Halloween today is different than when most of us were young, when packs of elementary and middle school kids wandered neighborhoods with only minimal supervision, approaching strangers for candy. The holiday is even further removed from the original traditions, when Halloween became a national celebration.
For example, doughnuts and cider were traditional Halloween party treats, as closely associated with October 31 as turkey and stuffing are to Thanksgiving. And not just any doughnut – only cake doughnuts would do.
Divination games were also popular, as party guests predicted their future spouses or even their deaths. Apples were used in a number of these rituals. In one, a person pared an apple peel in one long strand, then threw it over their shoulder. The peel would supposedly create the initial of the person’s future spouse. Another game involved baking charms into a cake. Whatever you found suggested your future: a ring indicated a happy marriage, a coin meant riches, and a button suggested a hard life. (We’ve also heard that needles were used as charms, suggesting someone is trying to kill you…)
Pranks and vandalism were much more common in the past and even expected. Windows would be soaped and waxed, farm equipment would be moved to inconvenient places, and animals kidnapped.
Setting a story in the past? These traditions could make it into your next fictional Halloween party.
