Traditional Games In Halloween
Enjoy Halloween
Telling ghost stories, listening to Halloween-themed songs and watching scary movies are common activities at Halloween parties. TV episodes and Halloween-themed specials (specials are usually aimed at children) usually air on or before Halloween, and new horror movies are usually released before Halloween to capitalize on the holiday.
Rather than doing media and events now, we can learn more about the traditional games or events that take place on Halloween!
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Traditional Games In Halloween
There are several games that are traditionally associated with Halloween. Some of these games originated as divination rituals or ways to foretell a person's future, especially regarding death, marriage and children. In the Middle Ages, these rituals were done by the "few" in rural communities because they were considered "deadly serious" practices.
In recent centuries, these divination games have become "a common feature of family celebrations" in Ireland and England. They often involve apples and hazelnuts. In Celtic mythology, apples are closely associated with the other world and immortality, while hazelnuts are associated with divine wisdom. Some also believe they derive from the Roman practice of celebrating Pomona.
Here are some examples of the games:
A common game is bobbing for apples or dunking , where apples float in a bathtub or large tub of water and participants must use only their teeth to remove the apples from the tub.
Foretelling
Several of the traditional activities from Ireland and Britain involve foretelling one's future partner or spouse. An apple would be peeled in one long strip, then the peel tossed over the shoulder. The peel is believed to land in the shape of the first letter of the future spouse's name.
Two hazelnuts would be roasted near a fire; one named for the person roasting them and the other for the person they desire If the nuts jump away from the heat, it is a bad sign, but if the nuts roast quietly it foretells a good match. A salty oatmeal bannock would be baked; the person would eat it in three bites and then go to bed in silence without anything to drink. This is said to result in a dream in which their future spouse offers them a drink to quench their thirst.
