6 Halloween traditions that tell you who to marry

Today, Halloween is celebrated around the world. For most of us, the word conjures up dressing up in costume, scary decorations, handing out candy to children who come to the door and plenty of costume parties. But did you know it is a day of fruits and vegetables to help you learn about who you are going to marry?

Ancient origins of Halloween

Before we get to those traditions, let's take a quick look at Halloween’s origins. They can be traced back about 2,000 years to a Gaelic festival called Samhain, held at the end of the harvest season. At that time, the Celts celebrated the start of the new year on November 1. The celebration of the Festival of Samhain was a two-day event which started on October 31. 

People at that time believed that on the eve of the new year, dead spirits could come back to life and so the people wore masks and other disguises to blend in with the evil spirits. Why? They thought that if these spirits happened to pay a visit, the disguises would trick them into thinking they were one of them. 

By 43 A.D. the Romans picked up the tradition and made it their own. They had a custom of celebrating the passing of the dead in October on a day they called Feralia, and so they combined that with the celebration of Samhain. By the 9^th century, the Catholic church picked up on the celebration to include all saints and martyrs, and November 2 was labeled “All Soul’s Day.” This was most likely an attempt to replace the Celtic festival with a church-approved day.

 

6 Halloween traditions that tell you who you will marry

Ring in the mashed potatoes: One long-forgotten Halloween tradition deals with figuring out who you were going to marry. Imagine an 18th-century Irish cook burying a ring in her mashed potatoes on Halloween night in hopes it would bring true love to the guest who found it. (Every time I hear ideas like this, I can’t help but thinking of the unlucky person choking to death instead of finding true love).

In early 20^th century Scotland, hosts mashed up a big tub of potatoes and hit the ring, button or coin, and a thimble. Guests gathered around the tub with spoon in hand and lights off. Each dipped their spoon into the spuds in hopes of getting the ring. If a boy found the button or coin with his spoon, he was destined to be a bachelor all his life. If a girl found the thimble, she would be a spinster, but the person who found the ring was fated for marriage and happiness.

 

Naming hazelnuts: The Scottish tradition of naming hazelnuts was safer health-wise. Fortune-tellers suggested that eligible young women name hazelnuts for each of their suitors. Once named, they tossed them into the fire blazing in the hearth, one at a time. If a nut burned to ash instead of exploding, the name of that nut signified the girl’s future husband. With that said, I’ve also heard that the opposite interpretation was true saying that the nut that burned predicted that the love wouldn’t last.

Eating dessert before bed: Another Halloween wedding superstition includes the consumption of a sugary treat made with walnuts, hazelnuts and nutmeg. It had be eaten before bed on October 31. Women who followed this practice were said to dream about their future husbands.

Apple peels: Another food-related Halloween superstition includes apple peels. Young women threw the peels over their shoulders and turned to see how they landed on the floor and then interpreted them as the initials of their future husbands. The catch is, you had to keep the peel from a whole apple in one piece!

 

Egg yolks in water: This Halloween marriage-predicting superstition started with egg yolks floating in a bowl of water. Divination using eggs, known as Oomancy, took on various forms. Candles are another common tool for divination. This particular practice uses both. A woman stood in a dark room holding a candle in front of a mirror to try to learn about her future. She peered at the egg yolks floating in the bowl of water and then looked over her shoulder to see her future husband’s face. I wonder how many times had to try to see something. And what if they saw a face they didn’t like?

 

Bobbing for apples: This last superstition is one we are familiar with, bobbing for apples. Fun, right? Author Joan Morgan, co-author of The New Book of Apples says, "apples, apple peels and even pips have long been used to peer into the romantic future." Bobbing for apples is one of these ways and became a popular game. Girls marked their apples in a way no one else would know and added them into a barrel of water. Then, potential beaus tried to grab the floating apples with their teeth. The first one to successfully get an apple was thought to be the first one that would walk down the aisle.

 * * *

Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

Photo credits: pixabay, pinterest, flickr, flickr, pixabay

History of Hera, the ironic goddess of marriage in Greek mythology

As we look at wedding traditions, I thought it would be fun to look at mythology for a change, and what better place to start than the iconic, Hera, goddess of marriage in Greek mythology. She is one of the twelve Olympians and within that mythos, she is the sister and wife of the god of the sky, Zeus. In art, she is often depicted with the animals she considered sacred, and is regularly portrayed wearing a high cylindrical crown and seated on a throne.

Hera, goddess of marriage

Within Greek mythology, Hera is the daughter of the Titans Cronus and Rhea, and she rules over Mount Olympus as queen of the gods. What exactly does the queen of the gods do? That role is multifaceted. It not only includes being the goddess of marriage, but also includes goddess of women, family, and childbirth. In these roles, she is considered the patroness and protectress of married women. It was believed that she presided over ancient Greek weddings and blessed marital unions.

 

How Hera and Zeus met

How Hera and Zeus met is a popular story within Greek mythology, but I want to offer the short version to shine a light on the irony of Hera’s role as goddess of marriage. If you know anything of the story of Zeus, you know his history as a lustful god who seemed infatuated with just about every good-looking woman he saw. In Hera’s case, he spotted her as she walked in the region of Hesperides, but decided not to approach her directly. Instead he changed into a wounded cuckoo bird near death. 

Hera took the bird home to restore it to health. Once in her home, she held the bird to her breast to warm it, and Zeus revealed his true identity and took advantage of her. I’m just saying, that if you fall in love with someone who pretends to be one thing and proves to be something else in a negative way, and he takes advantage of you, it is not a good idea to continue in that relationship. But, Zeus was the chief deity of the pantheon. I guess one might be enamored by titles like the god of the sky, protector of cities, home, strangers, guests, etc. After all, when you stand back and look at it, all his roles complemented Hera’s.

 

Hera’s wedding

Hera and Zeus enjoyed a lavish wedding with the ceremony performed in the Garden of Hesperides, the same place Zeus first saw Hera. Sacrifices were made in the couples’ honor, and the other gods sang hymns of praise for the newlyweds. Each god brough a gift. One of the most notable were the gifts given by Gaea, the goddess of the Earth. She gave the couple a quince (the Greek symbol of love), and she created a tree bearing golden apples for Hera which were protected by a great serpent called Ladon.

Hera’s honeymoon

Hera and Zeus’ honeymoon lasted for a three hundred years. The mythos says their honeymoon destination was the Greek island of Samos. Greeks often used this myth to talk about the Earth’s fertility, or the lasting power of marital love. But most people who know anything about the myth of Zeus and Hara know that he did not honor monogamous marriage.

Hera the vengeful wife

While the marriage saw some happy times, Hera didn’t forget how Zeus had taken advantage of her and she watched for a time when she could get even. She saw her opportunity when Zeus mistreated his fellow Olympians. When she saw they were fed up with her husband, she talked them into revolting, but the revolt failed. As punishment, Zeus tied Hera’s wrists with golden shackles with anvils shackled to her feet and then hung her from the heavens. She cried out in pain all night but none of the other gods dared to lift a finger to help her because they feared Zeus. The following day, Zeus showed her mercy and offered to let her go on one condition. She had to swear never to plot or rebel against him again. She kept that promise, but turned her wrath towards Zeus' mistresses and their illegitimate children.

Hera a jealous wife

Zeus’ numerous affairs and resulting illegitimate children led to a collection of stories which define her as a vengeful, jealous wife. Probably one of the most popular of these stories surrounds the birth of Zeus’ illegitimate son, Heracules. (Did you notice the first part of his name is Hera? This is the Greek spelling. The Romans spelled it Hercules.)

When Heracules’ mortal mother, Alcmene, went into labor, Zeus announced that the next child born in his lineage would become a great king. Hera stepped into her role as the goddess of childbirth and prolonged Alcmene’s labor to delay Heracules’ birth, and with the help of her daughter, Eileithyia, she caused a more distant descendant to prematurely give birth to a son, and he became the ruler of Mycenae. 

After Hercules was born, Hera sent two snakes to kill him in his crib, but even as an infant, Hercules had unusual strength and he strangled the snakes. Her shenanigans didn’t end there. As a young adult she cast a spell on Heracules that led him to kill his wife and children.

With this story, I ask, why was Hera considered the god of marriage or the god of childbirth?

 

Image credits: Steven Zucker, Mary Harrsch, pxfuel, picryl