Halloween

Halloween

Learn About Halloween

All You Need To Know About Halloween Superstitions! This is the best guide to Halloween and superstitions.

We all love Halloween and the amazing decorations, the misty night, the pumpkins and the chocolate. So what about Halloween and is its origin. It originated from the Catholic holiday of All Hallows Eve. The meaning of the word “Hallow” in English is Saint. So the 31st of October is the day before the Saint’s celebrations. The most interesting thing about Halloween in the modern world is that, the Satanists have decided to incorporate it as one of their three main seasonal days of celebration, thus, creating the controversy on whether the Christians should honor its original meaning and celebrate, or not celebrate at all, due to its association with Satanism.

Essence & Origin of Halloween

Halloween is a celebration. The origin of Halloween can be traced to this ancient pagan festival celebrated by pagan’s over two thousand years ago. Halloween marked the Celtic New Year. It is also called many different names such as:

  • All halloween
  • Halloween day
  • The great Halloween
  • All Hallows' Eve 
  • All Saints' Eve.

The Christian religious are unsure about the celebration - they use to attend church or light candles. Certain foods on this day include apples, sweets and soul cakes.

Wrong Beliefs from the Pagan tradition

The Pagan's believed that it was a time when our world and the next world interchanged. They were particularly active on the day and damaged their crops. Other Pagan's offered sweets to the spirits to appease them. The churches later encouraged celebrants to go from house to house on Halloween, offering to pray for those that lived there - this was in exchange to protect the house from evil - which is Halloween's trick or treat.

Symbols & Halloween Superstitions

Trick or Treating is the most popular pastime on the evening of the 31st of October. If we go outside we will see many children dressed in Halloween costumes. Knocking on doors asking for candy. The idea is that they offer a trick if the candy is not given. Carved Pumpkins & Turnips (Jack-O'-Lanterns) is another famous folklore tradition. The carving of pumpkins originates from the festival known as Samantha, there was a man named Stingy Jack. He deceived the devil and this meant that he was not able to enter the gates of either hell or heaven when he passed over. He tried to find his path using a lantern which is today known as a Jack-O'-lanterns. The tradition is that we place a light on the porch of our home to guide spirits but carve a face to frighten them so they don’t enter our homes!

As we have just mentioned the Carvings were originally made from a hollowed out turnip containing a small candle inside, §Jack-O'-lanterns' which contain a carving of a face - and also used to frighten spirits. In the 1800's there was a shortage of turnips. This was the traditional Halloween carving item, thus as pumpkins were widely sold, then they would carve scary faces from the skin after removing the insides. Let’s now look at toffee apples. Halloween treats made by rolling whole apples in a sugar syrup containing caramel. More recently, chocolate with nuts, this apple was handed out firstly in North America. Another tradition is to peel an apple - using one stroke of the knife. The person that has the longest piece of peel will outlive the others. Chuck this over one’s left shoulder to reveal a future lover.

Black Cats

although it said that a black cat is a symbol of bad luck; black cats grace many Halloween decorations, the devil turned into a cat when celebrating Halloween. If someone hurt’s a black cat on Halloween, He will have seven years of bad luck. In Ireland, Scotland and England it is considered good luck for a black cat to cross someone's path. Spiders are known to be something that is feared. On Halloween spiders are normally used within the decorations. If the spider falls on a candle lit on Halloween this is suppose to mean a witch is near. A dead person is watching over anyone seeing a large, black real spider on Halloween night.

A witch normally celebrates Halloween and conducts a number of spells. The famous image of a witch is one with a black hat, a broomstick and a cat. Of course we cannot forget her cauldron which comes from the pagan goddess named Crone, she was a woman who was associated with wisdom. There is an old superstition that putting on one's clothes inside out will protect against the witch on Halloween.

Superstitions of Cemeteries

Do not look back in cemeteries as a ghost may follow you. And if you commit the mistake of looking back, then you must hold your breath. Also when driving by a cemetery to prevent evil spirits from visiting them. When passing near to a cemetery where someone has died, pull out your pocket’s when near the graveyard - to make sure you don't bring home the ghost in your pocket. An old superstition said that when a body is moved to a new cemetery from its original, it will be claimed by the devil.

Here are some more interesting Halloween Superstitions

  • It is said that if the flame on your candle goes out on Halloween celebration, it means that there is a ghost.
  • To ward off evil spirits on Halloween, you need to walk around your house three times backward. This must be done before sunset on Halloween, and that would take care of all evil, or you would ring bells on the 31st of October: completed on Halloween night means you will frighten evil spirits away.
  • Children born on Halloween are said that they can see and talk to spirits also they have the power to ward off evil spirits.
  • On Halloween night, it is believed that those people who are destined to die within a year will hear a sigh that is carried by the wind which blows over the feet of the dead.
  • Do not look over your left shoulder to the moon on Halloween.
  • If someone hears four knocks on the door - and no one is there, it usually means a close one to him has died.
  • Never slam a door. You might hurt a ghost, who will haunt you for the rest of your life.
  • People believed that the devil lived to collect nuts. So, traditionally people wore nuts during Halloween.

Here are some great facts about Halloween that you should know about

Halloween Doesn’t Have A Satanic Origin

Halloween has its origin from a catholic holiday of All Hallows Eve where the Catholic faithfuls had a holy night of worship in order to honor the spirits of the departed who are still wondering on the earth. The traditions of the holiday were incorporated into the Halloween from the Celtic immigrants to the US and that is the Halloween as we know it today

The Apple Bobbing Was Used As A Form of Divination

Apple bobbing on Halloween use to be performed by adults; they try to grab apples in water without the use of their hands. The origin of this crazy, amusing event was not so amusing in the past. The culture of the Celtic people pegged a name tag to the apple. One was supposed to select from a tub of water, peel it in one strong strand, wrap it around their heads and then throw it over their shoulder. The shape that formed when the peel fell was the initial of their lover. Just imagine if it formed an initial of someone you did not like! It used to be very worrying event - and it can only be equated to the Millionaire matchmaker!

The Candy Poisoned Trick or Treat Story is Not Purely an Urban Legend

During Halloween, parents warn their children to be wary of the candies they receive as they might be laced with poison or some strange items such as razor blades and needles. The belief originated from a famous case which dates back to the 1960s. A lady by the name Helen Pilfer, who lived in Long Island in New York, mixed her candy with some arsenic tablets and gave it to three teenage girls; the good news is that, their parents spotted the poison before the girls could consume it. Though she claimed it was a joke which she was playing on the girls because, to her, they were too old to be playing trick – or – trick or treating, she was arrested anyway. So parents should not take it lightly. Watch over the candies your children consume on Halloween.

Toilet Papering Houses on Halloween

There is a group of people - a Californian gang, who rebelliously have been wrapping homes with toilet paper - they have been doing it for over 30 years now and even with arrests, they never stop, instead, they keep on perfecting their act year in, year out. Every year, new members are recruited into the gang. They are even plans to make a documentary out of this strange event.

The Accused Witches in Salem Were Not All Due To Witchcraft. It happened on a Halloween day and it marked a dark day in the American history. Out of the 200 supposedly witches who were brought in court for unsubstantiated charges of witchcraft, only a small fraction of 10 percent were convicted and prosecuted for their unknown crimes.

The First Jack Lantern Was Made from a Turnip

In the month of October just before the celebration of Halloween, you will find decorations of pumpkins with faces carved - all over the world. Traditionally, this wasn’t the food of choice for decoration as turnips were best preferred. There is a an old Irish and English tale about a blacksmith named Jack, he could not enter Heaven or Hell so wandered the earth looking for a way in. He held burning coal with a turnip to protect his hands to see his way. So pumpkins replaced the turnips to disguise the wandering spirit of Jack the blacksmith.

Halloween is Just A Holiday with a Clinical Phobia

Halloween creates a fear in some people who even dread the day itself. The fear of Halloween is normally referred to as Samhainophobia which was named after the Celtic Festival, Samhain. The fear creates a rare condition that results in some emotional symptoms such as an irrational fear. Some people experience breathing problems and panic attacks. The truth is, Halloween is a just a holiday with a tag on it and nothing to fear about it. One should learn that, behind those scary masks, hides the faces of real people.

The Original Flavors of Musketeers

When it was introduced way back in 1932, the candy bar was named the “3 musketeers” as it was available only in three flavors; strawberry, vanilla and chocolate. That was the time when it offered real goodness to its consumers.

Halloween Masks and The Prediction of The Presidency

Halloween mask sales have in most cases predicted the next American president. Any electioneering year, the sales of the masks of the presidential candidate determines whom the majority of the Americans is going to vote for. The more the mask of that candidate is bought shows somehow, whom the Americans are going to elect into office as their president. It happened in 1996 between Bill Clinton and Bob Dole and it repeated itself during Obama and Romney. It is normally dubbed as the “Musk Poll”.

Haunted Houses In Some States

The belief in the existence of real ghosts or the possibility of ghosts inhabiting in a house is common in many states. If the house is expected to be haunted it is suppose to affect the value of a house, reducing this by a large percentage. There is a law which prohibits one from selling a house without telling the buyer that, they might have unknown ghosts! Whether you believe in the Halloween, the existence of ghosts, that is the law for you. Share this great information about Halloween with your friends on social media.

By Flo Saul
Dec 21, 2016