Halloween season comes and goes so quickly. Every year we look forward to the tradition of dressing up, carving pumpkins and eating candy around the end of October (and into November if we have some left over!). These traditions have been around for many years, but have you ever wondered about the myths and legends about Halloween foods? Here is some history behind the fun Halloween foods we celebrate with today.

Carved Pumpkins
Originally, it was a Celtic tradition to carve faces into potatoes and turnips as part of a celebration. This practice began with the the story of “Jack,” a scoundrel who was accepted neither by heaven nor hell, and left to search for a place of rest here on earth guided by a lantern made from a carved turnip with a flame inside. This story was the beginning of the term “Jack-o-lantern.”

When the Irish brought this custom to North America, the more accessible pumpkin was used in place of the turnip, and the art of pumpkin carving was born. Luckily for us, that encouraged the cooking of a few tasty leftovers from the carving: pumpkin seeds and pumpkin pie!

Trick or Treats
When we were children, we anxiously awaited the one night that we got to dress up as whatever our imaginations would allow and knock on every door along the street, yelling “Trick or Treat!” For this action, we would be given a handful of candy and a smile. Little do we know that this behaviour was passed down through generations, and began by the early Christians. Trick-or-treating was originally called “souling” and took place on the first day of November (today we call this day “All Souls Day” or “All Saints Day”). People would go “souling” to beg for soul-cakes in exchange for saying a prayer dedicated to the household's dead relatives.

Bobbing for Apples/Candy Apples
Apples became a Halloween staple for games, ciders and sweet treats dating back to Roman history. The Roman festival celebrating goddess “Pomona” (known as the Festival of the Dead) occurred around the same time as the original Halloween festival. As Pomona was the goddess of trees and fruits, apples were used as a symbol of her gifts. Eventually, the two festivals were integrated into each other and the games and symbolism of the apple were transferred to modern-day Halloween.

All of these delicious and historical components of Halloween fill this scary season with warmth and joy for children and adults alike, and keep us readily awaiting October 31st every year.