Food - Drink
How Nuts Were Historically Used To Predict The Future Of Romances
By ELIAS NASH
Many of the customs we associate with Halloween are uniquely North American and more recent than you might think. However, the holiday evolved from a set of much older holidays from around the world, like the Celtic festival of Samhain, which along with the typical feasts, bonfires, and bobbing for apples, placed great emphasis on young love.
Traditional Samhain celebrations incorporated many youth games, most of which focused on the theme of young love. For example, after bobbing for apples, it was believed if you let your apple peels fall to the ground they would spell out your lover’s initials. However, the most notable of these romantic beliefs centered around chestnuts and hazelnuts.
The custom involved tossing two nuts into a fire, representing each member of a prospective romance. If both nuts burned evenly, it symbolized a sturdy relationship, but if one of the nuts popped or rolled away, it meant the lovers would prove unfaithful. The game was so popular that in certain parts of Britain, October 31 came to be known as Nut Crack Night.