So last time we had a chat, dear reader, I wanted to talk to you more about why we have the traditions and customs on Halloween that we do each and every year.
Last time we talked about the costumes specifically, as that is 90% (I mean I would say) of what people think of when they think of Halloween.
But now let’s get a bit broader! Let’s look at superstitions!
Why superstitions in total you might ask? Well, when I sat down to really think about what else from Halloween I wanted to know history-wise, everything I researched led back to some sort of superstition and/or old wives tale.
So with that said, let’s dive right in and take a look!
History of Famous Halloween Superstitions
Black Cats
One of my favorites and the first one I wanted to really research! Why are black cats considered unlucky, or witches’ pets (if not witches themselves in disguise)? Why are black cats associated with Halloween for just about anyone?
So in some ways, the association of black cats and witches is part of a broader history. Witches, as far as back as the 15th century, in western culture would have familiars. A familiar was seen as a creature that a witch had, given to her oftentimes by the devil, as an assistant for her dastardly work.
Outside of that, though, cats have long held reverence in religions and cultures for centuries. Thinking more specifically about the origins of Halloween in Samhain (which we discussed last time!) black cats were associated with the traditions of Celtic pagans, as they are striking nocturnal animals lurking in the shadows.
Since then, black cats have kept a footing in the culture of the gothic, the alternative, and the subversive. In the 19th century in America is when we really started to see black cats in popular culture. To top it all off, Edgar Allen Poe’s, The Black Cat, really cemented the ebony feline in the hearts of those with an affinity for Halloween.
But since we’re (sort of) on the topic of witches, there are other items connected to witches that I was curious to know the origin story of. Something like…
Witches’ Broomsticks
Why do witches ride broomsticks? Why broomsticks in the first place? Let’s talk about it.
So, historically, witches have been depicted riding broomsticks as early as the 1400’s, with the very first depiction we know from 1451 from illustrations for a published poem by a French poet named Martin Le Franc.
But why broomsticks??
Well, the two women in the illustrations, according to this source, are Waldesians. This is a branch of protestant Christianity, reformed faiths that separated from the Catholic Church. Also, brooms are a symbol of feminine domesticity. These illustrations then are implying that these two women are taking the ideas of domesticity and perverting them (having these phallic symbols between their legs so wildly). It certainly makes you wonder how the Catholic church, or at least those that are Catholics, felt about those are took a different religious path.
These ideas of domesticity for the woman in the home, and the broomstick (with sweeping being such a definitive part of “keeping a home”) kept up and continued on throughout the centuries, and thus the connection with witches stuck.
One other more literal example of “flying” on a broomstick, was at this time, hallucinogenic drugs couldn’t be ingested. They had to be applied to mucous membranes…like…well…let’s just say rubbing these on the end of a broomstick and sticking that between your legs really got the job done.
And when you’re tripping on hallucinogens, who’s not to tell you that you’ve taken flight?
Jack O’Lanterns
So this one is, probably, the most straightforward.
The story of the Jack O’Lantern comes from an old Irish tale of a man named “Stingy Jack” who had a drink with the devil at a bar. True to his name, Jack didn’t want to pay for the drinks so he convinced the devil to turn himself into a coin to become the payment.
But instead of paying, Jack took the coin for himself, and kept the devil coin next to a silver cross so the devil couldn’t transform into his proper form.
Once Jack allowed him to do so, he lured the devil into another one of his tricks which led to the devil being stuck in a tree for 10 years.
Once Jack died, God did think Jack was a pure enough soul for heaven. That said, Jack had made another deal with the devil during his lifetime that prevented the devil from taking his soul to hell, as well. So as such, Jack takes his soul and decides to live on in a hollowed out turnip, making a lantern. Each year we make our own “Jack of the lanterns” or “Jack O’Lanterns” in a similar way to what Jack himself did to make a home for his soul after he had passed on.
Favorites From You!
Do you have any fun superstitions or traditions from Halloween? Let us know!
