The temperature continues to drop and the ghosts and ghouls come out clutching fun-sized chocolate bars to celebrate Halloween. It is time for us to dig into some dusty, old record books to find the most interesting (and creepy) Halloween facts and myths.
The tradition of dressing up at Halloween is thought to originate from the ancient Celtic tradition of people disguising themselves as demons and wicked spirits in order to hide from the real spirits wandering the streets on this spooky night. At this time the festival was called Samhain and during the pre-Halloween celebration, bonfires were lit to ensure the sun would return after the long, hard winter to come. It is said that Druid priests would throw the bones of cattle into the flames. “Bone fire” became “bonfire”!
There are many myths which have sprung up around Halloween for example, it is said that if you walk around with your clothes on inside out on Halloween you will see a witch at midnight! Though it may not seem to be a holiday much connected with romance, Scottish girls believed that they could see images of their future husband if they hung wet sheets in front of the fire on Halloween. Another romantic superstition said that if a girl looked into a mirror whilst walking downstairs a midnight on Halloween they would see their boyfriend’s faces.
It is often associated with black magic and nasty spirits yet sometimes there are creepy ‘real life’ stories. For example, in 1974, an eight-year-old boy, Timothy O’Bryan, died of cyanide poisoning after eating some spooky treats. Investigators later found that his father had poisoned his own son after taking out a $20,000 life insurance policy on him. Poisoned treats seem to be popular as in 1964 a woman called Helen Pfeil was arrested for handing out arsenic laced treats! She thought it was a prank on teenagers she considered too old for trick or treating. I don’t think they found it very funny!
In many places there are special rules put in place for Halloween. For example, the prevention of under 18s buying things like eggs, shaving foam, and silly string in the week before Halloween is common in many places. It indicates the lack of patience many communities have for the troublesome pranks of teenagers. In a few American states and towns it is illegal for people (16+, 18+, sometimes 12+!) to wear masks or otherwise cover up their faces. In Hollywood it is illegal to use silly string for the 24 hours(from noon on the 31st October to noon on the 1st November). Even being caught carrying silly string could land you a $1000 fine! The moral of the story is to check your local laws at Halloween and make sure you stay safe!
We paint our faces
and wear pointy hats,
and cackle like witches
and purr like cats,
and scuttle like goblins
and dance like elves,
and always manage
to scare only ourselves!
Contact us to let us know about your favourite part of halloween!
Ivy Education, 126 New Kings Road, London SW6 4LZ
+44 (0)207 736 6977
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