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5 more great Father’s Day gift ideas

We all know how hard it can be finding that perfect gift for your dad, or husband. Here are a few good ideas to help you find something good for your dad or the father figure in your life. More »

And Now For A Moment of Zen…

May the force be with you, lil’ guy!

Does your little one have a little of the dark side in him/her? Costume includes a character headpiece with a detachable cape and under leg snap closure (onesie-style).This cute little number is made of a plush, thick, soft fleece fabric for comfort and warmth.

$27 (+ shipping) @ BuyCostumes.Com

Masquerading Season is Upon Us

Scottish folklore involving Halloween, revolves around the ancient Celtic belief in faeries “Sidhe” or “Sith” in modern Gaelic. Children who ventured out carried a traditional lantern (samhnag) with a devil face carved into it, to frighten away the evil spirits.

These customs included offering the spirits parcels of food to spare the house another year. Children too were given the added protection by disguising them as such creatures, in order to blend in with the spirits. If children approached the door of a house, they were also given offerings of food – Halloween being a harvest festival – which served to ward off the potential spirits that may lurk among them. This is where the origin of the practice of Scottish “guising” – a word which comes from ‘disguising’ – or going about in costume arose. this, of course being the key feature of the tradition of trick-or-treating practiced here in the US.

When my wife and I met in NYC, she and her friends had a strong tradition of getting dressed up (I’ll spare you the pictures) and having a big bash and then going to the big NYC Halloween parade down 6th Avenue. It was always a great time, albeit it a chilly one, but there was always plenty of local “spirits” to keep us warm.

Now that we are married with a cackle of kids are attention has turned to our little ghouls and goblins. We have started our window shopping for costumes at a few select halloween costume stores but have yet to settle on a theme. Farm animals seem to be a favorite costume for the toddler set, while superheros and popular TV characters seem to dominate the choices for the older boys.

It is fair to say mom and dad will be into the guising as well but I guarantee the costumes will be a bit less revealing as they were a few years ago – it’s a family production now and rated G.