First of all we would like to congratulate Robin Maycock and Alex Mussler for being appointed to the Historic Interpretations, Inc. Board. They will join Lucy Ringland, Marie Berry, Krissina Newcomb, Jennie Gunther, Rebecca Blum, and Beth Roberts Elsharkawy on the Board, along with Jaclyn Stevens whom has officially become Board President after two years as interim. 

The coming 2017 year holds a lot of opportunity and potential for Historic Interpretations, as we consider it to be a rebuilding year, focused on community outreach and building our volunteer base and their skills. 

We are also excited to close out our year of events with the 30th Annual Historic Hillsborough Neighborhood Tour, a Victorian Celebration just in time for the holiday season. Much is to come for Historic Interpretations, and we are honored that you are here with us.

Have you gotten your Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball Ticket yet?
This year marks the 5th annual Historic Interpretations, Inc. Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball, to be held on February 6th at the Parish Center of Cary from 7pm to 11pm. This is our only fundraiser opportunity to support our history education programs and each and every year it just keeps getting bigger and better! 

Admission includes a sumptuous three-course meal inspired by traditional New Orleans recipes and unlimited drinks - including soda, wine and beer.  This year we have brought back the Moore Square Dixielanders, in combination with DJ provided top 40 tunes. Event photography, door prizes, a costume contest, live performers, raffles and a silent auction will round out the evening's festivities!

VIP packages and tables are available, Early Bird rates are available until January 15th!

This year we have two special announcements, VIVO Masks from Italy, whom have donated a beautiful filagree mask to our raffle this year (pictured below), are giving you a deal on your Masquerade Mask! Use promo code MARDIGRASBALL2016 at checkout for 15% off your order.  Plus the Arthur Murray Dance Studio of Cary will be doing a spirited dance performance for us! 

The atmosphere was one of a kind, and there is nothing like this beautiful setting lit with only torches and candlelight. As the sun began to set you could ​see HI clad in their finest colonials reverencing one another for a lively dance. Inside our Tavern were games and feasting - a true Holiday delight. As the stars came out to shine, our singers serenaded patrons with carols from times long past. Inside the palace there was dancing and the docents and volunteers there did a wonderful job sharing a bit of theatrics and history with us. The evening ended with a wonderful black powder fireworks display.

We can't wait to go back next year!
Thank you to all the dedicated and talented volunteers that joined us.

A Brief History of Halloween in America
By Hellion
Of all the holidays, Halloween stands out as the best example of the quintessential American “melting pot,” that is, a melange of beliefs, rituals, or traditions, both religious or pagan, that stem from all cultures living in America.

October 31 marks the observation of Halloween or Hallowe’en, a short variation of All-hallow-even, the evening before All Hallows Day or All Saints Day, on November 1. After the Romans conquered the Celts in 43AD, they adopted many of their festivals and incorporated them into their own religious celebrations. All Hallows Day was one such example.

Originally the day that celebrated numerous pagan festivals, but Pope Gregory III would eventually designate November 1 to mark the Christian feast of All Saints Day, which had moved from May 13. According to the Church, a day started at sunset, which is why celebrations typically started on October 31, the eve of the holiday, All Hallows Day.

Halloween’s Celtic Origins
One of most poignant pagan celebrations was Samhain (pronounced “Sow-en,”) a Celtic holiday, which marked the end of the harvest and the end of summer. Samhain is sometimes also regarded as the “Celtic New Year.” Celts believed this was a very important day to celebrate, as this was the day when two worlds, the living and the dead, came together. Spirits were believed to be mischievous and caused trouble, sometimes damaging crops. So the Celts would leave food, gather together and set huge bonfires of burning crops, believing the light would drive away evil spirits away. Sometimes they lit candles or carved lanterns out of vegetables such as squash to light the way for good spirits. In the Americas, those lanterns would be carved out of pumpkins, also known as Jack O’Lanterns.

There are also some accounts of people making animal sacrifices to Celtic deities and even dressing in costumes made of animal hides to fool evil spirits. These days, Samhain is celebrated more has a harvest festival but still uses many of the same rituals.

Halloween Traditions in the 1800sEuropean immigrants brought their rituals and customs with them to America. There are actually few accounts of Halloween in colonial American history due in part to the large Protestant presences in the Northern colonies and their strict religious beliefs. However, down in the Southern colonies where larger, more mixed European communities had settled, there are some accounts of Halloween celebrations mixing with Native American harvest celebrations.

In the mid 1800s, nearly two million Irish immigrants fleeing potato famine helped shape Halloween into an even more widely celebrated event. Scottish immigrants celebrated with fireworks, telling ghost stories, playing games and making mischief. There were games such as bobbing for apples, dooking, the dropping of forks on apples without using hands, and Puicini, an Irish fortune-telling game using saucers. Young women were frequently told if they sat in dark rooms and gazed into a mirror, the face of their future husbands would appear, however, if a skull appeared, the poor girl would be destined to die before marriage. The English observation of Guy Fawkes Day on November 5 had also become intertwined with Halloween. Most pranks and mischief were the work of naughty children rather than spirits as once believed.

Halloween As A Communal Celebration
By the 1900s, the focus had shifted from a religious holiday to a more communal celebration. “Guising” was actually a practice dating back to the middle ages, when the poor would go around asking for food or money. Borrowing from the English and Irish traditions, children adopted the practice of guising and would dress up in costumes, but there are only isolated references to children actually going door to door asking for food or money during Halloween. Instead parties were held and had a more festive atmosphere with colorful costumes. The frightening and superstitious aspects of Halloween had diminished somewhat, and Halloween in America was slowly shedding some of the old European traditions favoring more light-hearted celebrations.

Trick or TreatDespite the good natures of some people, Halloween pranks and mischief had become a huge problem in the 1920s and 1930s, mostly because the pranks often turned into vandalism, property damage and even physical assaults. Bad kids and even organizations such as the KKK, used the Halloween as an excuse to engage in criminal activity. Schools and communities did the best they could to curb vandalism by encouraging the “trick or treat” concept. The Boy Scouts got into the act by organizing safe events like school carnivals and local neighborhood trick or treat outings for children, hoping this would stir troublemakers away. But the Trick or Treat idea did face some controversy, as some parents and community leaders would take a stance that Trick or Treat was along the same lines as extortion, either the homes gave children “treats” or the families would be maliciously targeted with “tricks” for not complying. Regardless, by the late 30s, vandalism was decreasing as more and more children opted to partake in Trick or Treat.

The earliest known print of the words “Trick or Treat” did not occur until 1934, when a Portland, Oregon newspaper ran an article about how Halloween pranks kept local police officers on their toes. There would be sporadic instances of the phrase “Trick or Treat” used in the media during the 1930s, eventually making its way onto Halloween cards. But the practice we see today, children dressed in costume, going house to house saying “Trick or Treat” did not really come about until the mid 1940s. Today, those original vintage Halloween cards depicting the “Trick or Treat” words are collector’s items.

The First Halloween Celebrations
Anoka, Minnesota, a.k.a the “Halloween Capital of the World,” was the first city in America to officially hold a Halloween celebration, in an effort to divert kids from pulling pranks like tipping outhouses and letting cows loose to run around on Main Street. The town organized a parade and spent the weeks prior planning and making costumes. Treats of popcorn, peanuts and candy to any children who participated in the parade, followed by a huge bonfire in the town square. The event grew over time and has been held every year since 1920 except 1942 and 1943 when festivities were cancelled due to World War II. These days Anoka, holds elaborate Halloween festivals with a parade, carnivals, costume contests, house decorating, and other community celebrations, living up to its self-proclaimed title of “Halloween Capital of the World.” Salem, Massachusetts, associated mostly with witches due in part to its long and sometimes torrid history, also lays claim to the title. Many historians quietly back away from that debate leaving the two cities to duke it out for themselves.

Halloween in Modern America
The popularity of Halloween has increased year after year. Television, movies, and other media outlets have helped Halloween grow into America’s second largest commercial holiday, which brings in an estimated $6.9 billion dollars annually. Watching horror movies and visiting haunted attractions, real haunts or haunted theme parks is a popular modern way to celebrate the evening. Just as it was in the colonial times, Halloween in America is a melting pot of everything that is Halloween. 
​
Some have argued that Halloween has lost its spiritual meaning due to all the corporate and media influences. In this technology driven world, it’s important to remember that along with society, even holidays are subject to evolution. No matter what people choose to do, no matter what cultural, spiritual or material way, as long as people celebrate in a safe and happy way, the spirit of Halloween in America will endure for ages. But it’s always nice to take a look back at history and learn how it all began.

As a Raleigh, NC based organization, what better way for us to celebrate our namesake then to build a two day festival around him. Historic Interpretations, Inc. is proud to announce that it is hosting and creating the first ever Sir Walter Raleigh Festival. 

Our dedicated members have been working and planning and, while there is not much information we can make public yet, we hope you will check out our site sirwalterfest.com. We are looking for performers, artisans, vendors, stage acts, and entertainers.

Sir Walter Raleigh's life is stranger than fiction and we think that the Raleigh and surrounding communities will love a celebration in this local heroes honor.  Patrons will step back in time when knights were noble, maids were merry, and turkey legs were titanic and experience the 16th century and experience the arts, science, and culture surrounding the life and times of Sir Walter Raleigh in both European and New World History.

We present to you not a page in history, but a whole chapter!

Please stay tuned as MUCH more information will be added to this site in the coming weeks. 
Contact us for updates and interest as well. We hope you will support us in this endeavor! 

Historic Interpretations is made up of dedicated volunteers that take on a persona in order to teach history -- and there is no better way to learn history then to hear REAL stories and participate in hands-on activities. This spring Historic Interpretations has been busy, interpreting Medieval Ireland, the European Renaissance and Colonial America, all amazing times with histories that are just too good to be true... but it IS TRUE!

Lafayette Villages' Irish Festival
Did you know Irish legend credits St Patrick with the Celtic Cross? It is believed he combined the pagan sun god (the circle) with a traditional Christian cross to create a Celtic cross. Did you know Ireland was credited with creating one of the oldest existing books -- The Book of Kells, written in 800AD?  Did you know that one of the most fierce pirates to sail the seas was Irish... and her name was Grace O'Malley? 

These are just the few things you could have learned through hands-on interaction and fun at this year's Celtic heritage festival sponsored by Lafayette Village in Raleigh. 

Historic Interpretations interpreted characters from both Celtic Mythology and real people from many different walks of life. You could have had a conversation with St. Patrick himself if you wanted to! There were games, songs and dances, treasure hunts, and we even had over 200 families create their own unique celtic letters inspired by Illumination and Calligraphy. It was a beautiful, fun-filled day. 

speeches, a grand dinner and ball at Tryon Palace, and with great respect and admiration for his leadership and sacrifices during the War of Independence. 

On April 15th, 2015, Historic Interpretations was honored to be part of this amazing event, recreating Washington's historic visit and all the festivities therein. We demonstrated Colonial dances, taught patrons songs of revolution, and even invited patrons to play colonial games in our Oak Tavern. We cannot wait to return to North Carolina's original capital to what is going to be an annual event. 

The NC Art Museum Family Renaissance Faire
Truly one of the most FUN events Historic Interpretations has the pleasure of participating in, the North Carolina Art Museum's Family Renaissance Faire offers crafts, music, food, and countless demonstrations of skill and artistry. Our interpreters donned our very best garb and taught over 1500 patrons about the origins of Heraldry. 

Over 900 years ago the heraldic device was developed and mainly used so that knights could be spotted in battle, something that their full suit of armor often stopped from happening. For a knight, recognition by the King was vital, especially since the knight’s worth would be measured by his valor on the battlefield. Once a heraldic device was given to a knight or lord, it became family property and would be passed from father to son, thus protecting the family’s reputation for many generations to come.

Over 780 unique and beautiful coat-of-arms were created by all ages and we had a wonderful, albeit exhausting, time learning and teaching with everyone at the faire. 

What's Coming Up?
2015 is not over yet, and we have many events planed -- AND even more exciting events scheduled for 2016!
Interested in joining us? We have everything you need to get started, all you have to do is give us a call. CONTACT US

This is definitely going to be a special year for Historic Interpretations, Inc.. We have new and exciting events on the way, as well as opportunities for performers and volunteers alike. 

Education Trip Series
We plan to continue our Education Trip Series with destinations such as the Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton, VA - a replica of the Globe Theatre in London and home of the American Shakespeare Center, as well as trips to local historical sites and hands on adventures. If you want to be one of the first to know when these events are happening, take a moment and complete this short form --> CLICK HERE.

Historic Interpretations' Music and 
Dance Performance Guildes
Historic Interpretations offers bi-weekly instructions in Historic Music and Dance, focusing on both the court and country music and dance of the Renaissance and the Colonial America. This group frequently perform at our events at festivals, historic sites and other venues. We invite all ages and skill levels to join us every alternating Thursday from 6:30PM - 8:30pm. Our classes are located at Restoration Church 11001 Raven Ridge Rd, Raleigh, NC 27614. AND IT'S FREE! 

hiSTORY Stage
We are in the midst of finalizing our 2015 Theatre Season and encourage anyone interested in auditioning or volunteering to be part of the production to go ahead and sign-up to our hiSTORY Stage list so you can be the first to get our updated information! 

HiSTORYStage's presentation of The Maltese Bodkin, a radio play at North Raleigh Arts and Creative Theatre has just completed it's amazing opening night and will continue its performances through Thursday 11/13- Sunday 11/16. The ensemble cast brings to life this thoroughly entertaining show with proceeds going to support military charities. Friday night's performance is complete with a USO dance! Tickets are sill available.

A comedy mystery with a Shakespearean twist. Times were tough for hard boiled detective Birnam Wood. He never asked to be in London. Especially in 1605. When his partner is murdered, Wood has to find the killer amid a vast cast of suspects that includes (among others) Viola, Richard III, Falstaff, Iago, Mercutio and a merchant from Venice. But the real solution to the mystery seems to be in discovering the secret behind a mysterious dagger known as the Maltese Bodkin.

Historic Interpretations, thanks to the leadership of director Beth Roberts and her dedicated cast and crew, has raised $1500 in their KickStarter for our latest History Stage production. "The Maltese Bodkin" tells the tale of Birnam Wood, hard boiled detective, as it is broadcast across the airwaves to the homes of eager listeners on the day after D-Day.

Shows will run Thursday, Nov. 13 through Saturday, Nov. 15 at 8:00 PM and Sunday, Nov. 16 at 2:00 PM.

There will be a USO-style dance Friday, Nov. 14 following the performance until 11:30 PM. Dress to impress and practice your swing moves! Refreshments will be served.

About the Play:
Birnam Wood never asked to be in London, especially in London in 1605. When his partner turns up murdered, Wood has to find the killer amid a cast of suspects that includes Richard III, Falstaff, Iago, Mercutio, Viola, and even a merchant from Venice! The real solution to the mystery seems to be in discovering the secret behind a mysterious dagger known as the Maltese Bodkin. 

About the Production:
In the 1940s, radio was the main form of entertainment and news delivery in American households. From FDR's fireside chats to shows like "The Shadow" and "Abbott & Costello", nearly everyone spent a good portion of their day with the family radio. The script suits the noir radio drama format so well that we decided to give the audience an inside peek at what it might have looked like to record one.

When you walk through the doors, you'll experience a little of what it was like to live in the US in 1944 during World War II. From the decor to the concessions to the costumes to the "live broadcast" performance, we are striving to provide the theater goer with a fully immersed experience.

About the Show's Mission:
For us, this show is more than just a history lesson. In the spirit of cooperation and togetherness the US experienced during the war years, we are partnering with three military charities to provide support to our service members and their families. Proceeds from the show, "war bonds" sold during the performances, and donations to our team pages will go to the USO, Fisher House Foundation, and Special Operations Warrior Foundation. (Tax receipts will be provided by the organization for any donations made.)

Simply put, the more money we raise, the more help we can provide these amazing organizations.

April 11 & 12, Wendell, NC
Historic Interpretations thrives on its amazing volunteers... and collectively we have so much knowledge. For the first time the HI Board has organized a day and a half event, History Con, to highlight our educational mission and offer workshops, hands-on activities and a whole lot of fun to build the capacity of our volunteers and allow everyone the opportunity to network, connect, and learn from one another.  What better way to get to know the HI Family.

In order to make this work we need to you REGISTER! Only the first 75 spots are available and we are more than half filled already!!! All we need is your name and a bit of information about you and your expectations for the event and we will send you the final workshop and activities agenda that you can customize in order to make the most of your History Con experience. And did we mention it's FREE!

Highlights!
We are supper excited for the Meet and Greet scheduled for Saturday evening. The food is provided  and we even hope to have live music and dancing under the stars. Sunday will even include an Open Market to trade and sell costumes, garb and reenactment props and accessories. 

Workshops
The Learning Experiences planned provide a wide range for our volunteers, friends and family members: delve deep into creating a historical persona, or how you can serve HI as a Brownshirt Volunteer and learn more about CPR and First Aid. Interested in food? Brewing? We will have workshops on that too. 

For more information, go tohttps://tackk.com/6jrczb. You will find registration information and expectations for the day. And please, give us feedback!!! We are looking for folks interested in leading workshops and of course we hope you all can attend in get to know Historic Interpretation's amazing family better!!

Don't forget that HI is now on Pinterest. We've created boards on fashion, food, games, and Living History as a place to collect some of the wonderful posts you share here, and as a resource for you to use when creating your living history persona.

Patterns, portraits, paintings and more. 
Have something you would like to add to our pinterest board? Let us know!

It has been a few years in the making, but Historic Interpretations is proud to debut its first film, "Let Tyrants Fear" an interpretation of the speech and battle at Tilbury.

This inaugural project for the HI film division began in the summer of 2011. Thanks to our volunteers and historic experts, HI took on the task of recreating Queen Elizabeth I's speech to the Troops at Tilbury, delivered on the ninth of August, 1588 in preparation for repelling the expected invasion by the Spanish Armada.