesters were usually acrobats and so any clothing normally worn by acrobats can also be added to a Jester costume to make it easier to move and perform tricks in.

The fascination with vampires as sympathetic creatures in popular culture really began with Bela Lugosi’s portrayal of Dracula in the 1931 film.  For the first time the film created an image of a vampire that was sexy, sympathetic, romantic, and desirable. Previously vampires were reviled and feared as ghoulish creatures that killed indiscriminately and were dangerous.  Once the face of the vampire changed to become something attractive the danger associated with vampires seemed intriguing, and drew people towards the image instead of repelling them.  Through movies and books vampires became came figures that millions of people could relate to because of their outsider status in society and their loneliness.

Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicle series cemented the sexy, sympathetic image of a vampire. The vampires in Rice’s books were attractive, wealthy, ruthless killers who nonetheless clung to humanity. They had human emotions and were very dark, seductive, and enticing. Ann Rice’s books, and the film adaptations of her books Interview with the Vampire and The Queen of the Damned made vampires romantic figures that were attractive both because of their power and because of their pain.  Around the turn of the last century the vampire mythos changed again as vampires went mainstream in movies like Underworld.  Vampires were portrayed as strong, savvy, killers who were not to be messed with but had a distinctly seductive edge to them.  When Stephanie Myers Twilight books came out, and the movies based on the books were released, the image of vampires in popular culture became softer, and the view of vampires once again became a sympathetic one.

The lead vampire in Twilight, Edward Cullen, is non threatening to Bella, and is not sexual with her which is a distinct change in the vampire characterization that has always existed in pop culture. Vampires have always been closely tied to sexuality in pop culture. The other massive pop culture phenomenon that features Vampires, True Blood, turned the vampire mythos on its ear by creating a world in which vampires live and interact with humans in the open, instead of having to hide in the shadows. Vampires in True Blood rarely feed on humans, instead they feed with a synthetic blood substitute. Taking away the most central role of a vampire as a predator who needs to feed on human blood has renewed public fascination with vampires because they are no longer as threatening.  Even people who never cared for vampire stories before became avid fans of True Blood because of the unique interactions between humans and vampires portrayed in the show.

At the core of the vampire mystique is a glorification of the darker side of human nature. The desires for sex, power, and the ability to live forever outside of society and not being bound to society’s rules are desires that most people keep hidden and only express through things like dressing up for Halloween or at other times during the year.  Vampires are much like humans, only they are not ashamed of their darker drives and live as they please. That is why vampires are always appealing to humans.

Get in the Spirit of Valentine’s Day with a Sexy Costume

Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to inject some new life into your love life. Choosing a sexy costume and planning a special evening for your sweetheart is a great way to show your special someone how much you appreciate them. Valentine’s Day is one of the few days outside of Halloween when you can really transform into someone else and live out a few fantasies. Valentine’s Day is an indulgent holiday full of gifts, rich food, and usually a lot of alcohol. This year skip the dinner at the fancy restaurant and have dinner at home with your valentine dressed in a sexy costume, or have a Valentine’s Day costume party for all your friends in couples. Finding the right Valentine’s Day costume is easy, if you put your imagination to work. Here are some fun and sexy Valentine’s Day costumes that will inspire you to make Valentine’s Day a night your partner won’t forget:

Sexy cheerleader – If your valentine is a football fan you can’t go wrong with a sexy cheerleader costume. Don’t forget to add accessories like a blonde wig to your costume to make the fantasy complete. If you don’t know that much about football do a little research on your valentine’s favorite team and make up a little cheer to perform. To add ambience to the room put up some NFL posters or decorate the room with pennants and other memorabilia from his favorite team. Watch a game with him, cheering at the appropriate times, and then get ready for some real fireworks.

Naughty nurse- Does your valentine need a dose of romance? Deliver it in a fun and naughty nurse costume.  Don’t forget to add important accessories like a stethoscope, nurse’s hat, and some stilettos to complete the costume.  Add a medical bag full of goodies or fun toys and you’ll be all set to make a romantic house call to your someone special. Red fake nails and a cute bob wig either in white or in another fun color are great additions to a nurse costume too.

Cute Cupid – If you want to deliver a sweet surprise this Valentine’s Day dress up as an adorable cupid. A white toga mini dress or a pink tutu are both great for a Cupid costume, just don’t forget the bow and heart tipped arrows.  Fun stockings adorned with pink hearts, red lips, or little bows are always a great accessory.  Feathery wings in white, pink, or silver add a great touch of whimsy to any Cupid costume.

Dominatrix – If you want to really surprise your valentine this year take control of the romance in a sexy dominatrix costume. A black vinyl dress or a stern looking bustier and skirt will show him you mean business.  Make sure that you add fun accessories like black gloves, a cat tail whip, thigh high stiletto boots or stiletto heels and a bobbed wig to really  transform yourself for the night. Fishnet stockings or thigh high seamed stockings are also a nice addition, and don’t forget the red lipstick.

Costumes for Christmas is a tradition that goes back for years.

Maybe this is the year to start a tradition with that great Santa Claus outfit.

More Santa Claus costumes

There is a clearance sale at http://www.SpiritHalloween.com

Everything Halloween is on sale.  The costumes are on sale through November 15.

Nintendo put out one of the first popular gaming consoles but was overshadowed by the arrival of technologically advanced game consoles in the first part of the decade. Nintendo fought back with one of the most popular video game consoles of all time, the Wii.  These days kids love playing Wii but their parents probably  played their first video games on one of the early Nintendo gaming systems that only played one game or had clunky game cartridges. Originally Nintendo was a playing card company that had relatively good success for many decades. As card games became less and less popular with the public the company started to flounder. In the early 70s when the company was in real danger of going under developers started working on electronic game consoles, joysticks, and video games.  In the early 80s Nintendo dropped all its other products to concentrate on developing new video games.

Video game characters are great Halloween costumes and can be a great way to come up with family costume ideas.  Nintendo game characters from both the early days of Nintendo gaming and today’s current Nintendo smash hit the Nintendo Wii can be the basis for many different fun character costumes.  Kids today might not have grown up playing Super Mario Brothers, but it’s a good bet that their parents did.  Super Mario Brothers costumes are still popular for Halloween because Mario and Luigi are now classic gaming characters who are widely known.  ( Mario Bros.Mario Adult Costume ) Here are some other great ideas for Halloween costumes based on Nintendo characters:

Yoshi – In addition to Mario and Luigi costumes Yoshi costumes from the Super Mario Brothers are very popular.  To make your Yoshi costume a real hit start practicing your flutter jump and trying to copy Yoshi’s unique speech pattern so that you stay in character all night.

Donkey Kong – Old school gamers will love dressing up as Donkey Kong, the original video game bad boy. Even though Donkey Kong was originally a character in the Super Mario and Mario Brothers games he was spun off into his own series of more than 20 games.  If you are going out Trick or Treating with your kids have one of your kids dress as Donkey Kong Jr and one dress as Mario to have a fun family Halloween theme.

Princess Zelda – In the Legend of Zelda series of games Zelda gets into trouble in many adventures. She was one of the first major female video game characters and was the role model for many of today’s female characters. In the Legend of Zelda series she is usually rescued by Link, her longtime suitor, who fights the evil Ganon for Zelda’s freedom time after time.

Pokemon characters – Pokemon is still wildly popular with kids and the characters and species from the Pokeman games make great Halloween costumes.  Pokemon costumes usually need a lot of accessories in order to pull off the complete look so don’t forget wigs, makeup and other accessories that will transform you or your child into a beloved Pokemon character.

Food costumes are a great way to dress up in a unique way on Halloween.  Everyone loves elaborate costumes that really stand out and food costumes always make a statement. There are food costumes for couples like Salt and Pepper, Milk and Cookies, Cereal and Milk, and many others.  If you want to go solo there are plenty of food costumes to choose from.

Food costumes are excellent choices for small children.  Toddlers and infants food costumes are easy to assemble and accessorize. Since food costumes for kids usually have bunting or a onesie as the basis of the costume combines with some type of hood  children’s food costumes are perfect if you’re taking your child out Trick or Treating and are worried about your child getting cold.  If you want to make your Halloween party really unique this year have a gourmet food theme party and ask everyone to come as their favorite gourmet food or ingredient. Or, you can have a fast food party and have people dress as their favorite fast food. The possibilities to have fun with food costumes are practically limitless. Here are a few of the most popular food costumes this year:

Taco – Taco costumes for adults and kids are colorful and easy to wear for a night of partying or trick or treating.  The Taco costume looks elaborate but it’s easy to wear. Made from a light foam material so that you won’t get tired wearing it around all night. Don’t forget to accessorize it with a sombrero and carry a few sour cream packets in your pockets to give out instead of candy.

Hot dog- Hot dog costumes are classic for Halloween parties.  You can incorporate your own unique style with a hot dog costume by wearing tights and slippers in mustard yellow, relish green, or tomato red with the costume to contribute to the overall effect. Get your spouse or a friend to dress up as a baseball fan and stick close together all night for a fun twist on both costumes.

Fruit- Fruit costumes like watermelon, apples, pumpkins, bananas and strawberries are great for Halloween. Get a bunch of your friends to dress as fruit and go out on Halloween as a fruit salad. Or, one person can go as a slice of watermelon and others can go as seeds. Get creative! There are hundreds of ways to have fun with food costumes.

Chili Pepper- Another very popular food Halloween costume for adults or kids is the chili pepper costume. Chili pepper kids costumes are great for infants because their feet will be covered all night and you won’t have to worry about where their shoes and socks are. Bring a baby sling or a baby carrier though or you might get tired carrying the baby around all night.

Cereal costumes – Cereal character costumes  give you the chance to dress like the pitch character from your favorite childhood cereal. Dress like Frankenberry, Snap, Crackle or Pop, Toucan Sam, Count Chocula or Captain Crunch and you’ll have people complimenting your costume all night.