HALLOWEEN SUPERSTITIONS
It is celebrated at a time of the year when trees become bare and days become shorter. In other words this is the day when the forces of cold and death return to earth. People used to believe that it was necessary to fight against these forces in order to survive the tough winter months ahead.
They had bonfires, and they used apples and nuts to drive away the witches and spirits that haunted civilization on this particular night. Nuts were used to predict with whom you were going to marry. You had to put two nuts into the fire side by side, then give them names. It was a good sign if they glowed and burned together, but if one or both burst, it meant bad luck. A couple could also place two nuts into the fire to see if they would have a long and happy life together,
Apples were used to foresee luck and fortune.
One would ‘bow ones head into a bucket filled with water and some apples, and try to catch an apple, the bigger the better, since a bigger apple would bring you greater fortune.
However, not all people celebrate Halloween for the same reason. Some celebrate it as a day for remembering the dead and others by making merry and seeking guidance for the future.
All sorts of superstition were connected with the celebration of Halloween, and some of them are still alive, even if they don’t have the same significance today. Halloween in today’s Britain turns out to be a distant echo of the original feast of life and death. 3 1 October is a day for fancy dress parties, hollowed pumpkins and cheerful and messy games. Many children also go round knocking on doors, dancing and singing and asking for sweets or money.
