12 (Mostly) Spooky Halloween Superstitions
Many centuries ago Candy corn It was invented, and the ancient Celts celebrated Samhain on October 31, the night that marked the end of the year and the official beginning of winter. Samhainwhich later became folded Halloweenwas also seen as a night when the dead returned to their former homes – or the night of 1903 encyclopedia The Book of Superstitions, Folklore and Occultism of the World says: “The night of every year when the spirits walked outside and the fairies were the boldest.” Once upon a time this evening was accompanied by much folklore and superstition, and while much of it was concerned with romantic fortune-telling, some traditions were significantly more horrific. Here are dozens of tales from the Encyclopedia of Superstitions to get you in the Halloween mood.
- Be careful at crossroads on Halloween.
- Don’t eat blackberries after Halloween.
- Waving a firestick to bring good luck on Halloween.
- Throw a white stone into a fire on Halloween to see if you’ll live another year.
- To avoid bad luck, stay indoors on Halloween.
- Draw a cross on your boat on Halloween to bring good luck.
- Head to the sea on Halloween to experience the “double view.”
- Eat an apple on Halloween for good health.
- Watch the bull on Halloween to predict the weather.
- If you want a baby with superpowers, give birth on Halloween.
- To protect your fields, light a bonfire and sing on Halloween.
- Beware of witches on Halloween.
Be careful at crossroads on Halloween.
In Wales, a disembodied spirit was believed to sit on every crossroads and pillar on All Saints’ Eve. (Polls are small structures that allow humans, but not animals, to pass over fences.)
Don’t eat blackberries after Halloween.
In the British Isles, eating was said to be evil blackberries After Halloween – because that night Boca (which is Irish for “ghost”) will come and destroy them.
You may also like…
Add the mental thread as Favorite news source!
Waving a firestick to bring good luck on Halloween.
In Scotland, you can secure yourself good luck by waving around the red-hot end of a firestick at some ‘mysterious character’.
Throw a white stone into a fire on Halloween to see if you’ll live another year.
The Welsh families had a particularly creepy one Imitation of fire: After starting a huge fire, each family member throws a small white stone that they have marked in some way. The next morning, they searched through the remains of the fire to find the stones. If someone is missing, it means that person will not live to see another Halloween.
To avoid bad luck, stay indoors on Halloween.
In the Western Isles, it was considered bad form to leave your house on Halloween.
Draw a cross on your boat on Halloween to bring good luck.
On All Saints’ Eve, Orkney fishermen paint a cross on their boats with tar to bring good luck. If they don’t succeed, bribe.”He predicted waterOn top of their boats.
Head to the sea on Halloween to experience the “double view.”
Norman sailors who ventured out to sea on Halloween were said to have “double vision,” that is, each of them saw a living likeness of himself sitting in close contact, and if he was engaged in any action, the ghost was doing the same.
Eat an apple on Halloween for good health.
Apparently, not all myths were scary, but some were related to ordinary health matters. In some Celtic lands, it was believed that if you ate a large apple under an apple tree at midnight on Halloween while wearing only a bed sheet, you would never catch a cold.
Watch the bull on Halloween to predict the weather.
In the days before Weather.com, some people believed that whatever direction the bull was facing while lying down on Halloween was the direction the wind was blowing most of the winter.
If you want a baby with superpowers, give birth on Halloween.
Babies born on Halloween were said to have “the ability to see spirits and speak with fairies.”
To protect your fields, light a bonfire and sing on Halloween.
In the late 17th century, it was customary for farmers in Scotland and elsewhere to walk around their fields carrying a lit torch, singing or chanting a piece of comic poetry, to protect their fields from harm.
Beware of witches on Halloween.
Halloween was once called “Witch’s Night” or “Devil’s Sunday” and was believed to be an occasion for a grand celebration led by his Satanic Majesty. Witches They were said to leave sticks in their beds to deceive their husbands, then ride to celebrations on broomsticks smeared with the fat of murdered unbaptized children – or, if that was not possible, a cat. “All Scottish boys will remember how tired cats are the day after Halloween,” the Encyclopedia of Superstition and Folklore wrote. “Some pity their wretched appearance, others are angry with them because they carry witches.”
A version of this story was originally published in 2020; Updated for 2025.
Share this content:
Post Comment