Halloween Traditions in Scotland
Whether or not you have kids, Halloween can be such a fun time of year for all ages. It’s a legitimate opportunity for us adults to wear costumes in public and consume outrageous amounts of sweets without attracting strange looks or disapproving comments (for the most part). It’s the perfect excuse to revive the misty nostalgia of our ever-diminishing youth!
Now, we might not go full-on Halloween like North America, but Scotland does have some fondness for this elaborate, macabre time of year. Halloween does actually have strong Scottish connections, which a lot of people are still unaware of. We’ve certainly got the atmospheric landscape, more than a few castles, lots of peculiar superstitions, and a somewhat morbid history filled with plenty of eerie tales and legends. Need we mention Tam o’ Shanter and our past obsession with fires and witch trials? Indeed, Robert Burns wrote about all of these things in his 1785 poem ‘Halloween’. Everything starts to make sense when you consider all of that.
The origins of Halloween, or Hallowe’en, derive from All Hallows’ Eve—the night before the Christian festival ‘of All Hallows’ or ‘All Saints Day’. However, Halloween’s beginnings can be traced further back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (summer’s end). Held on November 1st, this day marked the end of summertime and the harvest, as the journey toward the cold, dark winter months began. The festival symbolised the boundary between two worlds – that of the living and that of the dead.
Here are some of the typical Halloween traditions in Scotland that we like to partake in.
Neep Lanterns
In Scotland, ‘neep lanterns’ is the term often used to describe a carved turnip or pumpkin with a candle placed inside. They are also called ‘tattie bogles’ (potato scarecrows) in some areas, which is our personal favourite! Originally, communities would light large bonfires (there’s that fire obsession) to ward off evil spirits. This is most likely where the tradition of carving neep lanterns stems from. It’s also far less dangerous and more socially acceptable than everyone lighting massive bonfires all over the place!
Guising
Guising is similar to trick-or-treating. Children would camouflage their faces and dress in old clothes to disguise themselves as wicked ghouls, thus enabling them to avoid being detected by evil spirits when they ventured outside. Unlike trick-or-treating, guisers could not knock on doors and expect sweets (or those ubiquitous monkey nuts) in return for saying ‘trick-or-treat’—they had to actually perform a ‘trick’, such as reciting a poem, telling a joke, or singing a song.
Dookin’ for apples
Almost everyone who grows up in Scotland experiences the joy of sticking their face in a tub of water in an attempt to grab a floating apple with their teeth, all the while having their hands tied behind their back. Dookin’ for apples certainly an effective way to get kids to eat one of their five-a-day! It’s also pretty amusing to do as an adult.
Nut burning
This one’s for the recently betrothed. To determine whether the union will be a long and happy one, throw a nut into a fire. If it smoulders away nice and quietly, the marriage will be successful. If it starts to crackle and hiss in the fire, the union could be headed in the same direction! That’s certainly one way to do it, though maybe don’t rely too much on its accuracy if you get the wrong reaction from the fire!
A Spooktacular Halloween from all of us at Clyde Property!
