Allhallow-even

Allhallow-even - the last night of the year in the old Celtic calendar, where it was Old Year's Night, a night for witches.

It used to be an autumn festival, an "End of summer" feast, when bonfires were lit to ward off evil spirits. The Celts believed that the veil between the worlds of life and death is thin on this night. Because of this it is easier to communicate with spirits, especially those of the deceased.

Halloween has suffered a lot! It used to be a day of Pagan Festivities, but it was baptised in the ninth century and sent on its way... It found its way to North America in the nineteenth century carried by Irish and Scottish immigrants. What has happened to the old customs here? They have been misunderstood!

Darkest Hour is that before the Dawn

“The darkest hour is just before dawn”... I have always known this is true. And so it is.

Fortuna spins her wheel at random. It is a spin. And the wheel turns round and round.

"Are you trying to stay the force of her turning wheel? Ah! dull-witted mortal, if Fortune begin to stay still, she is no longer Fortune."

If you ever feel your luck has run out, be happy! Because when Fortune's wheel is lowest, it must turn up again. When things have come to their worst, they must mend.

In Latin: The sun rises after the clouds ;) It's similar in Romanian: After rain, sunshine. But I like the darkest hour before dawn more. It gives a sense of immediacy. And you know you're safe!

Thinking Blogger Awards

This blog has been awarded with The Thinking Blogger Award. It's really, really flattering, thanks Tonicito!

According to The participation rules I am tagging the following blogs:

A town house and traffic - because the quotes he posts really make me think, because thanks to him I discovered Blaga Dimitrova and because his timing is impeccable! Worryingly perfect!

Stuff I love and I am thankful for - because I don't say "Thank You" up-to-date enough and she reminds me to be thankful and not to take things for granted

Die Murmeltierjahre im Land des Frühschoppens - because I have always liked to believe that there are many thoughts behind a photo; Tonicito gives me this feeling, I love his photos and the words to go with.

Stories from Thailand - because he makes me think a lot and wonder whether I'll ever be ready to go far, far away...

I am an anonymous reader of the fifth one, so I cannot tag it. Not yet.

Red

I know why the tree leaves go red in autumn. Naughty fairies come and paint them. It's just for a last dance before the Frost Fairies appear.

Do you think the Frost Fairies are followed by dancing snowflakes sprites?

Say YES and say Waltz of the Flowers!

Nothing quite like a good queue

I remember queuing at The Beer Festival in Cambridge; I knew we were forming a tail. Not everyone did.

And I remembered what George Mikes said: "An Englishman, even if he is alone, forms an orderly queue of one." And this is not all, as he elaborated further “In shops the English stand in queues; in government offices they sit in queues; in churches they kneel in queues; at sale times, they lie in queues all night.”

The English have been standing in queues at least since 1837 (when this meaning of the word is first recorded in English). It has been a while since 1837, but when they stand in queues they still do not realize they form a tail. I had asked a few people and they were a bit surprised to find out they have been standing in a "tail of a beast" for so long without realising it.

I can explain: the English word "queue" is borrowed from French, and so it is a descendant of Latin cōda, meaning “tail”.

In fact, in the 19th century a "line of dancers" was metaphorically extended. This led to the sense of "line of people, etc" that we use today. Anyway, an interesting thing to remember while standing in queues: you're forming a tail!

Nowadays the same word "queue" has a meaning in computer use too; if I only knew what it was...