Happy Halloween!

1. Halloween began as a celebration of the dead

The ancient Celts celebrated Samhain on November 1, which was a festival honoring the dead while taking part in certain rituals. According to historical research, it is believed that on October 31, people thought the barrier between the living and dead weakened and the dead returned. As a result, people would place food and wine outside their homes to ward off ghosts on the eve before Samhain was celebrated.

2. Some old Halloween rituals were made to find a husband

During the 18th century, single women would throw apple peels over their shoulder, hoping to see their future husband’s initials in the pattern when they landed. Additionally, single ladies who won at a game of apple bobbing during parties would be said to be the first to marry. The bachelorette would also take part in another tradition slightly creepier, which would see them stand in a dark room while holding a candle in front of a mirror to look for their future husband’s face to appear instead of their own reflection.

3. Jack O’Lantern was a real man

Jack O’Lanterns as we know today are the emblematic carved pumpkins subtly lit up by a candle placed inside, as well as the ultimate Halloween decoration. However, many people will not know that these homemade lanterns are directly tied to the Irish legend of Stingy Jack. Stingy Jack was an Irish drunkard who bargained with Satan and became doomed to roam the Earth with only a hollowed turnip to light his way. As the notorious man tricked the devil and was condemned to wander with his lantern, he started going by “Jack of the Lantern.”

4. The night before Halloween is called ‘Mischief Night’ or ‘Goosey Night in some places’

Today’s children will sound a lot more innocent than what they used to be like on Halloween. Previously kids would pull pranks, generally on October 30, often involving toilet papering the trees outside someone’s house or egging cars. This tradition has since died out.

5. Trick-or-treating originates from poverty

The tradition children enjoy the most during Halloween began in certain areas of the UK and Ireland. Poor children would go from house-to-house “souling”, a term used as a result of people asking for small breads called “soul cakes” in exchange for prayers.

6. Masks worn during Halloween have a dark story

In 2008, National Geographic News talked to Ken Nilsen, a professor of Celtic studies at Canada’s St. Francis Xavier University, who confirmed that the ancient Celts would use animal parts in rituals and sacrifices. Therefore, it is very likely that when the Celts wore masks to celebrate Samhain, they were made from dead animals. Masks were initially worn to ward off evil spirits, as people believed that on Halloween, souls would come back to walk the earth, looking for lives to take with them. This was a way for people to convince spirits that they were fellow ghosts and not living people.

7. In Wales, there is a legend about a spirit deciding who will die next

In Welsh mythology, a spirit named Angelystor, which means “Recording Angel” appears each Halloween at the Llangernyw Yew tree on November 1. The Llangernyw Yew tree is an ancient yew in the village of Llangernyw, Conwy, North Wales. According to the legend, Angelstor was sent to tell the village who will die next.

8. In Lithuania, Halloween is the night where light meets darkness

Ancient Lithuanian traditions assert that half of the year is light and the other half is dark, both as a literal seasonal observation but also as a metaphor for good and bad spiritual energy. That’s why, for Lithuanians, Halloween marks the day where “good” and “evil” meet.

9. In Germany, households hide their knives on Halloween

An old German tradition professes that on Halloween, one must hide all their knives to make sure the souls of their visiting relatives do not get hurt.

10. Bats on Halloween means your house is haunted

There is a superstition that states that if a bat flies into a house on Halloween night, this means that it is a sign the house is haunted. The myth is explained by the fact that people believed ghosts would let a bat inside a house.

11. The word “bonfire” comes from the tradition of burning bones on Halloween

This is another tradition that holds its origins from the Celtic Samhain festival. As the Celts celebrated the end of the summer, they would gather bones and cuttings from crops to create a huge fire. The “bone fire” ritual would ensure a good crop for the following year, and would lead to the creation of the word “bonfire”.

12. Bat blood was used in witches’ potions for Halloween

Bats are an emblematic symbol of Halloween, because they have been associated with vampires and supernatural myths for centuries. Nevertheless, the vampire bat, which is a species of bat that feeds on blood, has been linked to witches. It is believed that witches worshiped the flying animals and would even use their blood to create potions to help them fly.

Source: Native Newspost