Halloween is all about the creepy decorations, and kids dressed in adorable costumes. Perhaps it’s better that kids don’t yet know the history behind the day though. All those decorations are just there for pictures as far as they’re concerned.
A lot of these symbols have their roots in the history of Halloween. The pagan festival of Samhain is thought to be the most direct ancestor of the celebration, a time when the spirit world was closest to our world. The symbols today have been watered down, made for entertainment more than scaring others outright but they boast of a dark history. One every ghoul-loving individual should know about.
1. Apples
Depending on where you are in the world, apples are actually quite common around Halloween. You’ll find them bobbing or in a witch’s hand. People immediately associate apples with witches thanks to Snow White, but the connection goes way way back.
Apples were associated with Pomona. She is the Roman goddess of abundance, so when the Romans invaded Britain, they brought apples along and that is where apple bobbing came from, thanks to their beliefs.
The creepier side of it is when an apple is sliced open, the seeds form a pentagram. That symbol associated with witches we all know so well.
2. Husks
Wheat stalks serve as a symbol and decoration since Samhain and modern Halloween both fall around the end of summer harvest. They are in abundance so they are also a sign of stocking up for the colder months approaching.
But the season of creeps and ghouls give husks a different kind of imagery. Skeletons reveal what remains of us when we rot away, so dried-out husks are also the remains of the once-living bounty that’s been harvested.
3. Fangs
We’re all familiar with the story, with the Count described as having pointy teeth which he uses to bite before drinking blood. Those fangs are immortal, still making its way around Halloween to this day.
4. Spiders
Look to mythology and folklore for a deep history on these creatures that can make grown men scream in terror. The word “arachnid” comes from the story of Arachne. She was a mortal woman who could weave really well and thought she was better than Athena. Athena answered the challenge, beating the mortal and turning Arachne into a spider.
Spiders have been thought to be weavers of fortunes, even being associated with the ancient Egyptian goddess Neith.
And like black cats, spiders are thought of as “familiars,” or companions of witches.
It doesn’t help that they are found in abandoned and creepy places. Some species are even deadly enough to kill humans.
5. Skeletons
The history of displaying skulls goes all the way back to Aztec skull art. There were racks of skulls and skull necklaces then, even way back to 7200 BCE. Skulls are also found in the Mexican Dia de los Muertos holiday.
6. Ghosts
It’s still widely believed that the presence of spirits could help predict the future, but many pagans considered these departed spirits no laughing matter.
7. Costumes
Costumes were once made of animal heads and skins, with the hopes of tricking ghosts they may run into. Compare that to Disney costumes or costumes of video game characters today.
8. Bats
Bats and Halloween’s connection with the holiday is multi-layered, dating back as well to vampire folklore. It’s been said that vampires can turn into bats, and even setting aside folklore, bats can be scary. Vampire bats do live off the blood of animals, and sometimes even humans. They can drink your blood for up to 30 minutes.
9. Witches
They say it was a tactical move by the greeting card industry. But that bubbling cauldron with a hunched over wart-covered old woman are decorations you’ll find everywhere on Halloween.
10. Jack-o’-Lanterns
Jack eventually passes, and God doesn’t allow him into heaven. The devil doesn’t let Jack into hell either, instead giving the dead one a burning coal to light his way. Jack puts the coal into a hollowed-out turnip to help light his way. He wanders the Earth forever as a doomed soul.
Irish people put jack-o’-lanterns outside their door. The aim is to frighten away Stingy Jack and other spirits. Immigrating to America helped keep the tradition alive.
11. Black Cats
Black cats are associated with witchcraft. The two are inseparable with the idea that cats are “witches’ familiars, which are found in writings and trial reports of the 16th century.” People feared these cats so bad they were often burned alive across Europe.
In early America, black cats were seen as a sign of witchcraft, which evolved to present day bad luck. Unfortunately, they are still potential targets of rituals, with some humane shelters limiting adoptions of black cats during this time.
12. Broomsticks
Even the Harry Potter films sensationalize the relationship between brooms and witches. They were always meant to be a witch’s travel method of choice, but here’s the story. Witches were said to apply a hallucinogenic “flying ointment”… internally, using a wooden staff.
An account from 1324 of a witch on trial says that “they found a pipe of ointment wherewith she greased her staffe, upon which she ambled and galloped through thick and thin.”
The next few hundred years had witches described as flying on anything from a cupboard to a fork, but it was the broomstick that found itself associated with them.
The broomstick, a symbol of domesticity, makes it the perfect object to be perverted by witches since it sort of depicts femininity gone wrong.
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