Halloween is a relatively young holiday for the Western community, with its roots in pagan beliefs. All of his modern trappings, from grim costumes to candy, only became widespread in the early 20th century. In fact, this holiday is about 2 thousand years old, initially it was celebrated as the Celtic New Year and was called Samhain, which in Gaelic meant “the end of summer”.
Some traditions, such as the lantern gourd, have their roots in ancient Irish folklore. At the same time, there are modern Halloween trappings such as candy corn. Here are the explanations for 13 superstitions of this holiday, including spiders, witches and bats.
Black cat
We all know the superstition that advises us to avoid meeting a black cat. This symbol of bad luck can be found, among other things, as the entourage of modern Halloween. Black cats have earned a bad reputation since the Dark Ages of European history, when witch hunts were common. Then the elderly and single women were often accused of witchcraft, and their pets were ranked as demonic entities. According to another medieval myth, Satan turned himself into a cat when he interacted with witches. In our time, everything has changed dramatically. For example, the British believe that a black cat crosses the road to good luck, and now it is more a symbol of mischief than demonic power.
Pumpkin lanterns
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The following tradition has a sinister and even somewhat tragic history. According to Celtic folklore, a drunken farmer named Jack once tricked the devil. The deception was revealed, and as a result, after the death of the man, the gates to both heaven and hell were closed in front of him. He was forced to wander in the dark in purgatory, and in order to somehow make out the road, he made a lantern from a turnip and a piece of coal, which the devil threw him from hell.
The ancient Celts believed that placing lanterns in a vegetable would help lost souls find their way home as they roam the dark streets on Halloween night. Initially, festive attributes were made from turnips with a hollowed out cavity where a candle was inserted. During the so-called potato famine, pumpkin replaced the turnip, and there were also slits in the form of eyes, nose and teeth. This was to scare away evil spirits that could threaten the Irish farmers' crops.
The bats
Medieval folklore attributed to bats familiar communication with witches. These small but creepy creatures were considered an ominous sign of Halloween. According to one of the myths, a bat that flew three times around the house foreshadowed the imminent death of one of the residents. If on the night of Halloween this creature flew into someone's home, this meant that ghosts were haunting the family.
Spiders
In fact, harmless insects are a source of phobias for many people. Spiders symbolize fear, and their touch - a feeling of goosebumps all over the body. According to Celtic folklore, these creatures join the list of faithful companions of witches, along with black cats and bats. According to some superstitions, it was believed that if a spider falls into a lamp with a candle, it means that evil spirits are somewhere nearby. And here is another prejudice: if a person saw an insect on Halloween night, it means that the spirit of a deceased relative is watching him.
Witches
We've all seen the stereotypical depiction of a witch: an old, crooked old woman in a pointed black hat and a wart on her nose, stirring a magic potion in a cauldron. In fact, this image originated from the pagan goddess of the Samhain holiday. She personified Mother Earth, symbolizing fertility, wisdom and the changing seasons of the year. And only in the Middle Ages did people deprive the witch of kindness and endowed with demonic qualities.
Boilers
The pagan Celts believed that after death, all people fall into the witch's cauldron, symbolizing the womb of mother Earth. While the goddess stirred the contents, the soul awaited reincarnation. This process allowed new souls to enter the cauldron and old ones to be reborn. As you can imagine, later, during the witch hunt, the interpretation of this symbol also underwent radical changes. Now there were no souls in the cauldron, only a poisonous, boiling devil's potion.
Witch's broom
The broom, on which the witch moves, is another prejudice that has its origins in the Middle Ages. In fact, elderly people and single women, who were often accused of witchcraft and involvement in black magic, did not have the opportunity to ride horses. They were poor, so they walked through the forest, armed only with a cane, which was sometimes replaced by a broom.
According to stories from English folklore, real sorcerers and witches rubbed hallucinogenic ointment into the body during night ceremonies, which caused numbness of the limbs, rapid heart rate and the illusion that they were floating in the sky.
Why do children beg for sweets and dress up in costumes?
In the old days it was believed that there was only a thin veil between the real world and the world of spirits. That is why the ghosts of the dead could meet living people. According to ancient legends, on Halloween night, spirits disguised themselves in human form (for example, in the form of a beggar) could knock on houses and ask for alms. If the inhabitants of the dwelling were greedy and did not give the uninvited guest food or money, the ghosts could get angry and put a curse on the family.
From here came another superstition, according to which people themselves began to disguise themselves under suits in order to merge with the spirits in the crowd and ward off evil from themselves. Well, in modern American history, costume parties became fashionable only in the 50s of the 20th century.
Holiday colors
The traditional colors of Halloween are orange and black. When the Celtic pagans celebrated the autumn harvest, it was these shades that symbolized the wilting of nature and leaves. Summer (orange) was dying, and the cold took the reins into their own hands. Over time, purple, green and yellow have also become traditional holiday colors.
Night pranks
For teens, Halloween is a fun holiday that has allowed them some nightly pranks. Children enthusiastically wreak havoc on pumpkin lanterns or place mischievous threatening signs on neighbors' homes. The ancient Celts also celebrated Samhain with campfire games and funny antics. But already at the beginning of the 20th century, the celebrations became more noisy and included acts of vandalism.
American historians have suggested that this was due to the Great Depression. To somehow curb the unrest, adults began distributing candy to violent teenagers, provided they were dressed in original costumes. Thus, an ancient tradition was revived. However, teenagers to this day are sure that on the night of October 31, they can wreak havoc with impunity.
Apples in syrup
Topped with a shiny red syrup, this sugary fruit on a stick was popular in the early years of North America's Halloween celebrations. Later, public concern about sweets became a problem. As a result, the holiday received a slightly modified attribute - apples covered with chocolate with nuts or caramel. For this attribute of the holiday, one should thank the fusion of the traditions of two cultures (Celtic and Roman). The Romans often depicted the goddess of fertility with an apple in her hand.
Fortune telling on apples
In ancient times, the apple was seen as a sacred fruit that could be used to predict the future. The girls gladly wondered about the upcoming marriage. Apples were placed in a bucket filled with water. The participant who managed to get the fruit out of the container without using her hands was to get married soon. Taking out the apple on the first try meant the upcoming love luck.
Sweet popcorn
In the modern version of the holiday, you cannot do without sweets. While Halloween was gaining popularity in North America, candy corn was invented. However, a hundred years ago, the technology for preparing a treat was extremely complex. The corn was heated and then manually placed into molds. Syrup of a certain color, heated in a large vat, was also sent there. This is how candy yellow, orange and white appeared, which quickly gained success among the population. These colorful sweets are still popular today.
Inga Kaisina