Oct

Aha Moment: Halloween!

by Joyce McGreevy on October 31, 2016

A 19th century, bat-themed French Halloween costume offers an aha moment about Halloween around the world.

In 19th century France, Madame goes batty for Halloween.

Goblin Day Goes Global

What’s as changeable as a costume shop and has more frequent flyer miles than a witch’s broom? Halloween, of course.

An ancient tradition that’s as new as this season’s marketing trends, the popularity of Halloween around the world is soaring. An agile shapeshifter, it both adapts to and changes the way cultures celebrate.

A vintage ghost-themed Halloween sign offers an aha moment just right for Halloween around the world.

Halloween’s treats can be tricky!

But just when you think you’ve captured the essence of Halloween—solemn, scary, crass, or silly—it surprises you. Read on for an aha moment or two on global Halloween trends, tricks, and treats:

1. Even the “re-branding” of Halloween is ancient.

“There’s a popular misconception that Halloween is a modern American invention. Not so,” says Irish educator Brendan Smith. Its roots are firmly in Celtic culture.

But, adds Smith, modern Americans were hardly the first to “re-brand the festival. In the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church created the Christian festival of All Hallows’ Eve or All Souls’ Day, when people were asked to remember and pray for their dead family members. This event was superimposed onto the pagan Celtic festival of Samhain.”

Actors from Macnas performing in Galway, Ireland trigger an aha moment about Samhain, which led to Halloween around the world. (Image © by Darach Glennon)

Wild spectacle by theatre group Macnas is a Halloween tradition in Galway, Ireland.
© Darach Glennon/ Darachphotography

2. The first jack-o’-lanterns weren’t pumpkins.

Pumpkins are native to the Americas. So what preceded them in Halloween’s early days? To find out, let’s summon up the ghost of English folklorist Jabez Allies, who died in 1856:

“In my juvenile days I remember to have seen peasant boys . . . hollowing out a turnip, and cutting eyes, nose, and mouth therein, in the true moon-like style; and having lighted it up by inserting the stump of a candle, they used to place it upon a hedge to frighten unwary travelers in the night.”

Sugar beet lanterns carved into Jack-o'-lanterns in Germany trigger an aha moment about the diversity of Halloween around the world. (Image by Niklas Morberg)

German jack-o’-lanterns follow their own beet.
“Sugar beet lanterns” by Niklas Morberg (Flickr) CC-BY-NC-2.0

Tall tales also describe how an Irishman named Jack devised such a method to find his way back from Hell. (We won’t ask how he got there.) Hence, the jack-o’-lantern.

3. It’s the most hygge-ful time of the year.

As Halloween spreads around the world, each culture has put its unique stamp on it. Japan has had a love-hate relationship with Halloween. Romania plays up its Transylvanian tourism at Halloween.

In Denmark, the holiday drew little notice until 1998 when a local tabloid advertised Halloween-themed events. Today, Halloween is popular, and the Danish version is all about hygge. Loosely translated, that means “coziness.” Think candlelight, baked goods, and hot chocolate.

Carving pumpkins as a family has become so popular in Denmark that sales of pumpkins soared from 15,000 in 2001 to over 800,000 in 2015.

A little girl with Halloween pumpkins at a produce market in Copenhagen, Denmark exemplifies an aha moment about Halloween around the world. (Image © by Joyce McGreevy)

In Copenhagen, Denmark, a child picks a seasonal perch beside Halloween pumpkins.
© Joyce McGreevy

4. Halloween’s got a global theme song.

In 1962, there was “Monster Mash,” a novelty song that became #1 on America’s Billboard Top 100. It got banned by the BBC as “too morbid.”

Flash forward to November 14, 1983 and the premiere of a 14-minute music video: Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” Since then, as the Web went public and flash mob videos proliferated, “Thriller” has had a major impact on how we celebrate Halloween around the world.

Louisiana revelers create an exciting aha moment at the Halloween Zombie Walk in Shreveport, an example of Halloween around the world. (Image by Shreveport-Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau)

In Louisiana, the Halloween Zombie Walk is a no-brainer for ghoulish fun.
Shreveport-Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau licensed under CC BY 2.0

From Tulsa, Oklahoma to Torrevieja, Spain; Derry, Northern Ireland to Wellington, New Zealand—even a BBC news room in London and a retirement community in Elk Grove, California—dressing up for zombie dance-offs has become a global Halloween tradition.

A 13,000-strong "Thriller" flash mob in Mexico City triggers an aha moment about Halloween around the world.

In Mexico City, a flash mob of 13,000 “zombies” dances to “Thriller.”

5. Halloween’s greatest superheroes are your neighbors.

On Halloween 1950, milk cartons labeled Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF gave kids the (super)power to make the world a better place.

It began as a coin drive to help kids affected by World War II. Today, young trick-or-treaters collect donations to help children in areas impacted by poverty, war, or natural disaster.

Meanwhile, a growing number of communities are marking Halloween by scaring away hunger. Across Canada, the U.S., and the U.K., Halloween food drives have become increasingly popular events.

Whether this will counter another Halloween trend—the annual spending of $350 million by U.S. pet owners on costumes for animals—remains to be seen. But it’s a move in the right direction.

A White House cat in costume circa 2007 sparks an aha moment about Halloween around the world.

A White House cat is disenchanted by its wizard costume.

My aha moment? Halloween around the world is all about contradiction—our very human impulses to get and to give, to uphold traditions and to reinvent them, to dress up as make-believe monsters and to save humanity from real-world horrors. Oh, I see: The actual magic hides somewhere in between.

A Macnas street performer and costumed girl share an "aha moment" in Ireland, likely birthplace of Halloween around the world. (Image © Darach Glennon/ Darachphotography)

At Halloween, barriers between mortal and mythic worlds melt away.
© Darach Glennon/ Darachphotography

See last night’s frightfully fun Macnas Halloween Parade in Galway, Ireland here!

Learn more about Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF or find your local food bank here.

Learn Halloween greetings in Irish, American Sign Language, and other languages.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Joyce McGreevy 1 Comment

Cultural Heritage & Traditions/Worldwide Sites

Oct

Photographing Amazing Places on Earth

by Meredith Mullins on October 18, 2016

Ocean wave over lighthouse in North Portugal, one of the amazing places in the world to photograph. (Image © John North/iStock.)

A collision of forces (North Portugal)
© John North/iStock

Lighthouses: A Magnet for the Collision of Nature’s Forces

Some of the most amazing places on earth are at its edges. Drama is inevitable at these gateways to the vast beyond.

Collisions of nature’s forces are expected—at the polar tips and rugged coastlines, at the intersection of earth, sea, and sky.

These are the same places that made the early explorers afraid of the treacherous, cavernous ledges—at the edge of the flat world—as the curves of the earth disappeared from their view.

And it is here—in these natural theaters—that productions are anything but ordinary.

A lighthouse showing one of the amazing places on earth for photography. (Image © Logboom/iStock.)

The calm before the storms
© Logoboom/iStock

The Stalwart Lighthouse

Many of these battles of the forces cast the lighthouse as the lead character.

These beacons, by their very purpose, sit on the cusp of land and sea, dotting the outlines of the continents with their steadfast blazes of light.

Sometimes the lighthouses even go outside the edges, perched on isolated tiny rock islands, as if becoming a part of the sea themselves.

They stand strong and sturdy, lighting the way to safe harbor. And they offer good fuel for powerful photographs of humanmade architecture withstanding the forces of nature—especially when the surf is up.

Giant wave over Douro River lighthouse, one of the amazing places on earth to photograph. (Image © Zaharias Pereira de Mata/iStock.)

Storm waves at entry of the Douro River in Portugal
© Zacarias Pereira de Mata/iStock

There are lighthouses that are mentioned often for their history, style, and setting, such as the Tower of Hercules in northwestern Spain, the Hook Head Lighthouse in Ireland, and Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse “at the end of the world” in Argentina (just east of the southernmost city in the world).

Tower of Hercules, a lighthouse in Spain, one of the most amazing places on earth to photograph. (Image © Hapaks/iStock.)

The Tower of Hercules Lighthouse in Spain
© Hapaks/iStock

There are lighthouses that are famous for the westerly storms that lash them with vicious wind and waves, such those in Portugal, western France, and England.

Waves crushing against a lighthouse barrier at Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, one of the most amazing places on earth to photograph. (Image cg Design Pics/Thinkstock.)

Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England
© Design Pics/Thinkstock

But in the past year, it is the Porthcawl Lighthouse that has drawn worldwide attention, especially with a voracious internet audience.

And Then There Was Porthcawl

The Porthcawl Lighthouse on the south coast of Wales does not make any of the Top Lighthouses in the World lists, but those list makers haven’t taken into account the brutal storm winds and gargantuan waves that sweep in from the west through the Bristol Channel.

Giant wave over Porthcawl lighthouse, one of the amazing places on earth to photograph. (Image © D.W. Ryan/iStock.)

A storm at Porthcawl Lighthouse in Wales
© D.W. Ryan/iStock

All of the elements—the formation of the jetty, the slope of the barrier wall, the winds, the tides, and the movement of the sea—come together a few rare times a year to create towering walls of water.

It’s a good thing the lighthouse is made of cast iron or it would be crushed by the force of these raging mountains.

Photographer storm addicts, like American tornado chasers in the Midwest, check the weather during storm season to make sure they are at the right place at the right time, camera in hand. And photography gods willing, the sea begins to explode.

Waves hitting the barrier at the Porthcawl lighthouse in Wales, one of the most amazing places on earth to photograph. (Image © Steven Garrington.)

An explosion of sea at Porthcawl
© Steven Garrington

On any given storm day, the pack of photographers at Porthcawl is like a press corps huddle, although the sound of the clicking shutters is muffled by the roar of the wind and sea.

Each artist adventurer is hoping for the one original climactic moment of impact, when sea and structure collide, or dance passionately around each other with frenzied energy.

Although there have been many great photographs of Porthcawl, a single member of the wave-inspired photo corps emerged as a celebrity in his own right this year.

Waves threatening Porthcawl lighthouse, with light rays in the background, one of the most amazing places on earth to photograph. (Image © Steven Garrington.)

The ultimate Porthcawl Lighthouse photograph, winning 2nd in Flickr’s 2015 contest
© Steven Garrington

Wales native, Steven Garrington, posted his Porthcawl image from a 2014 storm on his Flickr site, and tens of thousands of views later, he was awarded the second most liked image on Flickr for 2015. (He was out-liked by a shot of the launch of Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket.)

This honor blasted his story through the blogosphere and art community.

He is humble about his new internet fame. He admits in a BBC interview that he is self-taught and still learning from all the helpful comments on his Flickr site.

He shot his first Porthcawl storm in 2008 and then again in 2014 and 2015. The 2014 image was not posted until 18 months after the storm. Steve likes to let his images settle in for a while.

Waves threatening Porthcawl lighthouse, one of the most amazing places on earth to photography. (Image © Steven Garrington.)

The call of Porthcawl
© Steven Garrington

He appreciates the attention on Flickr (he now has more than 110,000 followers), but also admits he doesn’t always agree with the images selected as most popular. In fact, there’s an image of Porthcawl he likes better than the one that got all the 2015 attention.

Hand-like wave threatening the Porthcawl lighthouse, showing one of the most amazing places on earth to photograph. (Image © Steven Garrington.)

Another Porthcawl favorite
© Steven Garrington

Storm Tips

While Steve may or may not shoot another Porthcawl storm, he offered these tips to BBC Arts for photographing storm events.

Carry a plastic bag to stuff your camera into when the spray comes your way.
Wait for the light. It’s not just about giant waves. Photography’s heartbeat is light.
Know the conditions (where are the waves breaking, is the tide coming in or going out, is the weather getting worse?)
Have an escape plan when that wave two or three times larger than you can possibly imagine breaks over the jetty.
Don’t go alone; have a buddy looking out for you. Take turns shooting.

And we add: Don’t ever turn your back on the sea.

Waves to the right of Porthcawl lighthouse in Wales, one of the most amazing places on earth to photograph. (Image © Steven Garrington.)

The elements align at Porthcawl
© Steven Garrington

Oh, I See: 1 + 1 = 3 in the World of Lighthouses

When there are dramatic moments in nature at the most amazing places on earth, the power of this confluence is exponential.

The “Oh, I see” moments become gasps at the sheer beauty and force of nature.

When a talented photographer captures the moment of impact, when the waves leap over every barrier in sight and hang suspended defying every law of gravity, the power is felt to the very core.

And all of us lucky viewers are, quite simply, awestruck.

See the power of nature in action in this Porthcawl video.

Tips courtesy of Steven Garrington and BBC Arts (Get Creative).

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Meredith Mullins 4 Comments

Adventure Travel/The World's Photography/Wales

Oct

Discoveries: Serenity in Cities

by Joyce McGreevy on October 10, 2016

The Culture of Urban Quiet

Marit Krogh's "Seated Girl with Headphones" in Oslo, Norway exemplifies the potential discoveries in urban peace and quiet (© Joyce McGreevy)

Ah, the quest for urban tranquility. “No man should live where he can hear his neighbor’s dog bark.” That’s how ardent ruralist Nathaniel Macon admonished city dwellers.

Macon was born in the 1750s, when 3 percent of the world’s population lived in cities. He also said those words while active in what some consider a major source of annoying noise, the U.S. Congress.

A sign for Quiet Street in Bath, England is one of the more whimsical discoveries in the quest for urban peace and quiet (© Joyce McGreevy)

Today 54% of the world’s population lives in cities. The noises that can drive us barking mad range far beyond barking dogs.

“Noise is not just irritating,” reports Graeme Shannon, a lecturer at Bangor University. “It can have direct human health impacts.” In fact, the World Health Organization has recognized annoying noise in the environment as harmful pollution.

Happily, you can find urban peace and quiet in cities around the world. Here are some favorites.

Close to the Madding Crowd

Siobhan Wall doesn’t recall the moment she decided to write a book about finding urban peace and quiet. As a Londoner living on a main road, she began seeking out places where one could escape environmental cacophony.

The results became Quiet London (Frances Lincoln, 2011), a guide filled with surprises. Along with rooftop gardens, cloistered cafés, and libraries designed for lingering, there are also shops and pubs, places where conversation needn’t compete with blaring sound systems.

Cherry blossoms on a London garden path reflect the nature discoveries to be made in urban peace and quiet. (© Joyce McGreevy)

Wall’s revelatory guide soon inspired a series. Check it out to find the hush in New York, Paris, and Amsterdam.

Nature in the Nation’s Capital

From boisterous Naples to nonstop Hong Kong, Bonnie Bracey Sutton knows her way around the world’s liveliest cities. A thought leader in education, Sutton travels the globe to advocate equitable access for students in science and technology. On returning to the nation’s capital, she finds urban tranquility even during rush hour.

“Most of my quiet places are National Parks. I love the serenity of the Great Falls Park and hidden Theodore Roosevelt Island.”

Theodore Roosevelt Island in Washington, DC offers nature's discoveries to seekers of urban peace and quiet. (Public domain)

Rush hour on Roosevelt Island.

The latter is part of Washington, DC. In the 1930s, landscape architects transformed 88 acres of neglected farmland into Theodore Roosevelt Island by “mimicking” the natural forest that had once covered the island. It’s one of several national parks located in or near city boundaries.

Musing in Museums

Also in DC, Quinnie Lin finds respite in museums. Lin works in international anti-corruption law. When she needs a break from urban noise, she finds it in the atrium of the National Portrait Gallery.

The atrium of the National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC is one of the surprising discoveries for seekers of urban peace and quiet. (Image by Benoit Richon)

Escape the Beltway buzz at the National Portrait Gallery.
Image by Benoit Richon licensed under CC BY 4.0

“It’s large and public, but there is a calming grace about the way in which light comes in through the skylights. Everyone is in their own world, whether it’s quietly chatting with friends, people writing in their journals and even meetup groups discussing philosophy.”

Nordic Noise Reduction
Retreating to museums for urban peace and quiet is also popular in bustling Oslo. The Nasjonalgalleriet keeps urban Norwegians in touch with their friluftsliv, or passion for nature.

Museum goers in Norway's National Gallery enjoy artistic discoveries amid urban peace and quiet. (© Joyce McGreevy)

In Malmö, Sweden quiet places are part of the urban fabric. With office overtime frowned upon in many Scandinavian cities, there’s time after work to take a kayak out on the river or stroll through Kungsparken, King’s Park.

Kayakers in Malmö, Sweden savor discoveries in moments of urban peace and quiet. (© Joyce McGreevy)

In Danish cities, the whoosh of bike wheels replaces auto traffic noise. And with so many urban parks, you can always cycle things down a notch.

A bicyclist in a park in Copenhagen, Denmark appreciates the discoveries inherent in urban peace and quiet. (© Joyce McGreevy)

Not So Loud L.A.
Life in Los Angeles is hectic for Deb Hiett. She’s been a reporter in “Veep,” a witness in “Documentary Now!,” a dancer in “Arrested Development,” a flight attendant in “The Office,” and dozens of other characters in hit television series. Her latest play, “The Super Variety Match Bonus Round!” opens soon at Rogue Machine Theatre.

So where does an in-demand comedienne and playwright take a break from Hollywood drama?

Brand Park is an oasis of peace and charm in L.A.

“If I’m on the east side of town, I love to visit Brand Park in Glendale. These thirty-one acres at the foot of the Verdugo Mountains have trails, play areas, a tea house, and a lovely quiet library.”

Brand Library was once Leslie C. Brand’s home, Miradero, “a high place overlooking a wide view.”

The library was originally built as a private home by architect Nathaniel Dryden, Hiett explains. Built in 1904, it was inspired by the East Indian Pavilion of the 1893 Columbian World Exposition in Chicago.

“It now hosts interactive presentations by LA Opera, and art installations by various artists and photographers. Just walking around the grounds is contemplative and calming.”

The Sound of Urban Tranquility
The opposite of annoying noise isn’t silence. It’s a level of sound that allows us to form thoughts or willingly let thoughts drift away. Oh, I see: Finding quiet places in the heart of cities actually restores our joy in listening.

There’s even a song for that. Can you guess?

Aaron Copland’s “Quiet City.”

Where’s your city? How do you find urban peace and quiet?

A detail from Marit Krogh's "Seated Girl with Headphones" in Oslo, Norway reflect inner discoveries and urban peace and quiet (© Joyce McGreevy)

Discover Deb Hiett’s highly creative range here.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.