October, the month in which most people remember Halloween, although I am actually surprised by the large number of events that are usually celebrated in this month. Well, probably, you, dear reader, do not know which are those festivals that we celebrate this month, I do not want to go on so much, so we will specifically talk about two of them, which, personally, I found most interesting, these are 'October pink month'' and ''World Smile Day''. We begin.

October pink month: October 1 – October 31 (All month)

Creation: 1988 by the World Health Organization (WHO)

—At a global level, the month of October is considered the pink month because it is dedicated to raising awareness and awareness about Breast Cancer, the most common type of cancer and the main cause of mortality in women around the world.

https://imgur.com/a/27gO4mb

—According to information from the World Health Organization (WHO), it is expected that one in 12 women will get breast cancer throughout their lives, which is why, during this month, campaigns are promoted to increase the risk of breast cancer. early detection, treatment and palliative care of this disease.

—Breast cancer prevention saves lives, so it is recommended to lead a healthy lifestyle to reduce the risk of suffering from this disease:

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  Have an adequate weight

  
  


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  Eat a healthy diet

  
  


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  Perform daily physical activity

  
  


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  Avoid alcohol and tobacco consumption

  
  


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  Avoid prolonged use of hormones

  
  

—Breast cancer is a silent disease because it does not always show signs and symptoms, which is why it is recommended that women perform a frequent physical self-examination of the breast to discover any abnormalities and, starting at age 40, age, have a mammogram every year or two years. Your specialist doctor will tell you.

World Smile Day: 1st Friday in October

Creation: 1999 by Harvey Ball

—Harvey Ball, creator of the iconographic symbol Smiley Face or Happy Face, decided to proclaim World Smile Day for the first Friday in October, a date designed to be happy and bring joy to others, even if it is for a day.

https://imgur.com/a/kxpWr9o

—Benefits of smiling:

And smiling is a gesture that produces many benefits. When we smile, our body releases endorphins and serotonins, two hormones that make us feel happier, less stressed and improve our mood.

Smiling is part of the universal language, it is free and helps us in many areas of life: in seduction, in professional life, in our self-esteem. Generates security in oneself and in others. And it is contagious.

Some phrases that usually become popular on Smile Day are:

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  A smile costs less than electricity and gives more light. - Scottish proverb.

  
  


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  A great smile is a beautiful giant's face. -Charles Baudelaire.

  
  


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  It is easier to get what you want with a smile than with the tip of the sword. -William Shakespeare.

  
  


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  The child recognizes the mother by her smile. - Leo Tolstoy.

  
  

Now, don't just smile on this day, we invite you to keep that characteristic smile on your face every day you wake up and open your eyes!

I hope I haven't bored you with this, see you!

Journalist: Neilman Goldstein

Halloween-Kyra Shirley

Halloween. How exciting!? Or should I say….frightening!

Ghosts, zombies or mummies, which one scares you the most? It can be a bit confusing sometimes, can’t it? It’s supposed to be a terrifying celebration, but people don’t look at all terrified when they’re knocking on doors and asking for sweets. So, is Halloween supposed to be evil or innocent? I take it one can never know the answer. I guess, in more modern days, people think of it as a joyous festival to enjoy an unlimited amount of sweets. Now, there’s a question that all of you should be asking yourself: Where did Halloween come from in the first place?

No, it did not just appear out of nowhere as many things do in the wizarding world. There was a reason why this was created, as does everything. 

Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago, mostly in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer as well as harvest and the beginning of the gloomy, spine-chilling winter. Unfortunately, it was a time of year that was often associated with human death due to everyone passing on sicknesses to each other, and back then there were no medical supplies to cure people. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31 they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.

Furthermore, the winter weather also caused trouble and damaged crops. Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. Those prophecies were an important source of comfort during the long, dim winter.

To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities. During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other’s fortunes. This is where the dressing up comes from, however, now, we don’t use animal heads and skins. Dressing as a vampire with a cloak and some fake teeth would probably be a better idea. 

When the celebration was over, they would relight their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.

Now time to listen to the history of the most exciting thing on Halloween: TRICK OR TREATING!

Borrowing from European traditions, Americans began to dress up in costumes and go to many different houses asking for food or money, a practice that eventually became today’s “trick-or-treat” tradition. Young women believed that on Halloween they could divine the name or appearance of their future husband by doing tricks with yarn, apple parings or mirrors.

In the late 1800s, there was a move in America to mould Halloween into a holiday more about community and neighbourly get-togethers than about ghosts, pranks and witchcraft. At the turn of the century, Halloween parties for both children and adults became the most common way to celebrate the day. Parties focused on games, foods of the season and festive costumes.

Parents were encouraged by newspapers and community leaders to take anything “frightening” or “grotesque” out of Halloween celebrations. Because of this, Halloween lost most of its superstitious and religious overtones by the beginning of the twentieth century.

That’s all I have for you today. Though if you would like to find out a bit more, here is a portkey from another load of information (just make sure you don’t get trapped on the way):

https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween

International Coffee Day-Callista Lovegood

Coffee in the morning. Coffee while catching up with old friends. Going out to a coffee bar with that new, hot date. Drinking coffee can be done morning, noon and night with friends, family members, business associates and lovers!

Coffee is clearly more than just a drink. A lot of people are passionate about coffee. It even has a language, way of life, and subculture of its own. For this reason, celebrating and learning about International Coffee Day is ideal!

International Coffee day is celebrated on the 1st of October each year. Coffee drinking originally became popular in the Arab world, probably from around the 15th century, and then spreading across Asia then to Italy and across Europe and to the Americas – and finally to the coffee cup you’re holding in your hand right now!

This day, which is frequently referred to as "National Coffee Day" or just "Coffee Day," has generated some interest since 2005 in the United States. However, it appears that the phrase "International Coffee Day" was first used in a 2009 advertising promoting the New Orleans Coffee Festival. It appears that this year also included the first celebration in Taiwan.

The International Coffee Organization officially recognized International Coffee Day as a festival in 2015. It was introduced in Milan, Italy, with the aim of promoting fair trade, living salaries, and awareness of the predicament faced by coffee farmers.

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸❤¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

Here are some ways to celebrate International Coffee day. Of course, the best way is to drink coffee, but there are more. So, let’s look into them: 

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  Sign Up for a Coffee Subscription

  
  


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  Try Coffee Prepared a Different Way

  
  


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  Buy a New Coffee Brewer for Home

  
  


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  Buy Ethically Sourced Coffee

  
  


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  Rent a Coffee Cart for International Coffee Day

  
  

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸❤¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

Now, in honour of International Coffee day, I've decided to share my favourite coffee recipe with you. Drumroll, please!!

I present to you……  Snickers-Inspired Coffee Latte!!

Ingredients: (for 1 serving) 

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  1 cup skim milk(240 mL)

  
  


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  1 cup sugar(200 g)

  
  


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  ½ cup creamy peanut butter(120 g)

  
  


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  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  
  


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  ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

  
  


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  1 cup whole milk(240 mL), frothed

  
  


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  4 oz brewed espresso(115 mL)

  
  


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  Whipped cream, for topping

  
  


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  Caramel syrup, for topping

  
  


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  Chocolate syrup, for topping

  
  


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  Crushed peanut, for topping

  
  


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  Crushed nougat, for topping

  
  

Preparation: 

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  In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the skim milk, sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla. Bring to a low simmer, whisking constantly, until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup is smooth and thick, 3–5 minutes. Add the salt, then remove the pot from the heat and let the syrup cool for 10–15 minutes, until thickened slightly. Leftover syrup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

  
  


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  Drizzle the peanut butter syrup around the inside rim of a large mug. Add the espresso and frothed whole milk. Top with whipped cream, caramel syrup, chocolate syrup, crushed peanuts, and crushed nougat.

  
  


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  Serve immediately.

  
  


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  Enjoy!

  
  

And I promise you, once you try this recipe, you’ll be coming back for more : D

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Well, that’s all for International Coffee day. All that's left for me to say now is…

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL COFFEE DAY!!

Have fun, and most importantly, drink loads of coffee! Well, not loads, we really don’t want you staying up all night, haha. 

Goodbye!!

𓍢ִ໋☕️✧˚ ༘ ⋆"𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒆, 𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒐"⋆ ༘ ˚✧☕️𓍢ִ໋

Written by Calista Lovegood.