Halloween and its Ghostly Origins

Halloween, the night of Ghosts, Fairies and Witches

Throughout Britain, people believed that the souls of the dead revisited their relatives on Halloween and that those powers of magic which the Church denounced as evil, were granted to everyone who desired them for that one night before the holy day which followed. It was also believed that on that night, ghosts, fairies and witches could appear at will.

In Wales, Halloween was the night when the wind at any crossroads would whisper to anyone brave, or foolhardy enough to ask, all which would befall them during the coming twelve months.

In Scotland, it was believed that anyone who had been snatched by the fairies could be brought back to Earth on Halloween by the recitation of an appropriate spell in a 'fairy place'. It was even believed that you could enter fairyland by circling a certain Scottish hill nine times between dusk and dawn on Halloween. If an area was to lose its fairy population completely, this was seen as disastrous and to guard against this, people kept a good supply of food handy, just in case the fairies were hungry. Other superstitions surrounding fairies said that anyone unlucky enough to get a visit from a fairy while moving house might expect bad luck.

Flames for Protection

All over the world, fires are lit at Halloween as it was believed that a sacred flame protected ordinary folk from the powers of darkness. In Ireland, in ancient times, Druid leaders met near the holy hill of Tara, the ancient seat of Irish kings. At Halloween, every fire in Ireland was meant to be put out and later lit again from the holy fire. This would ensure the Irish of a safe future.

How to Predict Romance at Halloween

Halloween was also a time of romance and many people believed that this was the eve on which to consult a fortune-teller. In ancient times, many girls (and young men too) hoped to find out their marriage prospects at Halloween. One way they would do this was to bake a cake with a ring, thimble and a coin inside. Whoever had the slice with the coin would be rich, the ring meant a wedding and the thimble meant the finder would never be wed. In the Highlands of Scotland, girls would find out the size and shape of their future husbands by being blindfolded and then drawing cabbages!

Veering away from vegetables, and fruit is included as part of Halloween festivals, most especially the apple. Apples were once thought to be a link between men and the Gods. The druids believed in a land of apples called Avalon where immortals lived. Immortal souls had to pass through water to get there and this may have been the origins of ducking in water for apples at Halloween. Girls looking for a future lover, would peel an apple on the eve of Halloween. They'd then throw the peel over their right shoulder and as it landed, whatever letter shape it had made would be the initial of their future sweetheart.