Category: LEGENDS

The Origin of the Halloween Jack-o-Lantern Tradition

Published October 31, 2006 in American, Autumn, CULTURES, CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS, HOLIDAYS, Irish, LEGENDS, Lanterns and Lights, Scottish | Comments [0]
In America, families carve jack-o-lanterns – lanterns made from carved pumpkins and display them to celebrate Halloween. The Legend of Stingy Jack The tradition was brought to America by Irish and Scottish immigrants. It originated in an Irish legend about a man named “Stingy Jack” who tricked the Devil. First, he invited the Devil [...] Read More »

The Origins and Traditions of the Five Days of Diwali (Deepavali)

Published October 28, 2006 in Autumn, CULTURES, CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS, HOLIDAYS, Hindu, Indian, LEGENDS, Lanterns and Lights, New Year Celebrations | Comments [0]
Diwali is a major festival celebrated in India and communities around the world. Each of the five days of the Diwali festival has specific customs and traditions: 1. Dhanteras: Dhan means "wealth," and this is an auspicious day for shopping. In some regions, this day is dedicated to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. [...] Read More »

Chinese Mooncakes

Published October 5, 2006 in Autumn, CULTURES, Chinese, HOLIDAYS, LEGENDS | Comments [1]
Mooncakes are traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn or Harvest Moon festival. These small round cakes symbolize family unity. They are traditionally made by bakers using beautiful hand-carved wooden molds. Some mooncakes are made with a golden yellow egg yolk in the center that looks like the moon. If you'd like to try [...] Read More »

American Legends

Published September 24, 2006 in American, CULTURES, LEGENDS | Comments [0]
Sandy Schlosser has put together a fantastic website, American Folklore, of American legends and folktales. We highly recommend her collection of tall tales, campfire stories, ghost stories and more. Great for a kid's party, and a terrific taste of American culture. Read More »

Origins of the Filipino People - Legend 2

Published September 23, 2006 in CULTURES, Filipino, LEGENDS, Origin Legends | Comments [3]
LEGEND 2 Once upon a time, no people inhabited the earth. One day, a god and a goddess visited the earth. They grew lonely because they met no people in the hills, the valleys, or along the seashore. So they took some clay from a river bank, and they molded it into two figures, a male and [...] Read More »

Harvest Moon Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival

Published September 23, 2006 in Autumn, Chinese, German, HOLIDAYS, LEGENDS | Comments [0]
The Harvest Moon Festival (also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival) is associated with the legend of Chang Er, who is said to have taken a pill, turned ino a fairy and flown to the moon to escape [...] Read More »

Origins of the Filipino People - Legend 1

Published September 23, 2006 in CULTURES, Filipino, LEGENDS, Origin Legends | Comments [0]
There are two stories about the origin of the Filipino people. They are passed on as oral legends from one generation to the next. LEGEND 1 Long, long ago, there were no people on earth. One day, a tired bird alighted on a bamboo plant in order to rest. It happened to peck on the bamboo. Suddenly, [...] Read More »