When Are Bad Credit Loans Dangerous

When Are Bad Credit Loans Dangerous When Are Bad Credit Loans Dangerous? When Are Bad Credit Loans Dangerous?Most people know that you need good credit to get a low interest rate on a personal loan. Fewer people know what to do when they need that personal loan but their credit is… let’s say, imperfect.If this describes you, then you may find yourself looking for a bad credit loan.Now, maybe youve heard that bad credit loans are dangerous. Thats because many of them are! Predatory lenders know that folks with bad or no credit are often desperate for money to cover unexpected expenses like car repairs and medical bills. If you have a financial emergency and no savings or credit to rely on, then youre more likely to let yourself get walked into a bad loan that will eventually trap you in a cycle of debt.But not every bad credit loan is the same. While some are predatory and dangerous, there are others that can get you through your financial emergency in a safe and financially responsible way. So how can you tell the difference? The next time you need a bad credit loan, be sure to ask your lenderIF THEY WANT YOU TO PAY AN ADVANCE FEE…Lenders judge how likely a borrower is to repay a loan based on their credit rating. If a potential borrower has good credit, then theyre likely going to pay what they owe. If a potential borrower has bad credit, then theyll be considered a riskier prospect. A lender might be willing to look past a bad credit score if they can verify your income and ability to repay your loan at the end of the term. But if they want you to pay something in advance of the loan, something is definitely up.Brett Graff (@BrettGraff), writer at The Home Economist and author of Not Buying It: Stop Overspending and Start Raising Happier, Healthier, More Successful Kids  explains the risk: “If you have bad credit, you may be tempted by advance-fee loans. Here, the lenders tell you they guarantee the loans and they don’t care about your credit history, but they are total scams. Real, legitimate lenders always care about c reditworthiness and scammers tell you what you want to hear, take your fee, and disappear.”Advance-fee loans are, unfortunately, an increasingly common scam. The lender may be an online outfit that looks legitimate at a glance. They tell you your credit score isnt a problem, so long as you pay an application or processing fee upfront  before they give you the loan. You pay the fee, and the lender disappears with your money.1IF THEY HAVE SHORT REPAYMENT TERMS….One reason why payday lenders are so dangerous is because they give you so little time to pay back your loan. You’ll be expected to repay the full principal, with interest and fees, in as little as two weeks.Can’t pay it back? Well, you’ll have the option to extend the loan for another couple weeks (for a costly fee). And this is where people get trapped. You can end up in the dreaded “cycle of debt,” forever extending your loan and never able to fully pay it back.There’s a reason payday lenders have gained a ba d reputation.Andrew Fiebart (@AndyFieb), co-owner of the Listen Money Matters (@MoneyMattersMan) podcast and blog, warns that “the APR on payday loans is extremely high, so you’ll pay more each time you extend your loan.”APR (or annual percentage rate) includes fees and interest, so you can get a full picture of how much a loan will truly cost you. When you compare the average APR of a payday loan (nearly 400%2) with the APR of an average credit card (12%3), youll see just how outrageous these predatory fees really are.IF THEY’RE TRYING TO TAKE YOUR CAR…Fiebart singled out another dangerous bad credit loan you should steer clear of:“Title loans require you to give your car’s title to the title loan company in exchange for an amount equal to the appraised value of your car. If you can’t pay back the loan, you run the risk of the lender repossessing your car.”Since the APRs and payment terms of title lenders are similar to those of your bread and butter payday lender s, it’s terrifyingly easy to lose your car.No matter how sure you might be that you can pay it back, it isn’t worth risking your car over.WHAT KIND OF CREDIT CHECK ARE THEY PERFORMING?Not all dangers are major and not all of them are exclusive to bad credit loans.Before applying for a loan, you should find out if the lender is going to perform a hard or a soft credit check.As mentioned above, you should expect a legitimate lender to perform a credit check. But a hard credit check can negatively affect your credit score.If you need a loan and you already have bad credit, try to find a lender who will perform a “soft credit check, which won’t affect your credit score.We can’t imagine anything less fair than being rejected from a loan you need AND having it further hurt your credit.IS THERE ANYTHING HIDDEN IN THE CONTRACT?At the end of the day, the reason why many bad credit loans become dangerous is because lenders arent upfront about the risks you’re being asked to take o n.All of the things we’ve mentioned so far are risks that dangerous lenders will try to hide from you.We touched on some of the major concerns, but it’s important that you read through anything you’re signing very carefully, look at the loan in terms of its APR, and ask as many questions as you need.A good lender will want to work with you to make sure you’re getting the best loan possible.About the Contributors:Andrew Fiebert,  is the Co-Founder and Chief Nerd at Listen Money Matters, a finance blog and podcast. After working as a data engineer at an investment bank, Andrew realized that there weren’t any good places to learn about personal finance. Often left to his own devices to learn what was needed for finances, Andrew put together Listen Money Matters. Listen Money Matters is a community to help others get their financial situation straight.Brett Graff,  has been seen writing and reporting on money and personal finance in The LA Times, Yahoo! Finance, Cosmopolitan, The New York Times and the Fiscal Policy Institute, to name a few. Brett  also provides her insight in the column, The Home Economist, which is nationally syndicated and published in newspapers all over the country. Her book NOT BUYING IT: Raising Happier, Healthier More Successful Kids  is now available!References: “Advance-Fee Loan Scams” Michigan.gov. Accessed February 22, 2017 from http://www.michigan.gov/ag/0,4534,7-164-17337-252538,00.html “Average Credit Card Interest Rates (APR) 2017” Valuepenguin.com. Accessed February 22, 2017 from https://www.valuepenguin.com/average-credit-card-interest-rates “What is a Payday Loan?” ConsumerFinance.gov. Accessed February 22, 2017 from https://www.consumerfinance.gov/askcfpb/1567/what-payday-loan.html

Essay Case - 734 Words

Hong Le 4/11/2013 MGMT 4670 Prof. Damkar Written Response #1 1. What systems make up the political economy? What is the relationship of these systems? Political economy is made up of political systems, economic systems and legal systems of a country. The political, economic, legal systems can have a profound impact on the level of the economic development in a country and hence the attractiveness of a country and its potential as a trading partner or host for a foreign direct investment. 2. There are two types of violation of property rights: public actions and private actions. Who commits private action violations and what do they involve? Who commits public action violations and what do they involve? Private action†¦show more content†¦The economic condition of Nigeria has been damaged due to conflict among several competing ethnic, tribal and religious group has limited political stability and led to political strife. As per United Nations, Nigeria has low human development because of the high number of illiteracy among adult population and also due to low life expectancy rate. 2. How did Nigerian military dictator Sani Abacha violate the property rights of the people of Nigeria? What were some of the results of this public action violation? Sani Abacha used 25% of the federal budget of Nigeria for his personal use (property right). He did that by setting up trust funds scams like Petroleum Trust Fund. In order to keep his scams going he had to pay political leaders (public action violations) some of the money so that they won’t say anything. The results of these violations were that they were just wasting all there natural resources and became one of the poorest country in the world. 3. Based on this case and what we discussed in class, what is the relationship of corruption, a public action violation, on economic development? I think corruption and public actions violations have direct impact on a country’s development. If public officials are corrupt, then they will only think of ways in which they can benefit themselves instead of ways to help in country’s progress. 4. What explains the high level of corruption atShow MoreRelatedBusiness Case And Moral Case Justification For Diversity Management 1748 Words   |  7 Pagesadvantage and organisational profit. When looking at diversity in the workforce, the business case and the moral case justification are often necessary. The following paragraphs will talk more about the business case and moral case, and the linkages between them, as well as the theories and conceptual frameworks for the business and moral cases justification for diversity management in organisations. The business case for diversity is often expressed in terms of managing diversity (Urwin et al. 2013). ItRead MoreDescription Of A Model Case1281 Words   |  6 Pages5. 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Questionnaire Of The Health Care Delivery System - 1755 Words

Health care Markets Analyses of the Health care delivery system The United States has no special type of nationwide system of the health care delivery. In order to obtain health care insurance, the individuals must buy it in the private marketplace, or it is given to them by the government . Part of the traditional health insurance plans, permits the unrestricted selection of the health care provider and compensates on the fee for the service basis, recently, it covers less than 30% of all the employees. There are basically two kinds of MCOs: Health Maintenance organizations and Preferred Provider Organizations. About 70% of the employees registered in MCOs. HMO is the health care delivery system that associates†¦show more content†¦Primary care physicians in the US operate in the private for-profit sector and function in the group practices. The transition to control the health care system has helped to advertise some cost savings in different medical care markets but has also outcome in some rationing of the care. The social determinants of the health care are early childhood growth, income and social status, social support networks and physical environments. Early childhood growth: in diagnosed the disease, the doctor intervenes in the procedure that was often created many years prior. In thinking regarding the causes, the majority of the people get the life lessons perspective that expands the disease roots. Income and social status: the social status of the people is described by the mixture of their wealth, education and lifestyle and by other factors like ethnicity, personality and happenstance. The most obvious of these influences is income- especially not sufficient income- defined either in relative or accurate terms. Accurate poverty refers to having insufficient resources to meet general requirements for the sanctuary, nutrious food and education. Competitive forces in the Health Care Delivery system There are many types of competition forces in the health care system. One of the forces are making national marketplace for the insurance. The services involve mammograms, behavior, and acupuncture and hair pieces. In some of the cases, consumers are needed to buy coverage

The Book Boofheads Free Essays

Essay on Boofheads by Mo Johnson. The book Boofheads is a story based on prejudice. Prejudice is here in every day society. We will write a custom essay sample on The Book: Boofheads or any similar topic only for you Order Now This book was written by Mo Johnson for teenagers that have the same problem. The problem is sexism. The prejudice in the book is sexism and how it can affect people in such ways that they have to give up one of the most important things in life. With the three seventeen year old boys Ed, Steve and Tom sexism is a big problem. In the book Boofheads by Mo Johnson sexism is a problem between young boys and girls. The ‘girl’ saying about girls being smart and boys being dumb. This was a clear demonstration of prejudice in Boofheads. In chapter three the three best-friends Ed, Steve and Tom were all in English class. Their teacher had asked Tom a question about the book ‘Pride and Prejudice’ which the class had been given to read for homework. One of the girls in the class named Amy Jones had spoke up before Tom could start to answer his question. Amy then answered the question correctly and turned to Tom and Steven to comment on how ‘dumb’ they were. Her arguments aim was to prove that girls were clearly smarter than boys and that they were not able to produce a â€Å"single word of half decent English,† Amy had commented. This example explains why this passage from the book has the prejudice of sexism. Boofheads by Mo Johnson has a main story line on three teenage boys pretending to be a 36 year old lady in order to have a column in a teenage girl’s magazine. The three boys Ed, Steve and Tom have had the opportunity to prove themselves right to all the sexist girls in their school. They are going to become a fake lady so that they can answer teenage girls’ problems in Tom’s mother’s magazine. Each month they get an email from Toms mum with problems from girls around the state. They come up with solutions to the problem and send an email back to Toms mum with the answers. They only do this to prove that boys can produce a ‘single word of half decent English’. The girls in the boys’ school are adamant that the boys are dumb and these three boys want to prove that they are not. In Boofheads the seventeen year old boy named Tom has a mother that is a fussy magazine editor. One of the best in the country. She has a messy office and never relies on Tom’s advice. Tom is always giving his mother advice on the look of the magazine, contrasting colours and some fashion ideas. He is usually right as his mother gets the same criticism from her boss. She never even realises that Tom gave the same advice to her rior to her changes. She does not believe that a male has any brain for a magazine and they need to stick to the things that men are supposed to do. Tom could be right on the spelling of a word and she would still not believe him. This shows that women of an older age are still sexist to males when it comes to how smart they really are. In conclusion the book Boofheads by Mo Johnson was a book about sexism. It was mainly based on sexism on males by females. This is why Boofheads is a book about prejudice. How to cite The Book: Boofheads, Papers

Writing and Hook free essay sample

What stylistic elements does King use to influence his readers? After reading and analyzing Letter from Birmingham Jail, write an essay in which you answer the question and analyze structure and language in his text, providing three or more examples to illustrate and clarify your analysis. What conclusion can you draw about the power of this text? 1. Look back at the list of hook techniques. Which two techniques could you use to introduce your essay effectively? I could use quotation and anecdote. 2. Choose one of those techniques for your HOOK and briefly explain why you chose that technique. For my hook I will choose to use a anecdote . I chose an anecdote because it is the most interesting to me to capture a readers attention with. A short story will entertain them in the beginning and will make them want to read more of ,therefor successfully capturing their attention. 3. Write the HOOK for your essay in the space below. We will write a custom essay sample on Writing and Hook or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page A a little girl I remember the many times I have gotten myself into trouble and always trying to find an excuse to my parents to get myself out of trouble. I would point out every key aspect that didnt invovle me in the incident and give them a very descriptive story of it . I was very explicit to persuading them and in the end would always win in convincing them it wasnt me 4. Write a two- to four-sentence BRIDGE to connect your hook and thesis statement. Dr.King and I , I believe, have a lot in common in our techniques in persuading. 5. Write your THESIS STATEMENT. In Dr.kings letter the stylestic elements he used to persuade his readers were imagery 6. Now, copy and paste the sentences from numbers 3, 4, and 5 (above) into one paragraph in the space below. Congratulations! You have your introduction written!

The top-paying cities for teachers

The top-paying cities for teachers Whether you’re a teacher or not, you’ve likely heard some variation on the theme of â€Å"teachers are underpaid.† Given what all that they do and the power that they hold over the education of children, teens, and adults alike, this is a very true statement- especially when you factor in all of the unpaid hours of prep and care that go into a teaching career outside of the classroom. But while teachers will always be comparatively underpaid in a world where Kardashians get multi-million-dollar endorsement deals, the good news is that if you are a teacher, you can seek out regions and cities with higher-paying opportunities. Teacher salaries can vary pretty widely across states- according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the highest-paid 10 percent of high school teachers earn more than $92,920, while the lowest-paid 10 percent of high school teachers earn $38,180. For reference, the national median annual salary for secondary teachers is $58,030. And whil e pay isn’t necessarily the only consideration as you plan (or advance) your career as an educator, having this information at your disposal can help you make the best career decision for yourself- or at least help set expectations.Let’s look at teacher pay across the country, by region.The NortheastIncludes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and VermontIn terms of teacher salaries, the Northeast is the top region in the entire country. This region features some of the highest teacher salaries in the nation, holding four of the top ten national cities in WalletHub’s most recent annual â€Å"Best Worst States for Teachers† rankings. However, these states also have a higher cost of living- particularly in the highest paying states: New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.Here are the median annual teacher salaries by state in the Northeast, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics :New York: $81,410Connecticut: $76,260New Jersey: $75,250Massachusetts: $74,040Rhode Island: $65,490Pennsylvania: $64,320New Hampshire: $57,570Vermont: $56,670Maine: $52,410According to WalletHub, these states also rank high in other quality of life categories for teachers, such as â€Å"opportunity and competition† for teaching jobs, as well as academics and work environment. New York, the first-place state for teachers overall, is also ranked the best in terms of opportunity, and is in the top ten for academics and work environment.For secondary school teachers in this region, here are the highest-paid metropolitan areas:Nassau County, New York – $99,090Kingston, New York – $86,470Danbury, Connecticut – $83,890New York City – $83,660Leominster-Gardiner, Massachusetts – $82.630For elementary school teachers in this region, here are the highest-paid metropolitan areas:Nassau County, New York – $106,970Kingston, New York – $86,0 80Waterbury, Connecticut – $82,080Danbury, Connecticut – $81,450Brockton, Massachusetts – $79,640All of these cities have annual teacher salaries that are well above the national median- and in some parts of New York (particularly New York City and Long Island), nearly double the national median.The SouthIncludes Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington D.C., and West VirginiaIf you’re looking at living and teaching in the South, there’s some good news and some less-great news. The good news is that national teaching shortages are leaving open many teaching opportunities in the region. The less-great news is that as a region, the South features some of the lowest teacher salaries in the nation- well below the national median.Here are the median annual teacher salaries by state in the South, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:Maryland – $63,770Virginia – $62,940Washington, D.C. – $61,610Delaware – $58,260Georgia – $55.640Texas – $55.030Kentucky – $53,860South Carolina – $50,470Alabama – $49,870Tennessee – $49.770Florida – $49,550Arkansas – $48,870Louisiana – $48,560West Virginia – $44,480North Carolina – $44,410Mississippi – $42,860Oklahoma – $40,780On the WalletHub ranking of best states for teachers, two southern states make the top 20: Kentucky and Texas. Both of these states are slightly below the national median, salary-wise, but get high marks for opportunity and low competition for teaching jobs.For secondary school teachers in this region, here are the highest-paid metropolitan areas:Washington D.C./Arlington/Alexandria, Virginia – $73,310Silver Spring/Frederick, Maryland – $72,130Myrtle Beach, South Carolina – $65,450Charlottesville, Virginia â₠¬â€œ $65,030Jackson, Mississippi – $62,760For elementary school teachers in this region, here are the highest-paid metropolitan areas:Washington D.C./Arlington/Alexandria, Virginia – $75,590Silver Spring/Frederick, Maryland – $65,940Houston, Texas – $58,510Athens, Georgia – $58,360Richmond, Virginia – $58,170In the South, the key to finding the best teacher salaries seems to be in densely populated areas, like the northern Virginia/Washington D.C. area, and large cities like Houston.The MidwestIncludes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and WisconsinSecond only to the Northeast, the Midwest has a number of states featured prominently in WalletHub’s survey, with Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Iowa making the top 20. The Midwest also ranks well on the teacher opportunity scale, with Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Ohio, Indiana, and Iowa in that top 20 as well.Here are the median annual teacher salaries by state in the Midwest, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:Illinois – $66,470Michigan – $60,790Minnesota – $60,750Ohio – $58,700Wisconsin – $55,800Iowa – $54,290Nebraska – $54,240Indiana – $50,360North Dakota – $47,910Kansas – $47,900Missouri – $44,710South Dakota – $42,270As you can see, about a third of the states in this region match the national median salary for teachers.For secondary school teachers in this region, here are the highest-paid metropolitan areas:Mankato, Minnesota – $84,550Rockford, Illinois – $79,090Chicago, Illinois – $75,750Milwaukee, Wisconsin – $65,740Detroit, Michigan – $65,320For elementary school teachers in this region, here are the highest-paid metropolitan areas:Rockford, Illinois – $77,160Detroit, Michigan – $67,220Elgin, Illinois – $66,340F lint, Michigan – $65,870Grand Rapids, Michigan – $64,980Cleveland, Ohio – $64,480The areas with the highest salaries in the Midwest are not necessarily the big cities themselves, but rather large suburban districts just outside the big cities.The WestIncludes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and WyomingAnd last but certainly not least, we have the Western parts of the United States. The region is highly diverse geographically and population-wise, and their teaching career stats are no different.Here are the median annual teacher salaries by state in the Midwest, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:Alaska – $79,400California – $75,060Washington – $64,850Oregon – $63,730Wyoming – $58,480Hawaii – $57,900Utah – $56,070Nevada – $55,450New Mexico – $52,150Colorado – $50,790Montana – $49,930Arizona – $46,070 Idaho – $45,500That’s a pretty broad range from Alaska to Idaho, but outside of the Northeast, the West has the most states at or above the national median salary for teachers. On the WalletHub survey of teachers’ quality of life in different states, four of these western states are ranked in the top 20 best states for teachers: Wyoming, Oregon, Utah, and California. However, in the list of top states for teacher opportunities and low competition for teaching jobs, that number grows to include six states in the top 20: Oregon, California, Nevada, Wyoming, Utah, and Alaska.For secondary school teachers in this region, here are the highest-paid metropolitan areas:Fairbanks, Alaska – $92,110Anchorage, Alaska – $89,570Anaheim, California – $87,280Yuba City, California – $85,820Fresno, California – $81,130For elementary school teachers in this region, here are the highest-paid metropolitan areas:Fairbanks, Alaska – $110,420Ri verside, California – $81,320Modesto, California – $80,810Anaheim, California – $79,840Los Angeles/Long Beach, California – $75,800As you can see, the highest teacher salaries can be found Alaska’s largest cities. But while Alaska is tops on the salary scale, it ranks 48th on WalletHub’s survey of academics and work environment- so if you’re thinking about heading to a classroom way up north, it’s important to consider the teacher quality of life issues as well.Whether you’re a seasoned teacher looking for a change of scenery, or a future teacher trying out where to stake your career, we’re hoping that this salary info helps you make the most informed decision for your teaching career.

The History of Halloween or Samhain, Day of the Dead

The History of Halloween or Samhain, Day of the Dead Halloween or Samhain had its beginnings in an ancient, pre-Christian Celtic festival of the dead. The Celtic peoples, who were once found all over Europe, divided the year by four major holidays. According to their calendar, the year began on a day corresponding to Nov. 1 on our present calendar. The date marked the beginning of winter. Since they were pastoral people, it was a time when cattle and sheep had to be moved to closer pastures and all livestock had to be secured for the winter months. Crops were harvested and stored. The date marked both an ending and a beginning in an eternal cycle. Samhain The festival observed at this time was called Samhain (pronounced Sah-ween). It was the biggest and most significant holiday of the Celtic year. The Celts believed that at the time of Samhain, more so than any other time of the year, the ghosts of the dead were able to mingle with the living, because at Samhain the souls of those who had died during the year traveled into the otherworld. People gathered to sacrifice animals, fruits, and vegetables. They also lit bonfires in honor of the dead, to aid them on their journey, and to keep them away from the living. On that day all manner of beings were abroad: ghosts, fairies, and demonsall part of the dark and dread. How Samhain Became Halloween Samhain became the Halloween we are familiar with when Christian missionaries attempted to change the religious practices of the Celtic people. In the early centuries of the first millennium A.D., before missionaries such as St. Patrick and St. Columcille converted them to Christianity, the Celts practiced an elaborate religion through their priestly caste, the Druids, who were priests, poets, scientists and scholars all at once. As religious leaders, ritual specialists, and bearers of learning, the Druids were not unlike the very missionaries and monks who were to Christianize their people and brand them evil devil worshippers. Pope Gregory the First As a result of their efforts to wipe out pagan holidays, such as Samhain, the Christians succeeded in effecting major transformations in it. In 601 A.D. Pope Gregory the First issued a now famous edict to his missionaries concerning the native beliefs and customs of the peoples he hoped to convert. Rather than try to obliterate native peoples customs and beliefs, the pope instructed his missionaries to use them: if a group of people worshiped a tree, rather than cut it down, he advised them to consecrate it to Christ and allow its continued worship. In terms of spreading Christianity, this was a brilliant concept and it became a basic approach used in Catholic missionary work. Church holy days were purposely set to coincide with native holy days. Christmas, for instance, was assigned the arbitrary date of December 25th because it corresponded with the mid-winter celebration of many peoples. Likewise, St. Johns Day was set on the summer solstice. Good Vs Evil - Druids, Christians, and Samhain Samhain, with its emphasis on the supernatural, was decidedly pagan. While missionaries identified their holy days with those observed by the Celts, they branded the earlier religions supernatural deities as evil and associated them with the devil. As representatives of the rival religion, Druids were considered evil worshippers of devilish or demonic gods and spirits. The Celtic underworld inevitably became identified with the Christian Hell. The effects of this policy were to diminish but not totally eradicate the beliefs of the traditional gods. Celtic belief in supernatural creatures persisted, while the church made deliberate attempts to define them as being not merely dangerous, but malicious. Followers of the old religion went into hiding and were branded as witches. Feast of All Saints The Christian feast of All Saints was assigned to No. 1. The day honored every Christian saint, especially those that did not otherwise have a special day devoted to them. This feast day was meant to substitute for Samhain, to draw the devotion of the Celtic peoples, and, finally, to replace it forever. That did not happen, but the traditional Celtic deities diminished in status, becoming fairies or leprechauns of more recent traditions. The old beliefs associated with Samhain never died out entirely. The powerful symbolism of the traveling dead was too strong, and perhaps too basic to the human psyche, to be satisfied with the new, more abstract Catholic feast honoring saints. Recognizing that something that would subsume the original energy of Samhain was necessary, the church tried again to supplant it with a Christian feast day in the 9th century. This time it established November 2nd as All Souls Day -a day when the living prayed for the souls of all the dead. But, once again, the practice of retaining traditional customs while attempting to redefine them had a sustaining effect: the traditional beliefs and customs lived on, in new guises. All Saints Day - All Hallows All Saints Day, otherwise known as All Hallows (hallowed means sanctified or holy), continued the ancient Celtic traditions. The evening prior to the day was the time of the most intense activity, both human and supernatural. People continued to celebrate All Hallows Eve as a time of the wandering dead, but the supernatural beings were now thought to be evil. The folk continued to propitiate those spirits (and their masked impersonators) by setting out gifts of food and drink. Subsequently, All Hallows Eve became Hallow Evening, which became Halloweenan ancient Celtic, pre-Christian New Years Day in contemporary dress. Many supernatural creatures became associated with All Hallows. In Ireland, fairies were numbered among the legendary creatures who roamed on Halloween. An old folk ballad called Allison Gross tells the story of how the fairy queen saved a man from a witchs spell on Halloween. Allison Gross O Allison Gross, that lives in yon towerthe ugliest witch int he North Country...Shes turned me into an ugly wormand gard me toddle around a tree...But as it fell out last Hallow evenWhen the seely [fairy] court was riding by,the Queen lighted down on a gowany bankNot far from the tree where I wont to lie...Shes change me again to my own proper shapeAnd I no more toddle about the tree. In old England, cakes were made for the wandering souls, and people went a soulin for these soul cakes. Halloween, a time of magic, also became a day of divination, with a host of magical beliefs: for instance, if persons hold a mirror on Halloween and walk backward down the stairs to the basement, the face that appears in the mirror will be their next lover. Halloween - Celtic Day of the Dead Virtually all present Halloween traditions can be traced to the ancient Celtic day of the dead. Halloween is a holiday of many mysterious customs, but each one has a history, or at least a story behind it. The wearing of costumes, for instance, and roaming from door to door demanding treats can be traced to the Celtic period and the first few centuries of the Christian era, when it was thought that the souls of the dead were out and around, along with fairies, witches, and demons. Offerings of food and drink were left out to placate them. As the centuries wore on, people began dressing like these dreadful creatures, performing antics in exchange for food and drink. This practice is called mumming, from which the practice of trick-or-treating evolved. To this day, witches, ghosts, and skeleton figures of the dead are among the favorite disguises. Halloween also retains some features that harken back to the original harvest holiday of Samhain, such as the customs of bobbing for apples and carving vegetables, as well as the fruits, nuts, and spices cider associated with the day. Modern Halloween Today Halloween is becoming once again and adult holiday or masquerade, like Mardi Gras. Men and women in every disguise imaginable are taking to the streets of big American cities and parading past grinningly carved, candlelit jack olanterns, re-enacting customs with a lengthy pedigree. Their masked antics challenge, mock, tease and appease the dread forces of the night, of the soul, and of the otherworld that becomes our world on this night of reversible possibilities, inverted roles, and transcendency. In so doing, they are reaffirming death and its place as a part of life in an exhilarating celebration of a holy and magic evening.