Halloween Superstitions and Folklore Revealed

Superstitions abound around the Halloween holiday. And why wouldn't they? It's that time of year again, where the dead rise and the spirits abound. Or at least thats what alot of people believe. Many people have very strong beliefs involving this holiday and the days around it.

Everyone knows that black cats are supposed to be bad luck, especially if they cross your path. Years ago it was though that black cats were actually the devil, or at least filled with evil spirits.

For unmarried girls, there were many ways to find out about your future husband. On Halloween night, if you keep a rosemary herb and a silver sixpence under your pillow, supposedly you will dream about your future husband. For a better glimpse of your future, a girl must carry a broken egg in a glass, take it to a spring of water, and mix some of that water into the egg. She will then see her future husband and her future children. Or she can just bring a lamp on Halloween night to a spring of water and see a reflection in it of her future husband.

Want to frighten the ghosts and spirits away? All you need to do is ring a bell. Or you can bury animal bones all over your front yard. Easier yet, just set a picture of an animal as close as possible to your doorway to keep the evil spirits away. To get rid of all evil, it was said all you needed to do was to walk around your house three times backward, before the sun sets on Halloween night.

A "dumb supper" is an old term meaning that nobody talks while having supper. For those that WANT the spirits around, try this old folklore, as it is said it encourages the undead to come to the table.

Bats are very much associated with Halloween now for these reasons. If a bat flies into your house on Halloween, theres a good chance a ghost or spirit let it in, and that they are near. Some people believed that if bats come out early on Halloween night, then the weather is going to be good. But if a bat flies about your home on Halloween three times, then death is coming.

Owls are another flying creature sometimes thought to be spooky. Supposedly they swoop down on Halloween to eat at the souls of the dying. To prevent this from happening, all you need to do is turn your pocket inside out and leave it hanging.

Don't turn around if you hear footsteps behind you on Halloween night, as it may be the dead following you. If you do happen to look back, you just may join them very quickly.

Want to see a witch in the sky on Halloween night? Just throw your clothes on inside out and backwards, and you might. Common misconceptions of witches is that they are evil and associated with the devil.

If you catch yourself watching a spider on Halloween, you may just be peering at the spirit of a deceased loved one who is watching over YOU.