On February 26th, have a happily ever after kind of day because today is National Tell A Fairy Tale Day! In our Homeschool this morning Charlie will be reading Fairy Tales he picks out from the Library and while Charlie is looking for the books he wants to read I’m going to look for a book on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Your welcome to join us for Library Time today all you need to do is bring your favorite Fairy Tale to share with us.
Fairy Tales were once oral histories, myths, and legends retold around the fire or by traveling storytellers, which have been written down and become known the world over as fairy tales. The origins of most fairy tales would fail today’s standards of the Association of Fairy Tales. They told unseemly tales which would be rated as inappropriate for children. Most traveling storytellers told fairy tales with dramatic detail to make children behave, teach a lesson or pass the time much like ghost stories around a campfire today.
The fairy tale’s ancient roots can be traced all over the world, from Vikram-Betaal in India and Aesop’s Fables in Ancient Greece to Arabian Nights in the Middle East. It was during the late 17th to 19th Centuries that fairy tale collectors emerged, most famously Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm. While the Brothers Grimm aimed to preserve folktales in their pure form, documenting them in the way they were told by rural peasants unable to read or write, Perrault and others reworked fairy tales for literary and artistic effect, with some writers including Hans Christian Andersen dreaming up their own new stories.
As the fairy tale’s history emerges into the modern day, it’s clear that the genre is still as popular as ever – look no further than the success of Disney movies to see how these stories continue to capture our hearts and imaginations. In fact, the famous Disney Castle is inspired by Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, built by none other than the Märchenkönig (fairy-tale king), Ludwig II of Bavaria, himself. Perched on a rocky hill and with horse-drawn carriage rides up to the front door, Neuschwanstein and its elaborate interior abound in myths and legends. Neuschwanstein Castle is even home to an artificial grotto!
One of the most interesting aspects of fairy tales is how they change over time. Simple plot structures, motifs and archetypal characters recurring across many cultures make these stories rife for adaptation and reinterpretation.
Although nowadays we usually associate fairy tales with children’s literature, you may be surprised to learn that many of today’s beloved stories have rather dark and disturbing origins. Imagine a world in which no woodcutter comes to save Little Red Riding Hood from the wolf’s belly, or in which one of the ugly stepsisters cuts off her own toes so that her foot fits in the slipper! From the 18th Century onwards, many fairy tales were toned down and reworked so that they were more suitable for children. Thank the LORD because I wouldn’t want to read about a women cutting off her toes to fit into a shoe. Would you?
These stories and the genre itself have also been adapted and reinvented for different time periods and cultures. Alongside original modern-day fairy tales, there are also various retellings, for example in urban settings or different Countries. One particularly common type of retelling comes from women writers. Authors such as Angela Carter and Margaret Atwood have taken what are often seen as outdated tropes about women and reinvented them – the damsel in distress becomes the plucky heroine, and the trapped bride leaves her ogre husband for her happily ever after.
As it is often claimed Albert Einstein once said, “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” We might not expect such high praise for fairy tales from a world-famous theoretical physicist, but Einstein recognized the importance of the imagination.
Fairy tales are incredibly valuable for both children and adults when it comes to learning about the world in which we live and developing our capacity for creativity. Fairy tales have also been considered fertile ground by psychoanalysts. With their twists and turns, age-old themes and familiar characters, our favorite stories may reveal not only the workings of our personal subconscious but also the fundamental elements of our collective psyche.
It should be clear by now that, when it comes to celebrating National Tell A Fairy Tale Day, you really can let your imagination run wild! And while it’s a day that kids will love, it’s also a great occasion for adults to find a book to read as well. Gather your friends and family and take turns to share your favorite stories with one another.
Today is the time to brush up on our acting skills, because the more dramatic enactments the better and can include impersonating a wicked witch or acting out the characters’ quest through the enchanted forest, you will want to really make the fairy tale come to life for your audience. If you have the opportunity why not sit around a bonfire roasting Marshmallows and have your family help you string up fairy lights to add to the atmosphere? Then hand everyone a fairy tale to read out loud.
Alongside sharing fairy tales we know and love, fairy tales are the perfect genre for getting creative and honing your writing skills. Take a well-known story and tweak it to fit a different time or setting, or have a crack at inventing your own fairy tale. Which Charlie could do in his Homeschool Creative Writing Class or Drama Class and Charlie could create a Play. Don’t forget your fairy tale could start with ‘Once upon a time’, but it’s completely up to you whether there’s a ‘Happily ever after’! Libraries and literary organizations will also share stories and creative resources and even hold events to help celebrate National Tell a Fairy Tale Day.
If writing’s not your thing, then there are plenty of films and programs based on fairy tales for you to enjoy. Including Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, or you could join me and watch Suzzane’s favorite Fairy Tales Cinderella or The Little Mermaid are examples of the media giant’s adaptations, while movies and TV series such as Into the Woods and Tell Me a Story interweave and retell various classic fairy tales for new audiences.
If you feel like sharing National Fairy Tale Day why not host a fairy tale themed party? Ask your guests to come dressed fancy dress clothes or like on of the characters in there favorite fairy tale. Create an enchanted feast of snacks including a gingerbread house for Hansel and Gretel. Put together party games like hunt the pea and castle building to keep your guest entertained and don’t forget to host a Scavenger Hunt to find items from the Fairy Tales you will be reading.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
