Trick or Treat: the Folklore of Halloween

I love Halloween. There's no denying it. I adore carving pumpkins, decorating my home, dressing up.
I love eating all the sweets that I can get my hands on and watching horror movies til I can't sleep. But, most of all, I love the history and the folklore. For now we're going to cover the superstitions linked to Halloween, so we'll cover its history another time. As much as I would love to go over that topic here, I feel it's a topic deserving of it's own post. For this post I've chosen my top five favourite superstitions and that was not an easy task, because there were a lot to choose from. Not surprising, since this holiday can trace its roots straight back to Celtic times.

1. The humble apple has often featured in folklore and tradition for hundreds of years, but could this beloved fruit really predict the future? it would seem that many thought this was the case, as long ago it was common to use the peel of an apple to predict the first letter of your future partners name. The individual wishing to divine this information would sit themselves down with an apple in Halloween night. They would then peel the apple, taking care to keep the skin whole and, once they had managed this, would fling the peel over their shoulder. If done correctly then the discarded peel would, allegedly, land in shape if whichever letter your future loves name started with.

2. Halloween costumes are a wonderful Halloween tradition, planning what costume you're going to wear, for Trick or Treating and partying, is just part of the fun. Some people spend weeks working on their disguise, while others grab a pre-made costume. Most of these folks are completely unaware that this tradition has darker roots. It was believed that on All Hallows Eve all sorts of ghosts and ghouls stalked the streets, looking for people to scare or even whisk away with them come the light of day. As a result people worked out that the best way to get around this and stay safe was a disguise, the theory being that if the creatures of the night thought you were one of them then they would leave you alone.

3. The air is chilly, filled with the distant smell of bonfires and the sound of leaves crunching beneath your feet. Maybe you've been to a party, trick or treating, a haunted house or even just your friends house, but whatever you've been up to, it's been a good night. However, you find yourself faced with a long, dark, misty walk home through the now empty streets. Other than the sound of your own footsteps and the occasional passing car, it's pretty quiet. Then. after a while, you start to realise that that's not entirely true. There is another sound. Softly at first, a barely noticeable shuffle on the damp, leafy pavement behind you: footsteps. And you know there isn't anyone there. And yet you can hear them, that soft shuffling and padding of feet where there should be none.
Sound familiar? I sure hope not! If you hear the sound of footsteps behind you on Halloween Night, when you're all alone, don't look. It could be a lost spirit. These lonely spooks are known to search out company, even following people home if acknowledged. The best thing to do is ignore them all together and hope they get bored and move on.

4. Were you born on halloween? Well, depending on how you feel about ghosts, that may or may not be a good thing. Folklore tells us that a baby born on October the 31st will be gifted with the strange ability to speak to the spirits of those who have died. A natural born medium. However, since children are said to be particularly sensitive to ghosts, this is a hard one to prove. Are you a Halloween baby? Have you had any experiences that you feel are linked to this? Let me know in the comments bellow, I'd love to hear your story!

5. Everyone loves a good Jack o' Lantern and, as well as being fun to carve, they have a fascinating history behind them that I covered in my first ever Halloween post; Back to basics: The Original Jack'o'Lantern. I also covered a little of the folklore behind them, such as how a lit lantern will scare evil spirits away from a persons home or from the person carrying it. However I forgot to cover one important bit of the folklore, when to blow out the candle. Remember not to blow the candle out before midnight, to do so invites bad luck and evil spirits into your home, instead of repelling them. It's best to let the candle burn out on it's own, as this causes no harm.


I'm not going to lie, I cheat a little on that last one, since for safety reasons I use led lights instead of candles. Why safety reasons? My cat, ironically named Pumpkin, is liable to singe off her whiskers if left near an open flame. Whoever decided cats were intelligent has clearly never met my fur baby. Clumsy kitties aside, I thought I'd end this post with a recipe. As beautiful as Jack o'Lanterns are, a lot of them go to waste, either being left to go mouldy or just binned. It seems such a shame, because pumpkin is delicious. So I thought I'd share my pumpkin soup recipe with you, so once Halloween has gone you can still get some use out of your Jack o'Lantern. 

This recipe can be turned into a vegan friendly one, and I've included which ingredients can be changed in the ingredients list.

This should produce around 4 hearty servings.

Ingredients

• 1/2 tsp smokey paprika.
• 1/2 tsp cumin.
• 1 tsp thyme - fresh or dried.
• 1/2 tsp pureed ginger.
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped.
• 1 red chilli - chopped, seeds removed.
• 1 large, red onion - chopped.
• Your Halloween Pumpkin - if it's been left outside, don't use if overly dirty or if the slugs have been at it, that's just gross.
• 2 cups of chicken stock/vegetable stock.
• 2 tsp butter/vegan alternative.
• 1 tbsp olive oil.
• 1 tbsp cream cheese/vegan alternative.
• salt and pepper to taste.

Note: if you want more spice then you can include the chilli  seeds and use 1 tsp on smokey paprika. You can also add more garlic if you prefer.

How to cook:

• Preheat your oven to 200°c/Gas Mark 6.
• If you aren't using a Jack o'Lantern, gut your pumpkin and set the seeds aside, you can toast these later if you want or feed them to the birds in your garden.
• Using a sharp knife, chop your pumpkin into chunks.
• Place the pumpkin chunks onto a baking tray, drizzle with the olive oil and cook in the oven for 30/40 minutes until soft. 
• Once cooked, let the pumpkin cool, before using a spoon to separate flesh from rind.

WHILE THE PUMPKIN IS COOKING:

• Prepare your chicken/veg stock, the herbs and spices
• Chop your onion, garlic and chilli.
• Fry the onion mix in the butter until the onion is soft and translucent.
• Once the onion is cooked, mix in the thyme, cumin, paprika and garlic and continue to heat until fragrant but not burnt - few things taste worse than this mix when it's burnt. Nasty!

Now you have your cooked pumpkin and onion mix, blend the ingredients together with the stock and cream cheese, until smooth, adding salt and pepper to taste. Two cups of stock will give you a nice thick soup, so if you want it to be more runny then add one extra cup.
If you want to serve the soup straight away then just heat it up and serve with crusty bread and garnishings if you prefer. It's delicious topped with crispy bacon and feta OR toasted walnuts and a vegan feta alternative. 
If not serving straight away, this soup can be frozen but should be fully defrosted before heating and serving.

𝐻𝒶𝓅𝓅𝓎 𝐻𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑜𝓌𝑒𝑒𝓃!

Back to basics: the original Jack'o'lantern

Thanks to IrishFireside, CC

Halloween is upon us and the supermarkets are packed with beautiful, bright pumpkins, just ready to be carved into all sorts of wonderful and terrifying designs. Perfect to ward off the ghosties, ghoulies and things that go bump in the night, right?
How about if I told you that the humble Jack-o-Lantern has a long history, it has evolved over time and is linked to folklore? Two of my favourite things in one candlelit package; folklore and Halloween. Which is why I found myself standing in our local supermarket, trying to choose between a Swede and a turnip whilst wondering how the hell I'm going to fit a candle in such tiny turnips. One awkward internet search later (have you ever tried to maintain your grip on a turnip, a swede and use a mobile phone at the same time? Not easy.) and I discover that the rather handsome fellow on the right is, in fact, a swede. Still not easy to carve, but probably more forgiving than a tiny turnip. I would be lying if I said I wasn't relieved, I'm clumsy and I value my fingers. Our local A&E is not where I want to spend my Halloween, thank you very much. I make my purchases and scuttle off home. There's an icy chill in the air, as a cold front has crept down from the Arctic. Many parts of the country will spend Halloween under a blanket of snow. I am lucky, being too far down the country to experience anything other than the biting cold.

The Jack-o-Lantern we know today has changed a lot over the years. They started off as an Irish tradition, with their roots firmly planted in folklore. With the pumpkin not being native to Ireland, the people would use turnips or swedes instead. These tough veggies are hard to cut, even with a good knife. It must have been a relief when they were introduced to pumpkins, so bright and easy to carve. So unlike the swede, which is a devil to hollow out and shape, seemingly resenting and resisting all attempts to do so. Their origin can be traced back to a folktale concerning a man known as Stingy Jack. An unpleasant nickname for an unpleasant man. Jack had a terrible reputation; a drunkard, tight with his money and a cheat. And, as so often happens in such tales, Jack became so infamous that the Devil himself came to to hear about him and decided to see if the stories he had been told were true. What persuaded him that the rumors were true we may never know, but the Devil approached Jack with the intention of dragging his soul to Hell. Imagine his surprise when Jack agreed to go, providing the Devil would allow him one last drink first. Unable to resist granting such a harmless and simple wish, the Devil agreed, taking Jack to the nearest pub where the two whiled the night away while Jack savoured his last pint. The problems started when it came to paying for the ale. Jack was quite unwilling to pay for it himself, insisting that the Devil pick up the tab, even suggesting the Devil trick the bar tender by turning himself into a sixpence to cover the cost. After all, the Devil could take so many forms, and he could always take his original form afterwards. How hard could it be to turn into one little coin? Annoyed at Jack's baiting, but up for the prank, the Devil turned himself into a coin as asked, fully expecting to be handed over to the barkeep. It was the moment Jack had been waiting for all evening. He took hold of the coin and, instead of handing it over in payment, thrust it deep into his coat pocket where he kept a crucifix. This small, holy item prevented the Devil from turning back to his previous form and he found himself trapped. A master trickster, Jack had played the Devil like a fiddle. He was not a stupid man either and had already guessed he couldn't avoid the Devil forever. Although trapped in the form of a coin, eventually the Devil would escape and then there would be hell to pay. So Jack offered his captive a deal; ten more years of freedom for Jack in exchange for it's freedom. The Devil took the deal and made his escape.
Ten years passed quickly.
Staggering home drunk, Jack once again found himself approached by the Devil. And once again Jack seemed remarkably fine with the whole situation. But he did have one last request. Before he was carried to Hell he would like an apple. Just one last taste of an apple. Like with Jack's last last request the Devil saw no harm in it. He wasn't changing his form, so he couldn't be trapped in Jack's pocket and granting the request was childs play, all he had to do was climb up a nearby apple tree and fetch the fruit. Jack was too drunk to do it himself. What could go wrong? As you've probably guessed, quite a lot could go wrong. Cunning Jack waited til the Devil was up the tree picking the apple, then used his pocket knife to carve crosses in the tree trunk. The poor Devil* didn't realise what his victim was doing until it was far too late and he was trapped in the tree by the sign of the cross. Jack had done it again and once more agreed to give the Devil his freedom if he would make a another deal with Jack. This time Jack didn't ask for another ten years of freedom, his request was that the Devil would never be able to take his soul and drag it to hell. The Devil gladly agreed. He was eager to get out of the tree and to wash his hands of Stingy Jack forever. Jack cut the crosses from the tree bark. Freed at last, the Devil scuttled back to Hell, hoping to never see Jack again. Jack staggered home to sleep off that nights beers. Thinking his soul safe from the Devil, Jack didn't even bother to change his way. The drinking continued, as did the trickery. Years passed, eventually this unhealthy lifestyle ended his life and Jack marched on up to the Heavenly Gates, expecting to be let in. But, to his horror, he was turned away. He'd been so awful in life that there was no way God was going to let him into heaven. Annoyed by what had happened, Jack decided to try his luck elsewhere and headed to the gates of Hell instead. The Devil still hadn't forgotten their deal or how Jack had tricked him, not once but twice and he was still angry about it. He turned Jack away like the afterlife's best bouncer, Jack's name wasn't on the list, he wasn't getting in. However, feeling merciful, the Devil tossed Jack a small chunk of burning hot ember to light his way as he walked the earth for the rest of eternity. Jack happened to have a turnip in his pocket and hollowed it out so he could carry the burning coal without hurting himself. From then til the end of time, the phantom of Stingy Jack roams the night, his way lit by his hellish turnip lantern. This lead to a change of names for him, Stingy Jack being changed to Jack of the Lantern, or simply just Jack o Lantern.
It's possible that this tale was the result of people seeing swamp lights** or ball lighting and not knowing what it was. Nevertheless the story stuck in peoples imaginations and evolved over time along with the Jack o Lantern itself. It became common practice to hollow yourself out a turnip lamp and carve a terrifying face in it. When lit, this lamp was guaranteed to scare away any evil spirits or undead ghouls that might be stalking you on All Hallows Eve, when the dead roamed the earth. This practice changed even more when taken to America and switched to pumpkins. In 19th Century America it became a fun prank for children to carve a pumpkin lamp and roam around at night to terrify other travelers. Oh, and of course, like the veggies before them, a pumpkin lamp could scare away wandering ghosts.

Back at home, tucked up in the warm with a cup of tea, it's my turn to carve a traditional Jack o Lantern. Eager to get started, I have neglected to research exactly how to do this. I choose to wing it.
🎃 Take a sharp knife and take the top of the turnip off. 

🎃 Hollow the turnip out. This will take a while, as turnips are tough vegetables. Your best bet is to score the inside with a knife and then hack away with a spoon and strong sense of determination. It took me around three hours to hollow my turnip out, but that's only because I stopped for a break half way through.
I would advice leaving at least a centimeter of solid flesh at the bottom of the turnip. This will stop your candle from falling out.
🎃 Grab a pen and outline your lanterns face. Keep it simple and be careful while you're carving. I found this to be the toughest part of carving my turnip and narrowly avoided stabbing myself in my finger. I also tried to keep mine similar to the original, though I could never manage that level of terrifying.
🎃 Once you've got the face sorted you can punch two holes on either side of your lantern, for the string used as the handle. Once again, be careful if doing this with a knife. Environmentally friendly and an excellent improvised hole punch, I used the mental drinking straws my friend Fee bought me for Christmas to make my holes. Thread the string through the holes and the some nice big knots to secure them. I wouldn't advise doing this if you are using real candles to light the lantern, as the string can burn. As can the lid of the lantern.

🎃 Now your lantern is ready to terrorise trick-or-treaters with and forever haunt their nightmares, pop an LED candle or a glowstick inside and hang it outside your door.

And there you have it, how to carve a Traditional Jack o Lantern and the folklore behind it. I wish you all a Happy Halloween and, if you carve a turnip lantern of your own, please leave a comment with a photo or tag me in the photos on Twitter; I'd love to see the ghoulish horrors that you've created.











*This isn't the only story where he gets tricked. In some stories he gets tricked into greater feats than these, even being tricked into building bridges and church doors. The Devil in folklore is a bit stupid and arrogant, and is sometimes easily fooled.

**Swamp Gas will sometimes erupt into flames, resulting in an eerie, floating light. This fascinating natural occurrence also lead to the legend of Will-o-the-Wisp.