Are you celebrating another Halloween just like the previous year? Do you want to do something different? Looking at my Scottish roots, I share my ‘easy old Halloween traditions for your own celebrations’.
I have always loved October, it’s the most magical time of the year….it’s halloween season!
The Highlands of Scotland is a special place to celebrate Halloween. Old customs existed since pagan times, dating back two thousand years. Some of these customs are around still to this day!
Halloween History
Halloween can be traced back to the ancient celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the end of harvest time and to prepare for the winter ahead. This was celebrated in celtic lands such as Scotland, Ireland and on the Isle of Man.
Samhain was celebrated on the last day of October. The night of Samhain meant that spirits from the otherworld could cross over easily into our world. For us mortal beings, it was a risk to venture out at this time.
Halloween Traditions From Scotland
Easy Old Halloween Traditions For Your Own Celebrations
Costumes
A big part of halloween for me as a child was ‘guising‘ (also known as ‘mumming‘ to some) which meant you dressed up and went from house to house with a big bag hoping for treats.
The origin of guising was to disguise in order to blend in with the spirits, so they wouldn’t take you back to their world.
People would blacken their faces, or put on spooky masks, venturing out into the dark, but since they were dressed up, would avoid being recognised by the spirits from the otherworld. They would travel door to door collecting food for themselves and the village feasts. Guisers needed to perform a party piece, so whether it was a joke, a poem or a gaelic song it was custom to entertain if you wanted something in return. This tradition still remains, in America it’s known as ‘trick or treating’.
Fire
Lighting a big bonfire is not only for Guy Fawkes night, this custom was to ward off any evil, and these large bonfires would be lit in villages to scare off the ghosts of the dead. Fire was seen as protection and even smaller fires were made.
Scary Face Carvings
‘Neeps’ or turnips as many other people refer to them, were carved out with scary faces and a candle placed inside to be used as lanterns. These were also a way to ward off evil spirits, and so the ‘guisers‘ would carry these from door to door. This custom is still done to this day but using pumpkins.
Treats
The Scottish custom of “Dookin’ fur apples” still remains today. This stems back to the ancient Celts who believed the apple tree was sacred. Hands would be tied behind backs to retrieve apples with their mouth from a basin full of water.
Easy Old Halloween Traditions For Your Own Celebrations:
Here are some old Halloween traditions from Scotland that you might want to incorporate into your own festivities this year
- Carve a turnip rather than a pumpkin – Be a little different than your neighbour. Using a carved turnip is tradition in Scotland.
- Create your own small bonfire in the garden – obviously making sure it is safe. But what a wonderful way to spend the evening toasting marshmallows over the fire.
- Encourage a ‘party piece’ – It’s tradition in Scotland to sing a song, tell a joke or more and in return you get thanks with a treat. Give it a try!
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