First a little history...
The Celtic Druids celebrated their year end on 10/31 with a festival called Samhain, which means summer’s end. They would praise Baal, the sun god who helped provide their harvest and asked the god for support to make it through the upcoming winter. On this day the Celts believed that the souls of the dead could return to visit the living. Some of these spirits would amuse themselves by playing tricks on the people.
When the Romans conquered the Celts, they also added their autumn festivals to the culture. One of these gatherings honored Pomona, the goddess of fruits and trees. Some believe this is why apples are included in some of our present-day Halloween celebrations.
When the Christian church tried to take over, they set out to abolish the old pagan celebrations. In many cases they did this by superimposing their own festivals on days of the pagan celebrations. Because of this, Pope Gregory III moved All Saints’ Day from May to the beginning of November. A century later, Pope Gregory IV declared that All Hallows’ Eve would be held on 10/31, All Saints’ Day on 11/2 and All Souls’ Day on 11/2.
In the 19th century immigrants from Scotland and Ireland brought Halloween to the United States as a secular fun celebration incorporating bats, cats, ghosts, witches, jack-o'-lanterns, fortune telling and bobbing for apples.
Then in the 20th century the notion of trick-or-treating came about in the United States, though it is thought it does have roots to old world’s rituals. On the eve of All Saints’ Day, poor people in England carrying jack-o'-lanterns made from mangel-wurzel (a variety of beet) went door to door begging for soul cakes.
Okay now on to the superstitions...
If you hear somebody walking behind you on Halloween, do not turn around. This is from the belief that it is likely to be the dead following you and it would be fatal to look any of them in the face.
It was also believed that if you go to a crossroads on Halloween and stop to listen to the wind, you will hear your future for the following year.
Another superstition is if at midnight on Halloween a girl stands in front of a mirror while eating an apple and combing her hair, she will see a reflection of her future husband.
Also see our Apple Superstition Posts
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