Loyalty Pawn Employee Services Corner

All Hallows Night is right around the corner!

Did you know that one quarter of all the candy sold annually in the U.S. is purchased for Halloween?

Ancient Origins of Halloween

Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1st. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.

Halloween Comes to America

Celebration of Halloween was extremely limited in colonial New England because of the rigid Protestant belief systems there. Halloween was much more common in Maryland and the southern colonies. As the beliefs and customs of different European ethnic groups as well as the American Indians meshed, a distinctly American version of Halloween began to emerge. The first celebrations included “play parties,” public events held to celebrate the harvest, where neighbors would share stories of the dead, tell each other’s fortunes, dance and sing.

Trick-or-Treat

Borrowing from Irish and English traditions, Americans began to dress up in costumes and go house to house asking for food or money, a practice that eventually became today’s “trick-or-treat” tradition. Young women believed that on Halloween they could divine the name or appearance of their future husband by doing tricks with yarn, apple parings or mirrors.

In the late 1800s, there was a move in America to mold Halloween into a holiday more about community and neighborly get-togethers than about ghosts, pranks and witchcraft. At the turn of the century, Halloween parties for both children and adults became the most common way to celebrate the day. Parties focused on games, foods of the season and festive costumes.

Parents were encouraged by newspapers and community leaders to take anything “frightening” or “grotesque” out of Halloween celebrations. Because of these efforts, Halloween lost most of its superstitious and religious overtones by the beginning of the twentieth century. So, now you know.

October Birthstone – Dual Stones!

Did you know that October has two birthstones; Tourmaline and Opal. Tourmaline is a favorite gemstone for many because it's available in a rainbow of beautiful colors. Opal gemstones are truly unique because each individual gem is adorned with a one-of-a-kind color combination. Happy birthday to our October Opal babies of Loyalty Pawn!

Winner of September’s – Who’s That Baby Now?

September’s Who’s that Baby showcase is non-other than “Lauren Lukowicz” our Three Ball’s Chronicles Newsletter Editor in Chief! But sadly, no one guessed it was Lauren! So, I say, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try, again for October’s edition of Who’s that Baby Now for a chance to win an 8-hour PTO Day! Lauren will be receiving a $50 Amazon Gift Certificate for allowing us to get to know her better!

Things you didn’t know about Lauren.

Where did you grow up? I grew up in Sacramento, California.

What did you want to be when you grew up? When I was younger I wanted to be a baker and own my own bakery because I love to bake with my family all the time especially during the holidays! but I don’t want to do that anymore now I want to be a Nurse in either Pediatrics or the NICU (neonatal care unit).

What thing(s) would you like to share with the team (things about you) that most people don't know? I had to have braces three times because I lost my retainer and it sucked!!

What one adjective best describe you and why? Giving, supportive and caring because I am always there for my friends and family whenever they need someone to talk to and I like to give back to the community through service.

What is it about the pawn industry that keeps you in it? My family

What is your favorite color? Pink

What is your favorite sport? I don’t really like sports that much but since I go to The University of Alabama it has to be football so Roll Tide!!

What is your most memorable achievement-personally? My most memorable achievement personally is being the first one in my family to go to college and going to the college that I want to go to even though it is so far away!

What is your most memorable professional achievement? I am in college, so I have only had one job and it has been at my family’s business, but I think my most memorable professional achievement working at my family’s business would be learning a lot of good life skills that will help me throughout my life both professionally in the future and in college

October 2018 Issue | Who’s That Baby Now?

Guess correctly and your answer will be entered into the October Three Balls Chronicles 2018 drawing for a chance to win an 8-hour paid day off! Email your answer to EmployeeServices@LoyaltyPawn.com and put “October Who’s That Baby Now” in the subject line then type your answer in the body of the email and send. Deadline to submit your answer is Monday, October 22nd And don’t forget to email your baby photo(s) to EmployeeServices@LoyaltyPawn.com and when your photo is featured you’ll be given a $50 Amazon Gift Card. That’s all there is to it! Good luck! Enjoy the month of October get excited, engage in and participate Who’s That Baby Now and remember, if you need HR, Payroll, Benefits, or Family support, Loyalty Pawn’s Employee Services is only a phone call, text message, or email away, 24/7/365. ~Dmae