Provided by Robert Bowling, Fishers Historical Society
One of the most popular traditions of Halloween is dressing up in costume. It is a practice enjoyed by children and adults. It is also a significant revenue booster for retail businesses. According to the National Retail Federation, Halloween costumes are expected to surpass $12 billion in 2024. People dress in Halloween costumes to disguise themselves, hoping to blend in or scare away the supernatural. The Celts referred to it as “guising.” Costumes have evolved. Some costumes, such as witches, princesses, and even the devil, have remained the same over the years. However, they also reflect current pop culture trends, which may include political figures, musicians and movie actors, and those may fluctuate from year to year. An article in the Hamilton County Ledger from 1897 lists many of the costumes from that year: “Nearly every nation on the globe was represented. There was the Indian, the flower girl, the nun, the dude, the tat man, the sailor, the bicycle girl with bloomers, the snake charmer with her pompadour hair, the clown, the fashionable lady, the two faced man, and the devil himself.”
Another tradition that evolved is trick-or-treating. “Souling” was a Celtic tradition where villagers would leave offerings of food and drink outside their homes to appease the spirits during Samhain. Instead of candy being handed out, villagers would leave round cakes. The children, dressed in costumes, would perform songs, skits or jokes in exchange for food. When the Irish emigrated to the U.S., it slowly evolved into children going door to door for candy.
Carving pumpkins has long been a favorite Halloween tradition. The practice is deeply rooted in Irish folklore, but started with carving turnips. According to the legend, Stingy Jack was a man who tricked the devil multiple times. As punishment for his deceit, when Jack died, he was not allowed into heaven or hell. Instead, the devil sent him into the night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack placed the coal in a carved-out turnip and has been wandering ever since, giving rise to the figure of “Jack of the Lantern,” later shortened to “jack-o’-lantern.” When the Irish emigrated to the U.S., they found that pumpkins were easier to carve than turnips. Pumpkins have now become a significant symbol of Halloween.
Halloween has always been associated with the supernatural, but it was also believed that young women would find their romantic partners on this night. This was accomplished through games or superstitious rituals, such as apple bobbing. Although associated with fall festivals, it would either consist of bobbing for apples in a tub or hanging them from the ceiling. There were a few different variations of this activity. Apples would be marked with the names of potential male suitors. Whichever apple the female bit into, the male represented on the apple would supposedly be matched with her. Sometimes the apple would just be of one male suitor. If the female bit into the apple on the first try, they were fated for love. On the second try, they would be mated, but the love would not last. On the third try, the courtship would not even happen. Sometimes it would be a race among multiple women to see who could get the apple first.
Along with apple bobbing, apple peeling was another related Halloween activity. A female would peel an apple and throw it over her shoulder. The peel was believed to land in the shape of the first letter of their future spouse’s name.
Other rituals brought over from Europe to determine one’s mate were even more bizarre than bobbing for apples. People would pull kale out of the ground at night with their eyes closed. The length and shape of the stalk were said to represent the future lover’s height and figure, and the amount of soil around the roots represented wealth. A game mentioned in the Hamilton County Ledger that was popular at the time was called Three Luggies. Three bowls would be placed on a mantle. One bowl had clear water, one had milky water, and the other was empty. The blindfolded female would stick her hand in one of the bowls. If she picked the clear water, she would marry a bachelor; the milky water would result in being a widower; and the empty bowl would ensure that she would remain single the rest of her life. The female would do this three times, and the hand must have been dipped twice in the same bowl for it to be true.
In modern times, as a scary activity, people will go into the bathroom and recite a chant while looking in a mirror, hoping to see a ghost standing behind them. However, in the past, this was how young women could see their future mates. It required them to walk backward down a staircase holding a candle. Upon looking in the mirror, she would see the image of her future husband. Nut burning was a popular activity for recently engaged couples. Each person would throw a nut into the fire. If it burned quietly, it was a sign that the relationship was a good one, but if it crackled, then a turbulent future lay ahead.
Halloween has always been a popular time for residents in Hamilton County. The streets would be filled with masqueraders. Young children would be out before dark, and as night set in, teenagers and adults would roam the streets or hold parties. Halloween parties looked a lot different than they do today. As the Hamilton County Ledger described in 1892, “rooms were lighted by candles instead of gas: pumpkin jack o’ lanterns stood in unexpected places about the halls and rooms. The mantels were stacked with brightly polished apples, and fancy dishes of nuts, raisins, grapes, oranges, figs, dates, and homemade candies were set everywhere…”
As fun as Halloween can be, it was also a night when vandals cause mischief, leading to increased law enforcement presence. At the turn of the 20th century it was still an issue that plagued Hamilton County. Teenagers would routinely flip over outhouses or toss wagons into the White River. They would vandalize houses and blame it on the supernatural. Today most cities in Hamilton County have implemented certain hours for trick-or-treating. Many of the games and superstitious rituals for females to find a future mate have been discontinued. Adults still get together for parties and dress up in costumes, but many of the decorations of old have been replaced.
Fishers residents looking for fun ways to celebrate Halloween can visit Conner Prairie’s Headless Horseman Festival during October, and take a hayride through the spooky forest in search of the headless rider. Stop at the Apple Store and grab a candied apple or a cup of apple cider. Boo Bash, hosted by the Fishers Parks and Recreation department, is another friendly event held at the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater. There will be candy, costume parades, photo ops, magicians and more. Boo Bash will be held on Saturday, October 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Or perhaps get together with family, sit around a fire and tell ghost stories. However you celebrate Halloween, be safe and make some lifelong memories.
