WONDER 4: FOLKLORE. The survival of millenarian traditions

As Halloween or, in other words, All Hallows' Eve is approaching, I can't help thinking how wonderful it is to retain traditions that date back thousands of years. Long live "folk-lore", the WORD of the PEOPLE!

Let me quote the words of an Irish historian:

Folklore is one of the oldest and most international inheritances of the human race. It brings us into close touch with a mentality that embraces all countries and all times. (Ó Súilleabháin , Irish Folk Custom and Belief)

Halloween in particular brings many European and American countries close together.

 Experts agree that the origins of this millenarian feast are to be located in a Celtic feast called Samhain, meaning the "end of the summer": A time of transition that marked the beginning of the Celtic New Year in November, 1. The night before, New Year's Eve, was believed to be the only time of the year where the ghosts of the dead could come back to the world of the living.

To know more about the history of Halloween, watch this video:

HAPPY ALL HALLOWS' EVE!

WONDER 3: ESSENCE ABSOLUE by Thierry Mugler

My wonder for today is one of the most amazing fragances I have ever tried: ESSENCE ASBOLUE by Thierry Mugler

It's a new redefined version of Alien (one of my favourite perfumes) and has recently been launched (last September).

Essence Absolue is described as "richly intense, sensual, deep and mysterious". The composition is developed by Pierre Aulas from accords of white jasmine flowers, orris root, animalistic black vanilla pod, incense, myrrh, white amber and cashmere wood.

The bottle design is inspired by the classic Alien bottled style and gold drops used as talismans in the Orient.

A True delight!

WONDER 2: NON TE NAMORES MENINA by CARLOS NÚÑEZ

From butoh we move on to a Galician traditional song.

"Lela" by Alfonso Manuel Rodríguez Castelao

Here you have one of those performances that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand on end when you listen to it. "Non te namores meniña" ("You'd better not fall in love,child") performed by Carlos Núñez and the Galician Philharmonic Orchestra.

Hope you enjoy it!

DEFINITION OF WONDER

The first thing we need to bear in mind before we start posting about what makes us feel wonder is what WONDER itself means.
It does not exactly mean to feel happy or good, it's a rather more intense feeling...

Let us quote a definition from the FREE ONLINE DICTIONARY:

1. a. To have a feeling of awe or admiration; marvel: "She wondered at all the things civilization can teach a woman to endure" (Frances Newman).

b. To have a feeling of surprise.

2. To be filled with curiosity or doubt.

ADMIRATION, CURIOSITY, AWE... feelings which undoubtely make us feel ALIVE, which make every day COUNT.

WHAT A WONDERFUL BLOG

Welcome to A WONDER A DAY...(keeps depression away!)

As its name suggests, this is a blog whose main aim is to remind bloggers how wonderful life can be, something we very often forget for one reason or another...

We will daily publish posts about things that have made us feel WONDER, from films to songs, from newsitems to books, from smells to dishes, from landscapes to artworks...

We will deeply appreciate comments with your wonders list and we will publish posts with your suggestions.