Let Mykingdom tell you the story about the Pomona apple ! This article will help you answer why this name came about? Why is the Pomona apple used in Halloween and what are the ancient Halloween customs associated with this apple?
The story of the Pomona apple: Origin of the name
By 43 AD, the Roman Empire ruled most of the Celtic lands and enslaved them for 400 years. Therefore, the Celtic ghost festival and the two Roman holidays gradually merged to form the Halloween Ghost Festival as it is now. The first is the Feralia festival taking place at the end of October, the second is the day to honor the goddess Pomona - goddess of harvest and abundance.
When we cut an apple horizontally, we will see a 5-pointed star in the core, this is the symbol of the goddess in ancient European beliefs. The goddess Pomona is associated with abundance, crops and fruit, especially apples and nuts. So on this day, people will offer fresh apples and nuts to the goddess to express gratitude. Since then, the apples used on this day are also known as Pomona.
The 5-pointed star in the core of the apple is a symbol of the goddess in ancient European beliefs
In England, families will sit around the fireplace, enjoy delicious apples or roasted peanuts and chat together. So Halloween is sometimes also known as Nutcrack Night or Snap Apple Night.
Ancient practices related to the apple
The story of the Pomona apple in ancient times is extremely interesting. At that time, people believed that apples, apple seeds and apple peels were all related to love. Therefore, the custom of "Apple sinks and floats" was born as a way to choose a life partner. Young unmarried girls will carve their initials on the apple before dropping the apple into a large bucket of water. Young men will choose one from the barrel and take a bite. They believe that this is a sign or way to determine a future mate.
The custom of "Apple sinks and floats" was born as a way to choose a life partner
In some recorded documents, people also believe that when a girl throws an apple peel over her shoulder, the apple peel will form the first letter of her future husband's name, or that placing the apple under the pillow will help. They dream about the future person who will marry them. People also have another legend about peeling apples, the longer the apple peel, the longer the peeler will live...
The longer you peel an apple, the longer you'll live is just a superstitious practice
Perhaps you don't know another version of the story about the Pomona apple , which is that in the past, children went from house to house asking for freshly picked apples, not candy. And until a few decades ago, in some parts of Canada, instead of saying "Trick-or-treat", children would say "Halloween apples".
Children go door to door asking for freshly picked apples rather than candy during the carnival
The story of the Pomona apple is really interesting, isn't it? Today, these practices are considered superstitious and are no longer common on Halloween. Instead, people still enjoy apple candy and drinks made from apples together. Mykingdom wishes you and your family a Halloween full of fun!
