Halloween Fun

 

The Victorians had many interesting Halloween traditions, including the mirror game. I first came across the game by noting all the images of young women staring into mirrors on Halloween greeting cards. What were they doing and why? After a little digging, I found different variations of the game, which was meant to predict an unmarried woman’s future husband. (No surprise that Victorians would use the holiday as a way to find a match!) In one variation, a woman looks into a mirror at midnight on Halloween to see the face of her future husband. In another, a woman eats or peels an apple while staring into the glass. (Note the apples and clocks in the pictures.) If a man appeared, what a treat. But if a skull appeared, the woman was sure to be an old maid, the worst trick of all for a Victorian!

 

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