The Origins and Legends Behind Your Favorite Traditions Here come the scary decorations, pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating, and spooky costumes because Halloween is just around the corner! These traditions are what make Halloween fun and exciting year after year. However, did you know that jack-o’-lanterns come from an Irish legend or that trick-or-treating comes from a historical ritual called “souling”? As we prepare for Oct. 31 activities, here are some fun facts you might not know about Halloween! HALLOWEEN IS BASED ON A CELTIC FESTIVAL. Samhain, a pagan festival held from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1, celebrated both the harvest and the “dark” second half of the year. During this celebration, it was believed the barrier separating the spirits from the physical world would come down, allowing demons to enter and the spirits of all who passed away that year to move on to the next life. ‘STINGY JACK’ HELPED EVOLVE JACK-O’-LANTERNS. The Irish myth of a man named “Stingy Jack” goes like this: Stingy Jack invited the devil for a drink, and because he didn’t want to pay, he convinced the devil to turn into a coin so he could buy their drinks. However, instead of paying, he placed the “coin” next to a cross in his pocket that prevented the devil from returning to his original form. Once he freed the devil, Stingy Jack continued to trick him. When he died, God turned away Stingy Jack with only coal to light his way, so he placed the coal in a carved-out turnip to create a lantern. From there, people slowly transformed his “lantern” into the modern-day jack-o’-lantern! CANDY CORN WAS ONCE CALLED CHICKEN FEED. Candy corn, which the Wunderlee Candy Company began producing in the late 1880s, is an extremely popular Halloween candy. In fact, today, about 35 million pounds of the candy are sold each year! When the Goelitz Candy Company brought it to the masses at the turn of the century, they called the sweet tricolored candy “Chicken Feed” because so many people worked on farms at the time. Their early ads exclaimed, “Something worth crowing for!” Now you know! Happy Halloween! LET’S UNMASK HALLOWEEN:
5 MAJOR MISTAKES TO AVOID AFTER A STORM
Maximize Your Settlement With These Essential Tips After a storm damages your property, resolving the issue can feel like an endless series of obstacles. Then, when you speak to your insurance company, they act like a friend and ensure they will help fix all your problems. Trusting them is your first mistake! Other than the five mistakes people make in their claims below, you need to know you have a couple of jobs on your claim: (1) protect your property from further damage (tarping the roof, stopping water from coming in) and (2) making reasonable repairs. Other than those two, below are five mistakes we see in many of the claims we have handled: MAKE REPAIRS TO YOUR PROPERTY TOO SOON The damage can feel overwhelming or disruptive, but you must refrain from making any repairs before discussing it with your insurance company. You need to report any repairs and their costs to your insurance agent or else you’ll have trouble proving the repair requires compensation. NOT DOCUMENTING THE DAMAGE Document everything! Never assume the insurance company will do this for you or that the damage seems obvious. Photograph and video every area and item that has been damaged. If you know a storm is pending, photograph your home beforehand to prove a future claim. You never know how crucial these pieces of evidence can be in earning you a fair settlement. WAITING TO MAKE A CLAIM The longer you wait, the harder it will be to file your claim. If repairs are required and time passes, clearly communicate this with your agent and stay in contact throughout the process. Any delay can harm your claim and leave you paying for repairs out of pocket. THROWING AWAY EVIDENCE No one wants to keep a soggy carpet, but you need to! Any belongings damaged in the storm should be kept as evidence. Obviously, we won’t ask you to keep soaked rugs or broken furniture inside your living room. Instead, keep them in a pile outside or your garage. SIGNING OFF ON A SETTLEMENT WITHOUT A LAWYER Last but certainly not least, do not accept a settlement without speaking with your lawyer. What seems like decent compensation at first may barely cover a quarter of your repairs. That’s why you should always come to the Brasher Law Firm if your property is damaged after a storm, so we can attain the right settlement and help you throughout the claim process. If you ever need our expert guidance when making a claim, call (888) 989-2889 to schedule a free consultation. We’ll be there with you every step of the way!
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