The Origins of Halloween

October signifies to me the beginning of the official “Holiday” season.   Halloween has become synonymous with everything autumn, such as pumpkins, red and orange colors and harvest time.  But it is sometimes viewed as a controversial holiday.  A holiday that glorifies evil and darkness.  I used to be one such proponent of boycotting this holiday.  In fact, as a sophomore in college, I decided to write an entire thesis paper on the origins of the Halloween traditions, it’s associations with Druid worship and witchcraft.  My paper was well written, thoroughly researched and extremely biased, and so was I.

I carried my biased opinion throughout my early adulthood.  I refused to participate in the office Halloween party, would not eat any Halloween candy, and on Halloween nights I turned off my lights and hung a big sign on my front door that read “WE DON’T CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN.  Not surprisingly, my home and car were targeted on more than one occasion for an occasional egg washing with a toilet paper accent.

I was adamant in my “anti-Halloween” sentiment, until I had children.  For the first five years of child rearing, it was easy, until that one fall afternoon when my 5 year old daughter returned home from school, with a wild look of excitement in her eyes as she declared she was going to be a “Princess Angel” for Halloween.  Her three year old younger sister piped in that she too was going to be an angel.  Then they looked at me with innocent, thought provoked eyes and asked the question I feared would be asked, “What’s Halloween?”

Suddenly, my thesis on the evils of Halloween seemed so inappropriate and totally irrelevant.  Certainly, my children weren’t evil, nor their classmates, nor teachers, nor MOST of my neighbors.  We weren’t going to draw a circle of fire in the backyard, recite ancient incantations, and sacrifice our puppy. 

“What’s Halloween?”  I realized it’s a time of imagination, pure fun, and an excuse to eat an unbelievable amount of candy in one day.  It’s also an American tradition, as American as apple pie, baseball, and Thanksgiving.

My personal convictions, still keep me opposed to the ideas of blood and gore, I won’t purchase the “hatchet in the back” costume, nor do I enjoy an “Angel of Death” wielding a bloody knife chasing me down a corridor.  For me, life is full of things to be afraid of, natural disasters, diseases, Wall Street needing government assistance, and my bank going bankrupt?!!!…. So to willingly make myself afraid isn’t my idea of a good time.  But that’s my personal choice and I understand now that other people have the right and freedom to think and feel otherwise.

I’ve also discovered that there are local churches that offer alternative options for celebrating Halloween minus the fright.  One such church is Real Life in Clermont FL.  This Halloween, the church will have a “Fall Festival” where children can dress up like Biblical or Historical characters, enjoy hay rides, roast marshmallows, listen to live music, and yes partake in eating immeasurable amounts of sweets.  This church is one of many in the Central Florida region that offer fright-free Halloween fun.  Next week, I’m taking my family to “SeaWorld’s Spooktacular” which is a month-long celebration of Halloween, and another fun and safe alternative.  I will be sure to write about that experience, from a child and adult’s perspective.  Happy Halloween!

Personal Chef

One of the beautiful features of a Global Resort Vacation home is having your very own fully equipped kitchen. Many of these kitchens offer state of the art appliances and amenities fit for a chef.  However, if you are like me and are culinary-challenged, or if you simply don’t feel like preparing a meal after a long day at the park, how about hiring a personal chef?

We are proud to recommend Linda Page, a member of the USPCA (United States Personal Chef Association) and owner of the chef service, “A Chef of Your Own”.  Linda graduated first in her culinary school and did a 3 year 6,000 hour apprenticeship with Westin Hotels and the American Culinary Federation in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  She has served as an Assistant Pastry Chef, junior Sous Chef at a gourmet restaurant, and teaches a variety of cooking classes.

Just imagine coming back home from a busy day at the parks, opening the door and smelling the aroma of chicken marsala with rice pilaf, fresh baked rolls, and homemade lemon pie.  Linda’s menus are vast and can satisfy a variety of palates.  If you are more of connoisseur of gourmet foods, you might want to try her Greek chicken with raisins and feta, or maybe a specialty salad made of romaine lettuce, goat cheese, and toasted almonds. If you are in the mood for good old’ comfort food you might request a menu with broccoli cheddar soup, pigs in a blanket, barbecue pulled pork, homemade baked beans, and potato salad, then finish the meal with some of Linda’s homemade cookies.

So, next time you vacation with Global, treat yourself to “ A Chef of Your Own” Bon Appétit!!!  Visit http://www.mychefsite.com/achefofyourown .

The Ormondy Penthouse

I received the ever- important, overly informative  “end of summer” letter from my child’s school today making me aware of all the new and exciting changes that were going to take place this upcoming school year.  There will be new uniforms to purchase, new classes offered and new teachers assigned to these newly offered classes.  Yes, there are big changes in store for the students.

In fact we’ve been hearing the word “change” a lot these last couple of months.  Truth be told, the word “change” can symbolize to some “the uncharted and unexplored possibilities” but to others it symbolizes “the uncomfortable or overwhelming possibilities.”  Since summer is quickly coming to an end, why not make a change in your vacation?

Our guests have become familiar with the beautiful Orlando vacation homes Global offers close to all the Orlando attractions, but many of our guests might not be familiar with Global’s Ormondy Penthouse with breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean and inter-coastal waterway.  Most of our guests, when planning an Orlando vacation, might not be aware that they could enjoy a luxury condo steps away from the beach or that they could spend an afternoon salt-water fishing or parasailing in the Ponce inlet.  An Ormondy vacation could include enjoying a race at the Daytona Motor Speedway, or walking along the boardwalk, taking in an outdoor concert, and ending the day with an evening cruise.

Now that summer is ending and our schedules are changing, why not consider a change in your Orlando vacation plans?  Schedule a few days at Global’s Ormondy penthouse, for more info visit www.ormondy.com .