Ten Days of Halloween: Kicking Off with Nostalgia and Superstitions

In grade school, we had music class and P.E. twice a week, plus art class on Fridays. I hated P.E., that stupid climbing rope was the bane of my existence. I had no patience for art projects either, but I could tolerate music class. Not because I loved it, but because I loved where it was. The music room sat next to the gymnasium-slash-cafeteria and, unlike the rest of our open-concept school, it actually had a door. Every other classroom was separated by rolling cabinets and bookcases, which meant you could hear the lesson next door, but we all just learned to tune it out. Walking into the music room and closing the door felt like a treat; we could finally hear ourselves think and sing, though that wasn’t always a blessing.

Outside of Christmas, my favorite songs to sing were the Halloween ones. We had those square hardback textbooks with songs for every occasion and holiday inside, and if there weren’t enough to go around, it turned into a mini free-for-all. Long before The Hunger Games, kids were battling for songbooks. I still remember one in particular that we sang from kindergarten through sixth grade:

Halloween
Halloween
Strange things seen
Ghosts may walk
Skeletons talk on Halloween.
Halloween

You should know it’s the time of year.
When the witches and ghosts walk here
They come at night
When there’s no more light
Halloween is almost here!

If you look very carefully
There’s a goblin behind that tree!
But I may say, as you run awayyyyyyyyy
That it might be me!

I just loved that surprise ending!

Halloween itself was always special at school. Room mothers threw class parties, and we got to dress up. There were always homemade treats, and I’ll never forget the Rice Krispies Treats Mark Suda’s mom made. Absolute magic for me, because in my Italian household, sweets meant biscotti, pizzelle, cannoli, pignoli, struffoli, croccante, torrone, you get the idea. Not a chocolate chip cookie or marshmallow square in sight.

We also had a costume parade and contest, which, let’s be honest, always went to the kids whose mothers were room moms. Their store-bought costumes didn’t stand a chance against my mom’s handmade creations… except in the judging. She dressed me as a fancy clown, the Toys “R” Us giraffe, an angel, even a 19th-century pachiana, a traditional Italian grape-harvest outfit. Picture a pioneer woman hauling laundry with an empty basket instead of grapes and a gigantic diaper on my head. No one had a clue what I was supposed to be, myself included. Costume trauma aside, I never lost my love for Halloween.

So here at The Creative Quill, it would be sacrilege not to share some Halloween fun with you, too. Over the next ten days, I’ll bring you spooky stories, quizzes, weird facts, and unusual traditions. What you won’t get here is a lecture on the origins of Halloween; you can Google that. My promise is always to give you something fresh, funny, and a little different.

So let’s begin our Ten Days of Halloween! For Day One of our countdown, I give you: Mostly Spooky, Sometimes Weird Halloween Superstitions (with a nod to Mental Floss for inspiration). Enjoy!

#1 – Crossroads Are Creepy
Welsh folklore claimed spirits gathered at crossroads on Halloween. Apparently, ghosts had nothing better to do than hang out at intersections. Forget spooky forests; the absolute nightmare was a paranormal traffic jam. Imagine trying to cross the street and a dead guy is blocking the way, like, “You lost?”

2. No More Blackberries
The púca, a mischievous Irish spirit with a serious attitude problem, was said to spit on or spoil every blackberry once Halloween passed. He was the Irish version of a cranky fruit critic, even more than Gordon Ramsay ( if that is at all possible!), but more supernatural and sticky. Think of it as folklore’s original “best by” warning: eat them before October 31, or risk a mouthful of púca-approved slime.

3. Swing Fire for Fortune
For centuries, Scots believed twirling the embered end of a stick in magical designs on Halloween would ward off misfortune. No torch handy? Wave a sparkler and hope you don’t trip over the dog or set yourself on fire.

4. Toss a Stone in the Flames
The superstition went like this: throw a white stone into a bonfire, and if it were still there in the morning, you’d live another year. Basically, a prehistoric version of “check back later for results.” And let’s be honest, rocks are pretty good at surviving fire. Not exactly the most suspenseful fortune-telling method.

5. Stay Indoors or Else
Halloween superstition said leaving your house after dark was asking for trouble. Back then, it meant bumping into evil spirits. Today, it means bumping into your neighbors in matching couple costumes or the HOA people reminding you that your fake tombstones aren’t regulation height. Honestly, evil spirits might be less terrifying.

6. Paint Your Boat
An old superstition said painting a cross on your boat kept bad luck away. Because obviously, sea demons that have haunted sailors for centuries will totally back off when they see your arts-and-crafts project. It’s the nautical equivalent of slapping a “Baby on Board” sign on your minivan and expecting hurricanes to steer clear politely.

7. Sea Voyages = Second Sight
Folklore claimed that setting sail on Halloween granted sailors “double sight”—visions of the beyond. Mystical, right? Or, you know, just seasickness with a seasonal twist. Nothing says gift of prophecy like hurling over the side of a boat and suddenly “meeting your ancestors” mid-chum.

8. An Apple A Day
Folklore claimed that eating an apple on Halloween guaranteed good health. Think of it as the medieval Flintstones vitamin.  Forget gym memberships, yoga mats, and protein shakes; one bite of a Granny Smith was basically a medieval health insurance policy without copays, just the occasional worm and the very real chance of accidentally eating a seed and panicking that a tree might grow in your stomach.

9. Ask the Bull
Halloween superstition said you could forecast winter by watching a bull’s mood. Which is adorable, considering bulls only have two moods: “angry” and “angrier.” So yeah, probably invest in a warm coat, some wool socks, and stock up on firewood.

10. Special Halloween Babies
Kids born on October 31 were said to have supernatural gifts. Imagine a lifetime of pumpkin cakes, skeleton onesies, and parents insisting, “We definitely didn’t name him Damien for the symbolism. It’s just a coincidence.” Sure, maybe they can see ghosts or predict the future, but let’s be real, their real power is faking enthusiasm for yet another “spooky-themed” birthday party every single year.

11. Torchlight Protection
Back in the day, farmers lit torches and sang in their fields on Halloween to keep evil spirits away from their crops. Think of it as the original music festival, except instead of flower crowns and overpriced taco trucks, it was pitchforks, chanting, and a desperate plea for wheat not to die. Basically, Coachella, if Coachella had more smoke, less Wi-Fi, and way higher stakes.

12. Beware of Witches
Old superstition swore Halloween night was crawling with witches. Honestly, that sounds less like a threat and more like the best girls’ night ever with brooms, brews, and a little light hexing. Count me in! Fast-forward to today, and witches are thriving: selling $75 jars of “moon water” on Etsy, running crystal shops, and probably having a busier social calendar than you. The only thing scarier is the witches running your HOA.

So there you have it, proof that our ancestors treated Halloween like a chaotic mix of fortune-telling, fire hazards, and questionable farming advice. Think you know Halloween better than they did? See you tomorrow for our Halloween Quiz. You might surprise yourself (or embarrass yourself, but at least it’ll be festive).