If you know me a little, you already know that I am Belgian.

In Belgium, we always celebrated All Saints Day and the Day of Deaths on 1st and 2nd of November instead of Halloween and I cannot say that they are subjects very funny to write about.

In Belgium also, the weather is always rainy, so, since I work in a school, children are often inside rather than outside and I always have to find an activity for them so that they are not bored.

This week I also had to find some Halloween subjects to write about.

So, I found the solution: instead of writing an article dedicated to Halloween and called “top 10 Halloween Kids Costumes” based on articles and information written by adults, I asked the children what are the Halloween costumes they would like to dress on October 31st.

I must acknowledge that I was terribly disappointed. When I was a child, I adored being dressed up as a princess, baroness, White-Snow, etc. For Carnival, the boys were all dressed like Robin Hood, The prince of Arabian Nights, cow-boy, indian, musketeers…

But what kind of costume do the 2007 children like?

I asked the children at school what kind of costume they want to dress for Halloween.

The answers were diversified even though they did not have much of magical touch.

“What kind of Halloween costume would you like for Halloween, Sylvie?”

“Scream’s costume including the mask of course, Madame Domi!”

She is only 10 years old! I thought that her answer would be a Cinderella or Esmeralda costume. It was not! She wanted to dress the Scream’s murderer costume. Why? Because Scream was the most interesting movie she saw!

Anaïs answer was the following one:

“I want to dress a rich witch costume, with a pointy hat, a black wig, a large hooked nose with a big button on it, long nails like claws and pointed shoes”.

Agon hesitated between the Devil’s costume: the same as in the bible, with a tail, a fork, horns… or a pirate costume.

“As Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean?” I asked to him.

“No, sometimes pirates are skeletons and I want to be a skeleton-ghost-pirate.”

Another one answered:

“I want to dress the Monster Mash costume, Madame”.

The kid probably heard talking about the Monster Mash when he watched The Simpsons’ Halloween show. I love the Monster Mash song but never saw the Monster Mash in person and I do not think that someone saw this monster and knows what kind of costume he dresses.

The youngest children interviewed want to dress a Superman or a Batman costume.

My greatest surprise was Cynthia’s answer, who we call Brutus because she is not a delicate young girl. Cynthia wants to dress a princess costume.

So, the top 5 Children Halloween Costumes are:

Scream’s murderer costume,

Witch Costume,

The Devil’s costume,

Pirate costume,

Spiderman or Batman costume.

I will interview my +40 years old friends on what they would like to dress as Halloween costumes!

I think I will be surprised!


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Rome

The weeks around Easter are some of the busiest in Rome as the city comes alive for the most important week of the Catholic Calendar.

The events begin in St Peter’s Square on Palm Sunday with the blessing of the palms and public Mass. On the morning of Maundy Thursday, the Pope presides over morning Mass in the Vatican Basilica. The better known “Mass of the Lord’s Supper” takes place later in the evening when the Pope symbolically washes the feet of 12 priests. The highlight of Good Friday is the Pope’s “Via Crucis” procession from the Colosseum up Monte Palatino. The stations of the cross are described in several languages for the benefit of the many onlookers and a huge cross with burning torches lights up the sky.

But it is Easter Sunday which is perhaps the busiest day when St Peter’s Square is crammed with visitors, awaiting the public Mass in the morning followed by the Pope’s Easter address and blessing. The conclusion of the benediction is announced by the bells of St Peter’s which are immediately answered by the cannons at the Castle of St Angelo.

The day after Easter is known as the “Pasquetta” or Little Easter and it is now that the celebrations truly begin. Many Romans head out of the city with their families to enjoy picnics in the surrounding countryside and towns around the country hold dances, fairs and concerts.

Florence

For over 300 years, Florence has celebrated Easter with the “Scoppio del Carro” or exploding cart. A huge, elaborate cart is pulled through the streets by white oxen, strewn with flowers until it reaches the Basilica di Santa Maria in the historic heart of the city. A steel wire connects the cart to the High Alter within the cathedral and, following Mass, the Archbishop sends a dove-shaped rocket down the wire into the cart, igniting the hidden fireworks. This is then followed by a lively costumed parade.

Siciliy

Easter in Sicilly (or “Sa Pasca Manna”) is the most important festival of the year One of the most impressive processions in Sicily takes place in Castelsardo on Easter Monday. The town’s lights are switched off and the procession,called Lunissanti, winds its way through the town from St Mary’s church, illuminated only by torches. Other Easter processions take place in Castelsardo on Holy Thursday and Good Friday.

Catenanuova holds an annual Easter Festival (30th March to 8th April 2007) with processions, street entertainment and attractions for all the family.

Sardinia

In Cagliari there are processions and ceremonies both in the local churches and in the surrounding streets throughout the Easter week.

In Oliena on Easter Sunday, residents line the streets to celebrate ‘S’Incontru at the moment when two separate processions – one carrying the Virgin Mary and the other a statue of Christ – meet.


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Do you think that horror costumes are ideal for Halloween parties? If your answer is affirmative, you are absolutely right but why should you limit horror fun for only a day every year? Although horror costumes are more suitable for a Halloween party, there is no reason preventing you from wear one of these costumes any time of the year.

However the night of the witches, vampires, pumpkins and ghosts is so close that you may probably wondering if there is an horror costume for you other than a traditional pumpkin, vampire, monster, mommy, witch, or skeleton. Yes, you can find a wide variety of horror costumes in shops that specialize in different types of costumes. Online shops offer you the additional benefit to browse their catalogs without leave your home.

Thanks to the Internet, you can discover that beyond the traditional horror costumes, there is a world of possibilities to choose from. At MoonCostumes, you can find, in example, from a traditional Halloween Witch Dress, to a very **** witch adult dress or a Playboy Hipster Witch horror costume. Horror costumes can also be found in categories such as Gothic, TV/Movies, Medieval and Renaissance, Classic Horror Movies, and many others.

The advantage that many horror costumes have over other costumes of different type is the inclusion of accessories to make them look as scary as possible. As in example, a Zombie costume include besides of the appropriate pants, the corresponding Zombie thigh and knee bones, skeletal gloves and skeletal forearms, plus its mask and shirt with rotted flesh chest to make your characterization as real as possible.

Although horror costumes are an original ideas for a birthday party, and adult reunion or any other type of event, is Halloween the party that enables you to enjoy your costume at the most and go out there along with the children for trick or treating time, or simply to feel the special creepy atmosphere that only occurs once a year.

Obviously, it is expected that you wear an horror costumes by night, and even better if the moonlight is shining in the sky, but you can wear an horror costume in daylight events and see how funny is see how the dark creatures attract everyone’s attention, and do not be surprised if someone approach you in the belief that you are a movie star filming in that location.

Horrific masks and other accessories made of latex and other materials can also be part of your horror costume or your horror party setting because a good scary costume deserves a well-planned spooky themed event. Furthermore, if you are expecting to receive those little devils that every Halloween knock at your door looking for a sweet treat, make that encounter funny by welcome them with open arms in your horror costume and the right climate floating in the atmosphere of your home, just play horror classic soundtracks and make sure to light up your home with candles for a full Halloween night effect.


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In today’s hard economic times, going to a movie in theaters is increasingly a luxury that many can no longer afford. Even if you can spare the price of a ticket, the experience itself is becoming increasingly unpleasant, what with rude moviegoers, expensive concession stand snacks, and movies that are not projected at the right illumination. This is why an increasing number of movie lovers are going online to find the latest movies to watch online.

Unless you want to risk exposing your computer to invasion by viruses and spyware, you should probably avoid pirate sites that offer movies currently in theaters in favor of legitimate movie download sites that charge membership fees. Although you may have to shell out some money, you get more benefits in return, such as technical support, free CD/DVD burning software and videos with good sound and picture quality. The films that you get on these sites may not necessarily be the newest movies but they are recent releases still fresh in people’s memories. Plus, you also have a selection of older and classic films. And unlike DVD rental services you don’t have to wait for the disk to arrive before you can start watching the movie.

What are things you should look out for in a movie download site? First, obviously, is the size and quality of its library. Obviously, you’re looking for a service with a lot of titles, but you also have to consider if they stock the kind of movies that you like. Second, is it easy to find the title that you want? The service should have an easy-to-use search interface. And finally, how much customer support does the service have? Using a download site involves having to install some software, and you should be able to reach someone for help if you need it. One highly recommended site for those looking for the latest movies to watch online is The Movie Downloads, a site that allows both downloading onto your PC and video streaming.

To avail of their services you have to purchase their system for a one-time fee. Once you’ve installed it in your computer, however, you have access to their library that includes movies, TV episodes, video games, music videos and even audio tracks. The service also allows you to burn what you’ve downloaded on CDs or DVDs and even provides you with conversion software that allows you to change your PC files to PSP video files. If you’re more interested in adult films, you can try Cinema Now. Although the site has licensed films from big studios such as MGM, Universal and 20th Century Fox, it has a large selection of unrated and explicit movies. It offers movies either through download-to-own or pay-per-view (which allows the renter 24 hours to watch the film). Downloaded movies can also be burned onto DVD using Qflix proprietary technology. Aside from these two sites, there are many other movie download sites out there where you can find the latest movies to watch online. Just remember to stay legal, and you may never have to step into a theater to get your movie fix again.


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The Fitzgerald, Las Vegas is the perfect blend of comfort, glamour, and cost.  While other hotels and casinos may be impressive in their size and stature, their grandeur can be intimidating, not to mention expensive, to the first time visitor.  The Fitzgerald, originally opened under the name Sundance Hotel in 1979, operates under an appropriate “luck of the Irish” theme complete with shamrocks and leprechauns.   Known throughout Las Vegas for its loose slot machines, cheap poker tables, and affordable accommodations, this hotel is the perfect way for a person to ease their way into the glitzy gambling scene without spending their life savings in the process.

With over six hundred and thirty rooms stretched onto thirty-four stories, there is plenty of space available even in the busy season of spring and fall.  The rooms, while not of the standard of millionaires and movie stars, are comfortable and clean.  While not on the scale of the five thousand square foot suites available in many of the famous strip hotels, these rooms are spacious and efficiently organized usually offering a king sized bed, a very nice bathroom, and extended media service through an in-room office space.  The average size of the room is six hundred and fifty square feet.  Stretching thirty-four stories into the air, the upper ten stories offer fantastic vistas of the Las Vegas night life.  Bottom line is that the average room rate is sixty-five dollars per night; far lower than most other hotels in the city.

Another great feature of the Fitzgerald is its central location.  Placed on the famous Freemont Street, the hotel is within a five minute walk of the brightly lit road known as “the Strip”, and the airport is less than a twenty minute drive.  Therefore, and guest can experience all the amenities of the more expensive, more glamorous hotels and casinos, without the cost associated with a stay at these locations.

The most talked about section of the hotel is the large and spacious casino floor.  According to a popular slots magazine, the Fitzgerald hotel Las Vegas is rated number one in Reel slots, Progressive slots, and Penny slots.  This fact only reinforces that fact that this casino is both popular and cheap.  At forty-two thousand square feet it is also one of the largest casino floors in Las Vegas.  Other than the popular slot machines that line the floor, there are also thirty-two table games offered ranging from blackjack to roulette to craps.  Poker is also offered in special and private, smoke free gaming room on the second floor of the casino. 

Free training classes are available every morning that are led by experienced Fitzgerald dealers.  Many visitors boast how easy it is to learn the basics from these classes.  A great way to experience Las Vegas is to begin with the lesser expensive games from the Fitzgerald, and then, when you feel comfortable, to move onto the higher buy in tables at the more expensive casinos.

Many tourists are intimidated by the bright lights and high rollers of Las Vegas.  However, the Fitzgerald offers a more affordable  and less intimidating atmosphere while still having the comforts and amenities of the larger hotels and casinos.


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When people think of Disney World, they envision Cinderella’s castle in the Magic Kingdom – but there’s so much more to a Disney adventure! Each park or activity has features that make it ideal for certain conditions. Following are some suggestions to help you make the most of your Disney holiday.

The Hottest, Sunniest Day

The first thing we do when we arrive in Disney World is check the local forecast. (Of course you can also Google it before you leave home.) We choose the hottest, sunniest day for our day at a Disney water park. There are 2 water parks on the Disney property: Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. Both are excellent. Each one closes for several weeks of maintenance each year, so you may or may not have a choice about which one to visit. Both parks have gorgeous white sand beaches and lazy rivers to float around in air tubes.

Typhoon Lagoon has the most thrill rides. There are high-speed water slides like Crush ‘n’ Gusher and Humunga Kowabunga. There’s also Shark Reef which is a salt water pool filled with sunken treasure and real-live sharks, stingrays and tropical fish. Guests don snorkels and masks and float (no kicking please!) overtop to watch the sea creatures swimming below. It’s incredible! There’s also a huge wave pool in the park and water slides for families and small children.

Blizzard Beach is very family-friendly. You can take a ski lift up to the top of Mount Gushmore to ride the longest family raft ride in the world. (It’s my favorite – fast enough to be thrilling but gentle enough that you don’t bruise your tailbone!) There are also thrills like Summit Plummet and Slush Gusher. Kids under 12 can hang out – literally – on the zip line in the Ski Patrol Training Camp.

Kids lunches in both parks are served in buckets with shovels (selected counter service restaurants) so children can make sand castles too! (TIP: Don’t forget to pack the sunscreen!)

Chilly or Rainy Days

Most days in Orlando are warm and sunny but the occasional rain cloud does make its way to central Florida. Rainy and chilly days are good times to visit Disney Quest. Disney Quest is an indoor theme park. It’s located in Downtown Disney. There are 5 floors of videogames, virtual reality and other indoor fun. You can design your own roller coaster – then load it into a simulator and ride it with a friend. Or learn to draw your favorite Disney character with a real Disney animator. Or crew a pirate ship and plunder virtual seas in search of treasure!

Admission to Disney Quest and the Disney Water Parks require tickets that are part of the “Water Parks and More” option when you buy your Disney Theme Park Tickets.

Long Days, Late Nights

Some days – your team will be full of energy and raring to go. You’ll be able to start early and stay late. For those long days – the Magic Kingdom and Epcot are good choices. Both of these parks are complex. Neither can be completely covered in a single day.

The Magic Kingdom opens early and stays open till after dark. It is still the busiest park so avoid it on the weekends if you can. (If you’re hoping to run into the Dream Squad – get there well before noon.) The fireworks show at the end of the day is unlike any you’ve ever seen! And – on most nights – a real-live Tinkerbell flies down from the top of the castle during the show!

Epcot is 2 parks in 1. You enter Epcot into “Future World” which opens earlier than its companion “The World Showcase.” Epcot is often under-rated as a park for all ages. There are all kinds of interactive fun and games for kids and thrilling rides like “Soarin,’” “Test Track” and “Mission Space.”

Epcot’s World Showcase is like a trip around the world in an afternoon. You can visit a prayer tower in Morocco or sip coffee on a Paris sidewalk. The restaurants and shops in each of the 11 countries offer unusual tastes and treats too.

The closing fireworks show in the World Showcase Lagoon is not to be missed! It combines pyrotechnics with a heart-pounding soundtrack and visual show that defies description. It’s definitely worth staying for!

Shorter Day, Late Night

MGM Studios also has a great show after dark. It’s called “Fantasmic!” It includes pyrotechnics (Disney is the largest consumer of fireworks in the world!) with live action, animation and a powerful musical score. Definitely not to be missed – but you can sleep in a little on the day you visit MGM, if you like.

Short Day, Early Night

The Animal Kingdom closes earliest – to accommodate taking care of the animals that live there. For that reason -it’s a great place to visit on the day you want to turn in early.

Recap

Following are my suggestions for planning your days at Disney World:

? Hottest, Sunniest Day – Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach

? Cool or Rainy Day – Disney Quest

? Long Days, Late Nights – Magic Kingdom and Epcot

? Shorter Day, Late Night – MGM Studios

? Shorter Day, Early Night – The Animal Kingdom

? Weekday preferred – The Magic Kingdom

Finally, it’s a good idea to mix your days up. For example, follow a long day with a shorter one. People have a lot more fun when they’re well rested and able to enjoy all the magic that a Disney World vacation can offer!


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