Thanksgiving Greetings -Postcard Friendship Friday #194

I adore these vintage postcards featuring lovely Indian maidens sharing the bounty of the harvest.  Though I'm blond and green-eyed, I am a bit Native American.  Hence, I love to hear stories of the ancient peoples of America who gave of their knowledge and harvest to the early settlers.  Indeed, we all have much for which to be thankful.

Have a lovely day, and Happy Postcard Friendship Friday!

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Bobbing for Apples

I adore this picture--reminds me of harvest parties of the past, where bobbing apples was a part of the fun festivities--though this young man doesn't seem to happy, does he?

Bobbing for Apples is played by filling a tub with water and putting apples in the water.  The apples bob on the surface of the water.  The first to grab an apple in one's teeth wins.  Since a person isn't allowed to use anything but their teeth, catching an apple floating in water, isn't as easy as it may sound!  I say that from personal experience.  Since players aren't allowed to use their hands, it's all in the "dooking" as they say in Scotland. 

In ancient times, the first "single" person to capture an apple in their teeth is said to have the blessing of becoming the first to be married in the group.   In Ireland, this game is known as "Snap Apple."  In other places Snapp Apple Night is another name for Halloween.  

The Myth of Stingy Jack - Postcard Friendship Friday #32

This postcard is from my Cyber Collection--I don't remember where I found it, but I thought it perfect for this month's holiday.  If this wonderful postcard came from your site, please let me know and I will put in a link to your blog. 

In my research about how pumpkin carving got started, I found a fun story--The Myth of Stingy Jack.

The term "jack-o-lantern" came from the fae Irish in the form of a mythical story about a character named Stingy Jack. Jack was a drunkard who, having invited the Devil for a drink, requested the Devil transform himself into money to pay for the drinks. When the Devil did so, Jack took the money and put it in his pocket next to a silver cross. The Devil, unable to transform himself into his original form because of the cross, was trapped.

So Jack made a deal with the Devil--he would not bother Jack and would leave him alone for a year if he was allowed to change back. The Devil, agreeable to this, came back to Jack in a year. However, a year later when confronted by the Devil, Jack tricked the Devil into climbing a tree to pick a piece of fruit. Once the Devil was in the tree, Jack carved a cross in the trunk of the tree, preventing the Devil from descending, until he agreed once again not to bother Jack for another ten years.

When poor Stingy Jack died a short time later, neither God nor the Devil would accept him into their kingdom. But the Devil sent Jack away into the night with only a hot coal to light his way, which Jack put into a hollowed out turnip. Thus began the tradition of jack-o-lanterns.

In the 1800s, Irish immigrants discovered America's native orange pumpkin, which lent itself even better to the tradition of carving out lanterns.

To see more mailboxes and all things postal, visit Gemma at Greyscale Territory for Weekend Mailbox.