By: Courtney Miller
In the previous article, we covered the Festival of Samhain and traditions that Halloween today had come from Samhain. I sure hope you all enjoyed that article. This week we’ll cover more Halloween traditions and themes in the spooky aspect.
Black cats. The dark felines known to be a witch’s scary companion. Throughout history and superstition, black cats were associated with bad luck and witchcraft. In the later days of superstition, you wouldn’t want to come across one in a dark alleyway, you’d want to be sure to turn and run the other way.
According to Heather Thomas’s Library of Congress Halloween blog, the concept of black cats and Halloween dates back to the Middle Ages where these felines were considered the symbol of the devil. Later on, women would be accused of witchcraft and some of them just so happened to have black cats as companions. People later on began to believe that these cats were what they called “familiars” to the witches to this day.
I for one, think the whole concept is a bit far fetched and that back then, people let fear get the best of them, hence the superstition behind it all. My mother had a black cat when I grew up in my childhood home of Bethany, his name was Morgan and he wasn’t spooky to say the least.
Bobbing for apples is another well-known Halloween tradition. This party activity stems from old Roman festivities, honoring the goddess of agriculture and abundance, Pomona. Men and woman would bob for apples using only their teeth and it would determine their relationships based on how well they did.
Pranks are also a well-known thing that’s associated with Halloween time. Eggs thrown at houses, cars vandalized, toilet paper strung from trees and houses, and kids playing ding-dong ditch, ringing neighborhood doorbells then running off. Many Halloween movies and TV shows show kids and teens pulling pranks on homes in their neighborhood.
Growing up in the progressive town of Bethany, I don’t recall any Halloween pranks such as egg raids or toilet paper thrown over homes and trees. I do remember a few Halloween outfits I and my siblings wore, the Halloween activities the First Baptist Church held, such as ring toss, cake walks and fishing games.
According to Karen Allen, a student from the University of Bristol, October 30th or “Mischief Night”, was first said to date back in the 1790s. Others argue that Mischief Night was earlier than that. Karen Allen had wrote in a dissertation in 2012, that a labor advocate and fellow writer by the name of Samuel Bamford had described Mischief Night pranks youngsters would pull consisted of tipping over horse carts and pulling up fence posts, causing slight annoyance with the older folks. Those kids must have really wanted to uproot those fence posts, the amount of time and energy just to get those out of the ground. I’d say “No thank you”, I’d rather hang out at home thanks.
This is somewhat similar to how some older people would react in today’s society during Halloween time. Although, there are now rules and laws in place for holiday vandalism and possible damage that comes with the territory of some Halloween pranks.
Ah, apples the sweetest of fruits, in my opinion, are very well known to be paired with Halloween. Candied apples are a healthier treat than the traditional candy but just as sticky and messy. For many centuries, candied apples was must-have Halloween treat that people would make for the holiday and stores, more currently, would sell on their shelves.
Where did the idea come from, I wonder? Well, according to many sources, it was actually an accident that William W. Kolb, a candy maker from New Jersey in 1908, had made. More like a happy accident, I’ll say. According to Heather Thomas’s blog, she states that Kolb was only trying to display his new red cinnamon candy on the apples in his store window. Soon, customers came in and wanted to buy them, saying they looked good enough to eat. Cinnamon and apple, I’ll take one.
What’s one thing you think of when you hear Halloween? Is it the 1978 movie Halloween? Freddy Kruger? Any of the Hollywood monsters and villains? Or is the possible spooks and scares that come with the territory? One thing that many people are scared of is bats. Yes, bats. Fruit bats or the most known vampire bats. This furry flying mammals were actually associated with the early Festival of Samhain.
We covered Samhain in part one. For those who have yet to read part one, let me give you a brief summary of the Festival of Samhain. This was a centuries old Celtic celebration, consisting of bonfires that people would sacrifice crops and animals for a better harvest the next year. It symbolized the end of summer and the coming of winter. People also thought that the veil between our world and the other world was thinnest and they would be able to contact their passed loved ones and often, guide them to the other side.
Well, during the bonfires of Samhain, the fire would attract bugs which in turn, would attract bats. With each festival, the bats would be common during the festivities and later, would spread through folklore into many superstitions and beliefs. One such superstition was that bats were the harbingers of death. Sound familiar? I bet this was the reason for Dracula to be associated with them, whether he could turn into a bat or control them in the movies.
Halloween, I believe is a time for harmless pranks and spooks, a time to be someone or something else and a time, in hope and remembrance, that the veil between our world and the other world, is thin enough to be reunited with passed loved ones, just so long as the bad spirits stay on their side of course.
If you want to read more on this, have more information about this topic, or even a favorite Halloween story to tell, email courtneymcourier@gmail.com. You can also call the office at 417-646-2211, our office is open 9 am - 4 pm., Monday through Friday.
