Halloween Superstitions Worldwide

Most reasonable people dismiss Halloween superstitions as harmless tales or plain silliness, and when they seem to come true attribute it to coincidence, but regardless of how you feel about such folklore, Halloween superstitions still hold a place in our traditional celebration of this day.  Many superstitions go back thousands of years and come from a variety of cultures worldwide, such as English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh.  And for something that is usually written off as pure nonsense, the closer we get to Halloween, the more unsettling these superstitions become and some of us find ourselves paying heed to them, not because we really believe in them, but you know, just in case.  So here are thirteen Halloween superstitions to tickle your fancy and maybe, just maybe give you pause for thought:

Blue candle flame:  A Welsh belief is that if a candle flame should suddenly turn blue, there’s a ghost nearby. 

Candle Extinguished No Explanation:  This applies only to the time of Halloween and states that if you have a lighted candle that abruptly goes out and there’s no direct breeze or open door to explain it, there is a ghostly presence in the house.

Ring a bell, scare a spirit off:  This superstition dates all the way back to medieval times, the premise being that the ringing of any type of bells, chimes, even doorbells, etc. will frighten away evil spirits that may be lurking in your home.

Hear footsteps behind you, avoid looking back:  In Britain and Ireland it was believed that if you were out walking on Halloween night and heard footsteps behind you, you should never turn around and look back as it might be the dead following you.  If you did look back and were unfortunate enough to directly meet their age, it was a prediction of your imminent death.

Souls freed from Purgatory:  Gaelic Halloween lore states that all souls that are in Purgatory are released for 48 hours on All Hallows Eve.

Birthday on Halloween:  Welsh legend says that a child born on Halloween will have special powers to ward off evil spirits and will be given the gift of second sight.

Walk Backwards protect home from evil spirits:  Walk around your home three times backwards and counterclockwise before sunset on Halloween to keep evil spirits away.

Animal Bones Keep Ghosts Away:  Bury animal bones or a picture of an animal near the doorway so that ghosts cannot enter the house at Halloween.

Flying bats:  See bats flying around your house either inside or out, and this could indicate that ghosts and spirits are nearby.  They may even have let the bat in.  Plus, if a bat flies around your house three times, it is a sign of death to  come.

Black and white cats:  While in our neck of the woods here in America, black cats have been linked to witches and the devil, and if one crosses your path at Halloween it is considered a bad omen, in Britain, Ireland, and Japan it is the opposite.  White cats are a sign of bad luck and could mean evil spirits are close at hand.

Owls eat souls:  In days of old it was believed that owls would swoop down out of the night sky to eat the souls of the dying.  An owl hooting was a cause for great alarm.  The solution was to turn your pockets inside out and you would be safe.

Spiders in the house:  A European superstition says that finding spiders lurking anywhere in your house or room on Halloween night, it is the spirit of a deceased loved one watching over you.

Moonlight Shadow:  A Celtic superstition warns you not to look at your shadow in the moonlight on Halloween eve or you will have bad luck and perhaps death may follow.