Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Halloween Superstitions: True or False
There are many myths, superstitions, and folklore surrounding the Halloween holiday. Apart from making interesting trivia, these myths can provide lots of ideas for Halloween costumes, Halloween parties, and Halloween party games. Here are just a few examples.
Bobbing for Apples Most people consider bobbing for apples to be a Halloween party game. Centuries ago, however, it was a superstitious form of fortune-telling. It was believed that the first person to successfully bite an apple and pull it from the water would be the next one to get married. This detail might be more fun to tell your guests after the game is over and the winner selected.
Black Cats Are Unlucky Black cats have been considered unlucky for centuries, mainly because of their association with witchcraft and evil. In the US and Canada today, if a black cat crosses your path, it is considered an omen of imminent bad luck. This superstition is clearly false. For example, in Britain and Ireland, it's unlucky for a white cat to cross your path. It's actually considered lucky if a black cat crossed your path instead. Obviously, both superstitions can't be true. They can, however, be a lot of fun.
Cat Halloween costumes have been popular for decades, particularly with women. This is partly because black cat Halloween costumes can provide cheap fancy dress if you already have a black outfit. If so, only a set of ears and a tail need to be purchased. You can then run in circles around your friends at Halloween parties in black cat Halloween costumes, telling them you're cursing them for years. Friends wearing a pair of cat Halloween costumes, one white and one black, can compete over who can curse or uncurse the most party guests.
Salt Wakes a Zombie This superstition is partly true. As monsters, zombies originated among the Voodoo practices of Haiti. A Haitian black sorcerer can curse someone to die and rise again as a mindless in a constant trance-like state, to serve as the sorcerer's slave. If the zombie ever tastes salt, however, it awakens and attacks the sorcerer. Scientific studies of Voodoo and zombies have discovered that a sorcerer's zombie powder contains a neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin obtained from the Puffer Fish. This toxin can blocks the sodium channels in nerve and muscle cells, causing to victim to become paralyzed but stay conscious. Their families confuse the paralysis for death and bury the victim, who is dug up later by the sorcerer. Although paralyzed, the victim is aware of all of this, and believes he had been killed and raised from the dead. Interestingly, salt contains sodium. Eating enough salt could restore the use of the victims muscles and nerves, essentially counteracting the neurotoxin and waking the zombie. Once awake, the victim will be understandably angry with the sorcerer, and might even attack him! The salt myth has great potential for a zombies vs. zombie hunters; Halloween party game. Everyone knows that if a zombie bites a zombie hunter, the hunter turns into a zombie, too. But to balance things out, zombie hunters could use salt to wake up a zombie, turning it into another hunter for their side.
Zombie-themed Halloween parties are fun, partly because zombie Halloween costumes are also cheap fancy dress options. All your guests really need are some old clothes they can rip up, and some fake blood from a costume shop.
Bobbing for Apples Most people consider bobbing for apples to be a Halloween party game. Centuries ago, however, it was a superstitious form of fortune-telling. It was believed that the first person to successfully bite an apple and pull it from the water would be the next one to get married. This detail might be more fun to tell your guests after the game is over and the winner selected.
Black Cats Are Unlucky Black cats have been considered unlucky for centuries, mainly because of their association with witchcraft and evil. In the US and Canada today, if a black cat crosses your path, it is considered an omen of imminent bad luck. This superstition is clearly false. For example, in Britain and Ireland, it's unlucky for a white cat to cross your path. It's actually considered lucky if a black cat crossed your path instead. Obviously, both superstitions can't be true. They can, however, be a lot of fun.
Cat Halloween costumes have been popular for decades, particularly with women. This is partly because black cat Halloween costumes can provide cheap fancy dress if you already have a black outfit. If so, only a set of ears and a tail need to be purchased. You can then run in circles around your friends at Halloween parties in black cat Halloween costumes, telling them you're cursing them for years. Friends wearing a pair of cat Halloween costumes, one white and one black, can compete over who can curse or uncurse the most party guests.
Salt Wakes a Zombie This superstition is partly true. As monsters, zombies originated among the Voodoo practices of Haiti. A Haitian black sorcerer can curse someone to die and rise again as a mindless in a constant trance-like state, to serve as the sorcerer's slave. If the zombie ever tastes salt, however, it awakens and attacks the sorcerer. Scientific studies of Voodoo and zombies have discovered that a sorcerer's zombie powder contains a neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin obtained from the Puffer Fish. This toxin can blocks the sodium channels in nerve and muscle cells, causing to victim to become paralyzed but stay conscious. Their families confuse the paralysis for death and bury the victim, who is dug up later by the sorcerer. Although paralyzed, the victim is aware of all of this, and believes he had been killed and raised from the dead. Interestingly, salt contains sodium. Eating enough salt could restore the use of the victims muscles and nerves, essentially counteracting the neurotoxin and waking the zombie. Once awake, the victim will be understandably angry with the sorcerer, and might even attack him! The salt myth has great potential for a zombies vs. zombie hunters; Halloween party game. Everyone knows that if a zombie bites a zombie hunter, the hunter turns into a zombie, too. But to balance things out, zombie hunters could use salt to wake up a zombie, turning it into another hunter for their side.
Zombie-themed Halloween parties are fun, partly because zombie Halloween costumes are also cheap fancy dress options. All your guests really need are some old clothes they can rip up, and some fake blood from a costume shop.
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