Debunking the Common Halloween Myths
Halloween is a time of tricks and treats, fun and games. However, it is easy to lose sight of the truth in the pounds of candy, crazy costumes, and television specials. Have you ever wondered why we carve pumpkins on Halloween? Or why bats, owls, and black cats are common Halloween symbols? Such Halloween myths as these have gone unexplained for far too long.
Spooky Symbols Revealed
There are so many symbols associated with Halloween. We see them branded and sold to us in stores, as icons on TV, and we think of them often when October 31 comes around. But what is the reasoning behind these Halloween myths and symbols?
Many of the symbols and myths that are commonly associated with Halloween are animal-related. More specifically, the black cat, the owl, and the bat come up in countless stories and movies. The Halloween myths related to these animals all say that they represent or bring bad luck. However, the truth says something different.
Black cats are animals that people avoid, not only during Halloween, but during the rest of the year as well. Though black cats have a scary connotation, the truth behind this myth is not scary in the least. Black cats were long thought to be reincarnated spirits that had the ability to see into the future. In the Middle Ages, a common Halloween myth was that a black cat was actually a witch in disguise.
Bats and owls are also common symbols of Halloween, again with scary connotations. What is the logic behind these apparently "scary" animals? They were thought to be able to communicate with the dead, and this is why people feared them, particularly around Halloween.
Have you ever wondered why jack ‘o' lanterns are a common sight around Halloween? The Halloween myth behind this tradition is one of protection rather than fright: carved pumpkins were originally intended to scare away the evil spirits that came out on Halloween.
Socially Constructed Stories And Symbolism
The stories, symbolism, and myths that go along with Halloween are really more socially constructed than anything else. Many of the witches, ghosts, goblins, zombies, and monsters that are associated with the holiday today only appeared with the development of horror movies. The colors orange and black, which have long been associated with Halloween, are more related to advertising than anything else. One of the trickiest things about Halloween myths is knowing what is fact and what is fiction.
