MORE HISTORY ON HALLOWEEN
All Hallows' Eve Legends
Halloween is October 31st. The Halloween customs that we observe on October
31st had their beginnings long, long ago. They came from the beliefs of the druids - priests of ancient Gaul and Britain.
The druids believed that witches, demons, and spirits of the dead roamed the earth on the eve of November 1, on Samhain,
one of the Equinoxes. Bonfires were lit to drive the bad spirits away.
To protect themselves further from the mean
tricks of the bad spirits, the druids offered the demons and devils good things to eat. They also disguised themselves
so that the spirits would think the druids belonged to their own evil circle. Later, the Roman Catholic Church established
the first day of November to honor all the saints who had no special days of their own. It became known as All Saints'
Day or All Hallows' Day. The night before was called All Hallows' Even. The two festivals gradually became one, and All Hallows'
Even was shortened to Halloween. Since then, we've celebrated Halloween by playing trick or treat, dressing up in costumes,
and wearing masks.
Halloween.... such a magical time of year. Originally, All Hallows Eve was considered sacred
as a pagan recognition of the dead. You set up hollowed out squash carved with demonic faces and lit by candles in order
to ward off evil spirits. You dressed as the dead to blend in with the dead who walked the earth for one night a year so
they wouldn't drag you back with them to the underworld.
Today, we honor this long-standing tradition by dressing in
our kinkiest or wackiest costumes and parading back and forth in public in search of fun-size chocolate treats, perhaps
exploring a few tricks of our own.
In honor of this most revered holiday filled with fright and fun alike, here
are a few sexy and scary Halloween myths to get you in the mood.
Bloody Mary
Status: Try it and see!
Myth:
Go into the bathroom, light a candle, look into the mirror with the lights off and the room completely black, and then chant
"Bloody Mary. Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary". As you continue to chant your voice should grow louder and louder into a near
scream. A woman will appear and scratch your face off.
Origin: The myth of Bloody Mary the mirror-witch goes back
to 1978, when folklorist Janet Langlois published her essay on the legend. While some confuse Bloody Mary with her cousin
Mary Queen of Scots, that Mary was not known as a murderer (although there was definite suspicion as to how her husband
actually died).
It's possible that this game may be inspired by an old form of divination or scrying using mirrors,
because both practices involve chanting rhythmically and then looking into a mirror. However, the concept of ghosts
and mirrors is an old one. It was common once, when funerals were still held in the home (in the parlor or 'dead room'),
that all mirrors be covered until the deceased was buried. The fear was that the departed may catch a glimpse of himself
or herself and the mirror would trap the spirit in the house forever. (Coincidentally, the parlor was eventually replaced
with a place the family could go to enjoy life and live, hence 'the living room'.)
Razor Blades in Candy
Status:
True!
Myth: Check every piece of Halloween candy you get because someone might put razor blades and needles in the
candy.
Origin: Why does there always have to be someone out there to ruin something wonderful for everyone? Yeesh.
While
candy poisoning has never been substantiated, there have been many objects placed in Halloween candy, including needles
and razor blades. However, none have resulted in anything more than stitches.
Trick or Treat?
Status:
Originally appeared in Reader's Digest. It has been retold many different ways since.
Story: On Halloween, a man
dresses for a costume party and asks his wife if she will accompany him. His wife is a bit suspicious of her husband's
fidelity.
"No, I've got such a terrible headache. You go without me," she says, laying down on the bed.
The
man goes to the party, and his wife slips into a new costume that her husband had never seen. She arrives at the party
to see her husband shamelessly flirting and dancing with every girl he sees. Seeing red, the wife decides to get even.
Seductively,
she sidles up to him and suggests they spend some time together upstairs alone. He quickly agrees and they slip upstairs together.
At midnight, when everyone was to unmask, she slips away and heads home.
At 3am, her husband finally returns home.
"How
was the party?" she asks.
"Boring," her husband answers. "When I got there, all my friends were alone too, so we
went into the den and played poker all night."
"You played poker?" she says angrily.
"Yeah," her husband shrugs,
"I gave my costume to Charlie. He said he had the time of his life."
Black Cats
Status: Undetermined
Myth:
Black Cats, being associated with witches and thus Halloween, are often used for pranks, party props and even satanic,
sacrificial rituals around Halloween.
Origin: More than 2000 years ago, Druids believed that evil spirits were
responsible for cold weather and shorter hours of daylight. To pacify the spirits, they initiated a festival honoring Samhain,
the lord of the dead. The festival was held October 31, the day before the beginning of the Celtic new year. Huge bonfires
were lit in order to frighten away evil spirits and to honor the souls of the recently deceased. Rituals were held in
the belief that mysterious entities could possibly return for retribution, and these rituals included sacrifice. Black
cats were a favorite sacrifice because they were thought to be evil spirits transformed into animals.
All Hallows'
Eve Legends
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