Merry, Happy Kissing Under Mistletoe on Christmas Day!

Christmas is one of our favorite holidays of the year. According to Christmas lore, the weather on Christmas foretells the weather for the coming year. If windy on Christmas, trees will bring much fruit; if there is ice on trees on Christmas day, there will be clover tall enough to cut by Easter. Then, do you know about mistletoe? How about the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe and how that came about? Why don’t you fill in the blanks given below to complete the fascinating mistletoe folklore?

 

In an old Norse legend, Frigga, the goddess of 1.______________, had a son named Balder who was the god of 2. _______________ and light. To protect him, Frigga demanded that all creatures -and even inanimate objects – swear an oath not to harm him, but she forgot to include mistletoe. Loki, god of 3. __________ and destruction, learned of this and made an arrow and guided it to kill Balder. The death of Balder meant the death of sunlight, which explains the long winter night in the north.

 

Frigga’s tears fell onto the mistletoe and turned into white 4. ___________. She decreed that it should never cause harm again but should promote 5.___________ and peace instead. From then on, anyone standing under mistletoe by accident had to put their weapons aside and exchange a kiss of peace, declaring a 6. ______________ for the day.

 

*One caution!! Raw mistletoe 7. ___________ are very poisonous and tend to fall off the plant easily. They have been known to cause 8.__________________ and death when ingested and can be especially lethal to children and pets. To be on the safe side, ask your florist to replace the real 9. _________________ with imitation ones or just use artificial mistletoe in your decoration.

 

Answer Keys

1.  love

2.  innocence

3.  evil

4.  berries

5.  love

6.  truce

7.  berries

8.  seizures

9.  berries

Time to play the latest NPR Sunday Puzzle!

Today I've brought a game of Categories based on the word JOKES. For each category I give, name something in it starting with each of the letters J-O-K-E-S. For example, if the category were "Four-Letter Names Traditionally Given to Boys," you might say John, Owen, Kurt, Evan, and Stan. Any answer that works is OK, and you can give the answers in any order.

(Note: In some cases there may be other answers. Any answer that works will be counted as correct.)

1. PLACES IN FLORIDA

2. BIRDS

3. HIGHWAY SIGNS

4. SPACES ON A MONOPOLY BOARD

 

Answer Keys

    1.  Jacksonville, Orlando, Key West, Everglades, St. Petersburg  

    2.  Jay, Oreo, Kiwi, Eagle, Swallow

    3.  Junction, Off Ramp, Keep right/left, Exit, Stop

    4.  Jail, Oriental Avenue, Kentucky Avenue, Electric Company, Short line

Time to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with a brief history of its tradition!

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Some have a family get-together, while some others enjoy their lone time by indulging in their own hearty meals and binge-watching their favorite shows.

Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving Day in the United States? Let us go over a brief history of this all-important American holiday.

 

In a 1789 proclamation, President George Washington called on the people of the United States to acknowledge God for affording them “an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their _______________ and happiness” by observing a day of thanksgiving. Devoting a day to “public thanksgiving and prayer,” as Washington called it, became a yearly tradition in many communities.

 

Thanksgiving became a national holiday in 1863. In that year, during the __________ War, Abraham Lincoln made his Thanksgiving Day Proclamation. He asked his fellow citizens “to set apart and observe the last ____________ (which day of the week?)  of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise……”

 

It was not until 1941 that Congress finally designated the fourth ________________ (which day of the week?) in November as Thanksgiving Day, thus creating a federal holiday.

 

Of course, Thanksgiving is not born of presidential proclamations. ____________  _____________ (who was the original tribes living/owning the American land?) harvest festivals had been celebrated for centuries, and colonial services date to the late ______th century. Thanksgiving Day, as we know, began in the early 1600s when settlers in both __________________ and Virginia came together to give thanks for their faith. The most widely known early Thanksgiving is that of the Pilgrims in Plymouth, ________________ (which State?), who feasted for 3 days with the __________________ (Which native American tribe?) people in 1621.

 

Turkey has become the Thanksgiving fare because at one time it was a rare treat. During the 1830s, an 8- to 10-pound bird cost a day’s wages. Even though turkeys are affordable today, they still remain a celebratory symbol of bounty. In fact, astronauts named _______________________ and Edwin Aldrin (who first landed on the Moon) ate roast turkey in foil packets for their first meal on the Moon.  

When did the presidential turkey pardon start? The Turkey pardon ceremony officially began with President ________________ in 1989, but the practice of pardoning a turkey may date back as far as the ________________ administration.

 

*One quick fun idiom! Know the meaning of “talk turkey”?

It means….._______________________

 

 

(*Source from the Old Farmers’ Almanac)

 

 

 

Answer Keys

    1.  safety

    2.  Civil War

    3.  Thursday

    4.  Thursday

    5.  Native American

    6.  16^th

    7.  Massachusetts

    8.  Wampanoag

    9.  Neil Armstrong

    10.  George H.W. Bush, Abraham Lincoln

    *to talk turkey means “to have a frank and honest talk”

image source: https://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/first-thanksgiving-meal

Find the synonyms that sound alike from the words in given sentences! (NPR Word Puzzle from yesterday)

Here’s the latest On-air challenge of Word Puzzle from NPR! In each one, find two words that sound like two other words that are synonyms

Ex. I can pare an apple, too. --> pair, two

 

1. I stubbed my toe running down the hall.

2. How much do the shutters on the manor weigh?

3. Winnie Mandela voted "nay."

4. In Korea a pail costs three won.

5. The spy was sent on a mission to the Oder river.

6. Dad went to the grocery to buy some chow.

 

Answer Keys

1.   tow and haul (toe and hall in the sentence)

2.   manner and way (manor and weigh in the sentence)

3.   whinny and neigh (Winnie and nay in the sentence)

4.   pale and wan (pail and won in the sentence)

5.   scent and odor (sent and Oder in the sentence)

6.   bye and ciao (buy and chow in the sentence)

 

Sunday Word Puzzle from NPR! Find the anagram of an article of clothings.

Here’s the Sunday Word Puzzle from yesterday. Every answer is an anagram of an article of apparel.

 

Ex. BORE --> ROBE

 

 

1. TACO

2. PACE

3. WONG

4. GOAT

5. WALSH

6. CUT-IN

7. OBELUS

8. X'ED OUT

9. THIRST (hyph.)

10. ROUSTERS

11. UNGREASED

 

Answer Keys

1.  Coat

2.  Cape

3.  Gown

4.  Toga

5.  Shawl

6.  Tunic

7.  Blouse

8.  Tuxedo

9.  T-shirt

10.              Trousers

11.              dungareese

 

Halloween Trivia Quiz

Halloween is fast approaching and the grim grinning ghosts can’t wait to come out and socialize. Want some fun facts about Halloween?

 

*Picture Source: https://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/en/newsroom/2018/10/31/7-tips-to-a-safely-spooky-halloween

    

    1.   The first Jack-O-Lanterns were made out of ___.

a.   turnips     b. melons     c. coconuts     d. pumpkins

 

    2.   In what century did the practice of trick-or-treating begin? ___

a.   17^th century

b.   14^th century

c.   16^th century

d.   20^th century

 

    3.   If you want to keep spirits out of your home on Halloween, what should you sprinkle on your doorstep? ___

a.   garlic     b. holy water    c. thyme    d. salt

 

 

    4.   Which horror film among these was based on a true story? ___

a.   The Amityville Horror

b.   Halloween

c.   The Conjouring

d.   Get Out

 

    5.   According to superstition, if you stare into a mirror at midnight on Halloween, what will you see? ___

a.   A phantom

b.   Your future spouse

c.   Your dead ancestors

d.   Your death

 

    6.   What movie convinced people to get rid of their Ouija board? ___

a.   Ouija

b.   The Exorcist

c.   Halloween

d.   The Amityville Horror

 

    7.   What ghost did British Prime Minister Winston Churchill reportedly see in the White House? ___

a.   Abraham Lincoln    b. Andrew Jackson   c. George Washington   D. his dad

 

 

    8.   How many “witches” were burned at the stake in the Salem Witch Trials? ___   a. 20   b. 0   c. 12   d. 6

 

    9.   What phobia do you suffer from if you have an intense fear of Halloween? ___

a.   Witchphobia   b. Halloweenophobia   c. Samhainophobia   d. Cynophobia

 

    10. What does the word “Halloween” mean? ___

a.   Night of the Dead   b. Holy or Hallowed Evening   c. Day of the Dead   d. Blessings

 

 

Answer Keys 

    1.  a

    2.  a

    3.  d

    4.  a

    5.  b

    6.  b

    7.  a

    8.  a

    9.  c

    10. b

Time to play the puzzle from NPR! Find two words - belonging to the same category - by dropping a letter from each word!

I'm going to give you two words. Drop one letter in each of them to leave two words that are in the same category of things.

 

Ex. DRILL STAGE --> dill & sage (both herbs)

 

1. FEATHER TAUNT

2. MARKS VENUES

3. STATUE COUNTRY

4. LATKE POUND

5. SCORN BERET

6. CLOSEST SHALL

7. BLUSH CHARTER

8. PREACH BANDANA

 

Answer Keys (categories are inside the parentheses)

    1.  Father, Aunt (relatives)

    2.  Mars, Venus (planets)

    3.  State, County (US regional category)

    4.  Lake, Pond (bodies of fresh water)

    5.  Corn, Beet (vegetables)

    6.  Closet, Hall (rooms)

    7.  Bush, Carter (former US Presidents)

    8.  Peach, Banana (fruits)

What color is your car?

Did you know that the color of your car says more about you than just personal preference? According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, information from over 130,000 insurance claims reveals what car color says about the owner’s personality as well as which colors are the most accident-prone. What is the color of your vehicle?

 

Black Cars denote an aggressive personality or someone who’s an outsider or rebel.

 

Silver Cars indicate someone who’s cool, calm, and slightly aloof.

 

Green Cars are often the choice of people with hysterical tendencies.

 

Yellow Cars signify someone who is idealistic and novelty-loving.

 

Blue Cars are chosen by the more introspective, reflective, and cautious drivers.

 

Gray Cars represent those who are calm, sober, and dedicated to their work.

 

Red cars denote those who are full of zest, energy, and drive and who think, move, and talk quickly.

 

Cream-color or white Cars denote self-contained and controlled drivers.

 

Pink Cars are chosen by gentle, loving, and affectionate drivers.

Time to play the Sunday Puzzle aired on NPR!

Every answer today is a word or name that either starts or ends with cap - C-A-P. For example, if I gave you the clue line of text below a photo, you would say caption.

 

1. to overturn, as a boat.

2. Part of a rocket that holds astronauts

3. Drink just before bed

4. to take as a prisoner

5. Covering for a leg joint.

6. Cover for an automobile wheel

7. Sign after Sagittarius

8. Organization that provides royalties to musical artists    

9. to summarize

 

 

 

Answer Keys

1.  capsize

2.  capsule

3.  nightcap

4.  capture

5.  kneecap

6.  hubcap

7.  Capricorn

8.  ASCA

9.  recap