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Halloween is a old custom which many people today still observe in Scotland and in the north of England especially. It used to be celebrated across the British Isles and in Ireland. Although we now generally use pumpkins to make into lanterns, it is traditional to use turnips, a much harder vegetable, but one which used to be easily obtainable. You can still use a turnip if you want - it just takes longer to prepare it.
Guising - going from house to house dressed up, and perhaps singing or reciting, before receiving food is very important, although, of course, that wasn't possible this year. The tradition of collecting food in this way goes back to the sixteenth century.
Other activities include roasting nuts to foretell the future, dooking or bobbing for apples, where you reach into a basin of water and try to pick out an apple, using only your mouth. Another traditional pastime is to try to eat treacle scones, which are hung up on a line above you, again, using only your mouth!
I believe that the old idea was that the veil between this world and the other world of spirits grows thin on this night, so who knows what might happen.
kagimayu
Nov 13, 2020
I enjoyed the essay! The fact that original lanterns were made of turnips is interesting! The activities using nuts and apples are new to me.