Superstitions flourish in all countries and all cultures. Some of the origins are so obscured by time that no one knows when, how or why they came into being.
Halloween has always been a holiday filled with mystery, magic and superstition. It began as a Celtic end-of-summer festival during which people felt especially close to deceased relatives and friends. They set places at the table and left treats on doorsteps for these friendly spirits. They also lit candles to help their loved ones find their way back to the spirit world. Today's Halloween ghosts are usually depicted as scarier, as are our customs and superstitions.
Here's a list of ten superstitions that seem to apply specifically to Halloween.
1) If a candle goes out on its own on Halloween, it is thought a ghost has come to call.
2) A burning candle inside of a Jack-o-lantern on Halloween keeps evil spirits at bay.
3) You invite bad luck into your home if you allow a fire to burn out on Halloween.
4) A person born on Halloween can both see and talk to spirits.
5) Seeing a spider on Halloween could be the spirit of a dead loved one who is watching you.
6) If you hear footsteps behind you on Halloween, don't look back because it could be the dead following.
7) Don't look at your shadow in moonlight on Halloween night. Otherwise, you will die within a short period of time.
8) If a bat flies around a house three times, it is a death omen.
9) Ringing a bell on Halloween will scare evil spirits away.
10) A bat that enters a home may have been let in by a ghost.
Do you have any favorite Halloween superstitions?
6 comments:
You're scaring me, Samantha! And here I always thought the candle inside the pumpkin was to make their faces light up. Now I know why it's best to stay inside on Halloween night.
Thanks for a fun post. Have a boo-tiful Halloween.
Lynne: Oh, yeah...it's "also" for making the face light up. :)
Happy Halloween to you and your family, too.
The only one I knew about was the candle in the pumpkin. Kewl post, Samantha! An old southern superstition says cover all your mirrors on Halloween night to prevent spirits from coming through that way. When I was a kid I used to think they covered the mirrors with black cloth just to decorate for Halloween!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN HUGS!
Kari Thomas
www.authorkari.com
Hi, Kari. Wow...that's true. Covering the mirrors on Halloween really would look more like holiday decoration to a child rather than guarding against spirits.
Thanks for commenting.
Very cool post! I'd heard of some of these, but not all, and I'm a huge Halloween/paranormal fan--obviously because I write it too!
The one I know of, since I tried it as a kid and will not look at mirrors at at this time anymore is the Bloody Mary legend. On Halloween, at midnight, you stand in front of a mirror and call her name three times. I swear I saw something! She's thought to be either a wronged spirit who lost her child, or the infamous Mary Tudor, who murdered thousands of Protestants when she came to the throne.
Melissa: I haven't heard the Bloody Mary legend before. Fortunately, I'll most likely be in bed before midnight. :)
Thanks for sharing.
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