Frankensteinday

The crackle of electricity, and the patter of rain drops on the stone walls and terracotta roof give an eerie feeling when combined with the dank laboratory that houses various experiments. Give yourself a bit of liquid courage, and step forward to embrace a little bit of darkness in Frankenstein Day.

Frankenstein recounts the story of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who experiments with the creation of a human-like creature. This tale is considered the predecessor of modern-day science fiction. It is a story that everyone knows about. In the novel, the creature who is rejected by everyone and hatred because of its appearance does not actually have a name. However, it is called Frankenstein in modern culture after the creator. Despite everyone believing that Frankenstein is a monster, he is an emotional and intelligent being who simply wants to be accepted by others. There are a lot of people that can relate to this in some way or another.

The author, Mary Shelley, described Frankenstein as the following in her 1818 novel:

• His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun-white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips.

Shelley also gave us a great insight into Frankenstein’s personality. She described the monster to be an emotional and sensitive creature whose only goal in life was to share with another sentient being like himself. In the beginning, everyone rejects the monster. Even when he was born, his creator was horrified. He sees his own reflection, and he too ends up being repulsed by his own appearance. He wants to find acceptance and love. He has a very eloquent and articulate way of speaking. He can read and speak both French and German by the time he is 11 months, and he dresses himself virtually straight after he has been created.

Despite the gloomy weather and almost horrific atmosphere, the experiment comes to life after bolt of lightning is directed through the body of the stitched together cadaver. This experiment was done to imbue life into the cadaver, and worked. Dr Frankenstein, with his knowledge of chemistry and other sciences, created an unknown method to give life to matter that was not living before. This is the first stepping stone to his creating the monster that is called Frankenstein, despite it being referred to in the book as just the Creature. However, on the creation of the creature, the good Doctor Frankenstein is repulsed by his creation, and banishes it as he himself flees.

During the course of the novel, the Creature wanders, learns to read, write and speak rather well, learning while hiding near a cottage in the woods from overhearing the speech and reading from some books it had found in the woods. After befriending the blind father of those in the cottage, it is introduced to the family and after being rejected again, it burns the cottage in a fit of rage.

Seeking out the doctor, it finds him, and demands that he make it a bride as it deserves happiness. After assembling the laboratory and a bride for the Creature, Dr Frankenstein destroys the body when he sees the creature watching in a window. Enraged, the creature tells the doctor that he will be there on his wedding night. Fleeing the area, Dr Frankenstein meets up with his intended, and Frankenstein makes plans to defend himself and his betrothed from the creature. Having her stay in their room, he goes out to deal with the creature, only to look up to the window and be mocked with the corpse of his wife.

Sit down and enjoy the original Mary Shelley tale. A strong book with science fiction and horror aspects, along with some romance and action. Maybe sit and try to understand why the Creature did what it did, and if you would have done the same. Or maybe, dress up as the Creature and see how many folks you could get scared at the visage of you wandering around.

There has been a lot of film and TV adaptions of the book as well. So, if you are not the reading type, don’t worry, you can grab some popcorn and watch the film version instead. Or, if you have already read the novel and you don’t fancy picking it up again, why not read some of the other literary work that Mary Shelley has done? She was written a novel called The Last Man, as well as a number of historical novels, travelogues, and short stories.

Did you know that there have also been a number of different video games that have been based on Frankenstein? This includes Monster Force, Marry Shelley’s Frankenstein, Frankenstein’s Monster, Frankenstein: Through the Eyes of the Monster, Frankenstein: The Monster Returns, Frankenstein, and Dr. Franken. So, if you are a fan of video games, why not celebrate Frankenstein Day by trying out one of these games if you have never played them before?

There have also been so many different portrayals of Frankenstein in history, so you can explore these in further detail. This ranges from Harry Wilson playing Frankenstein in the 1958 Frankenstein’s Daughter to Spencer Wilding’s portrayal in the 2015 Victor Frankenstein.

- Days of the year: August 30, Frankenstein Day

Love Your Burial Ground Week

Burial grounds and churchyards have been around for centuries, and often form an integral part of a local community. Serving as a place to remember and commemorate loved ones, visiting a churchyard can be an emotional experience for many people. The responsibility of tending to burial grounds often falls to people who have inherited the role of previous generations. Although an honor, this is a challenging job, which can take its toll both physically and mentally. Love Your Burial Ground Week (from Monday June 7th to Sunday June 13th this year) was established to help those charged with the role of maintaining burial sites and to enforce the connection between churchyards and communities. A helping hand for the custodians out there doing a magnificent job, Love Your Burial Ground Week also offers people the opportunity to learn more about the history of local churchyards and to get involved in activities that celebrate and showcase the heritage of burial sites.

Love Your Burial Ground Week was formerly known as Cherishing Churchyards Week. The campaign was launched 9 years ago, and since its inception, it has grown in stature, with events taking place in multiple locations. The aim of this celebration was to provide support for those charged with the role of looking after burial grounds, but perhaps the most important element is tying the churchyard to the community. Events were planned to enable local people to learn about the history of the burial ground, to appreciate the beauty of the setting and to get involved in the upkeep of the site. In the last decade, the number of events has increased, and the range of activities hosted by churches and local charities seems to diversify year on year. Organizers hope to use Love Your Burial Ground Week to educate adults and children about the heritage of burial grounds and introduce them to the features that make them unique. Many people don't take the time to look around churchyards, and far from being spooky places that should be out of bounds after dark, they are often actually incredibly beautiful and serene spots.

Have you ever taken a tour of your local churchyard or thought about what it takes to maintain a burial site packed with lichen-covered stones and historic monuments?

Perhaps this is an area that interests you, or maybe you'd like to do your bit to help out those in charge? Love Your Burial Ground Week is a chance to learn more about the history of your local area, to get to know new people and to explore churchyards with a fresh perspective. Look out for events like history and nature trails, wildlife talks and child-friendly activities like picnics and mini beast and bug catching. If you catch wind of an event that turns your head, don't forget to invite your friends along too! For those who thought burial grounds were inaccessible spaces, this is a chance to explore, learn and maybe meet new friends along the way.

- Days Of The Year: Love Your Burial Ground Week

Needles & Pins

When we say ‘pins and needles’ today, you’ll think of that tingly feeling you get when your leg goes to sleep - but... Pins and Needles Day might not have its origins in what you think.

The original Pins and Needles Day started up in 1937 to commemorate the opening of the pro-Labor musical play of the same name on Broadway. The Broadway Play was produced by the International Ladies Garment Workers’ Union, and told the story of a group of workers holding down a job during the American Labor movement. The cast of the original production was made up of sewing machine workers, cutters and basters who simply wanted to do something a little creative in their free time. "Pins and Needles" was written by Harold Rome, a true Renaissance man who played piano in local dance bands. He produced "Pins and Needles", and created a legend that would live on through the ages while pursuing a form of social justice little heard of its time.

Keeping aware of where Labor Justice rights are being fought for in the world is another good way to honor Pins And Needles Day.

- Days of the year: Pins and Needles Day, November 27

Still it begins

Needles and pins

The Ramones - Needles and Pins

(Road To Ruin, 1978)

Defy Superstition Day

Prođite ispod merdevina u petak 13. i pri tom u ruci držite potkovicu okrenutu na gore - eto odličnog načina da započnete Dan poricanja sujeverja. Od bacanja soli preko ramena (ukoliko ste je pre toga negde prosuli) do brige o crnim mačkama, ovaj svet je pun sujeverja. Danas vam se pruža priika da vaš racionalni um prevaziđe ove čudne porive da biste konačno dokazali da jedna svraka ili gaženje pukotina na pločniku nemaju ama baš nikakvog uticaja na vaš život.

Napravite žurku na kojoj će gosti, naravno, morati da nose crvene i bele komade odeće zajedno, sedeti za stolom postavljenim za 13 osoba i ostaviti otvorene kišobrane kada uđu u kuću. Ili, zadajte sebi mali zadatak - proverite koliko praznoverica možete da razvejete za sat vremena? Danas je odlična prilika da se suočite sa svojim strahovima, koji se uvek kriju iza ovakvih izmišljotina.

Dan poricanja sujeverja ove godine pada u četvrtak 13 septembra. Iduće, 2019. godine, biće u petak 13. Ukoliko ste nespremni dočekali današnji dan, imate punih 365 dana da se dobro pripremite za naredni. Petak je to...

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