Little Red Riding Hood is one of the most popular fairy tales still told to this day. French storyteller Charles Perrault first published this classic tale in 1697, known then as Little Red Cap. Even though the story has been adapted several times over the past few centuries, Little Red remains one of the most recognizable fairy tale characters of all time. Described by the Brothers Grimm as "...a dear little girl who was loved by everyone who looked at her" and who had "a little riding hood of red velvet, which suited her so well that she would never hear anything else; so she was always called 'Little Red Riding Hood'". Her little red cape has been the one constant in the ever-changing persona of Little Red Riding Hood.
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Throughout history, many famous pirates have sailed throughout the world. A lot of notable pirates such as Sir Francis Drake and Blackbeard, among others, were male, but there were plenty of women pirates who were just as ruthless. Even like their male counterparts, there are some pirate women who have only existed throughout the hundreds of stories in pirate lore. The reason why there are so many interesting stories about pirates is because there's very little historic documentation of them, especially with female pirates. In most of history, women were not supposed to be pirates. One of many superstitions of the seas was that it was bad luck to have a woman aboard your ship. To keep their identity concealed, some would dress and live as men during their time on the water.
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Learning how to make historical costumes can be useful for various events: reenactments, school plays, even book reports. For beginners, however, it’s difficult to know where to start. Elaborate dresses from movies can be wonderful sources for inspiration, but attempting one of those on a first try is as ambitious as replicating a Van Gogh without previous painting experience. Just as one needs to learn the basics of brush strokes and blending to paint, a costumer needs to learn the basic...
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Arrrr, pirates! Romantic, dashing, full of eyeliner and dreadlocks, they have entertained us for so long we tend to forget who the real pirates were. There's more of a chance you'll know the name Jack Sparrow over Edward Teach, or Captain Hook over Christopher Newport. Even hearing the name Dread Pirate Roberts will have you bellowing "You killed my father ... prepare to die!" before you think about Bartholomew Roberts.
Since pirate garb is a time-honored costume theme for Halloween, it's time...
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Halloween is a big deal in the United States, but we aren’t the first or only country to have a day celebrating all things spooky. Most cultures have an event where they pay tribute to the dead by performing traditional rituals, dressing up in costumes or throwing a huge celebration. Other festivals are more of a cleansing event – ridding their town of anything evil in preparation for a new year. Many countries, such as Ireland or Romania, have a history that provides the basis for...
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