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. Friday the 13th always brings out
superstitions and the rituals used to thwart them.
And then there's Halloween.
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 you.
7) Don't look at your
shadow in moonlight on Halloween night. If
you do, 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.
7 comments:
Interesting--I'd heard of some of those, but not all.
Jennifer: Same here. When I first came across this list, I'd heard of some of them, but not all.
Thanks for your comment.
I've also heard of some of these. I can see how these Halloween superstitions were held by large groups of people. No Halloween superstitions at my place, though on that night we've been known to pull out an ancient Ouija board to give stray spirits a chance to contact us. Must've been doing it wrong. No spirits, but lots of fun.
I hadn't heard a lot of these--certainly darker than what the holiday has become over time!
Thanks for sharing!
: )
Cat: Sorry your Ouija board hasn't produced any results. Maybe this Halloween? :)
Thanks for your comment.
Donna: I was watching a segment of Mysteries At The Museum on the Travel Channel. It told about the changing of Halloween from a time of mean and harmful pranks to the idea of costumes and trick-or-treat for candy. I believe they said it happened during the 1930s.
Thanks for your comment.
As usual, a well-researched and informative Blog. Thanks for the superstitions...fascinating.
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