Halloween has been a favorite holiday for many centuries. . It was a time to celebrate the harvest, acknowledge the past, and to look forward to the future. During Victorian times, Halloween was a night for tricks and surprises. It was also a night for fortune telling and romance.
Many local customs were brought to the United States by the Irish and Scottish immigrants in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. One of these involved jack-o-lanterns, which were originally carved from Irish turnips. Other ancient superstitions were adapted to courtship rituals and games. The Victorians, who were great romantics, enjoyed the folklore of the holiday. They revived a lot of the ancient customs.
Halloween was known by many names. One was Mischief Night. This was the time when boys would often do tricks such as putting wagons and out houses on roofs, exchanging gates and signs, and covering doorknobs with molasses. The general merrymaking was considered mostly harmless. According to our local paper (Iowa State Leader, November 2, 1874) "Halloween brought with it the usual frolics of degenerate youngsters at the city." It was followed by a list of the usual frolics.
Halloween became a perfect time for parties. While the boys were out playing pranks, the girls were staying at home, dreaming of their own true love. And planning parties in the dark, mysterious, and slightly scary atmosphere. Props would be needed for the popular party games. Charms would be hidden in cakes and breads, and in apples. Apples and nuts were used in many of the games, because of their association with harvest time. Finding a coin or ring in the refreshments was alway lucky. A coin represented wealth. A ring signified an upcoming wedding. If you found a button, you would stay unmarried.
Other popular games were played with walnuts. The shells were hallowed out and made into candles and set afloat. Each boat was given a name and set afloat in pairs. If they stayed together and floated peacefully, it was a good omen. If they crashed into the side, or sunk, not so good. Nuts could also be roasted by the fire. If the nuts blazed quickly, then the romance would be blazing too. Slowly smoldering, and turning to ashes showed a long and happy relationship. If they popped and moved away from each other, there wasn't much hope!
Many games were played with apples. Peeling an apple and throwing the peel over your shoulder would tell everyone who your true love would be, according to the initial that it formed. After eating a red apple, a girl could save two seeds. If she named the seeds after two gentlemen, she should put one on each cheek and wait for them to fall. She should get rid of the first, and marry the man who represents the second.
Sometimes apples were hidden in various rooms of a house, and couples would be sent to look for them. There were so many rules about proper behavior and being chaperoned, that young sweethearts often got very creative about ways to be together.
This holiday has gone through many changes since its' beginnings as a harvest festival. Through the years it has evolved from mischievous children begging for soul cakes, to little beggars asking for treats and threatening tricks. A modern Halloween focuses on thrills and chills, and scary movies. And let's not forget the romance!
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