My birthday is in October so inevitably my birthday parties always had a Halloween theme to theme. That’s not a bad thing mind you, I love that spooky holiday. But it’s not always about the tricks and treats or the goblins and ghosts. It’s about other fall festivities like Hay Rides and Bobbing for Apples. Of course I had no Idea that Hay rides derived from such simple pleasures as this being the time of year and such hay pulling NEEDED to be done. Of course I also had no idea that Bobbing for Apples and the use of apples in general were ancient Celtic traditions that could foretell who I was going to marry. Had I paid more attention I could have saved myself some heart ache and just gone for the loving bliss I’ve found here in Tennessee.
As many of the older traditions started based on the needs of daily life, its no wonder that fruit, specifically apples, became an integral part of the harvest festival we have come to know as Halloween. In the beginning of early pagan traditions, apples were believed to hold special powers, not only were they a symbol for the female gods, but when an apple is split in two through its center, it will reveal a five-pointed star at the center. I mean, how cool is that? Not to mention tis the season for apples and of course how yummy they taste.
Unwed folks used to compete to see who could bob for an apple or bit a hanging apple from a string. The first to get their teeth marks into it would be the first to marry.
Peeling apples in front of a mirror in candle light can supposedly produce the image of ones future spouse. This is rather humorous, especially as, if it took a while to bring about the image you could then divine just how long you would live. According to tradition by comparing the length of the peel to your average life expectancy you could divine the rest of your time. The longer the peel, the longer you’re here.
I’m sure the list is much longer then that, but I’d just assume eat apples then use them in any ritual that’s too long (and as such keeping me from eating them).
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Tags: superstitions, tradition
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on Thursday, October 11th, 2007 at 6:27 am and is filed under Uncategorized.
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