Haunted Victorians

  Hello dear friends, and welcome! Tonight marks a year since I first started writing these letters! In the next few weeks to come I hope to bring you more facts and creatures, but for now I have this small bit of information to convey.

Halloween Victorian Style!

Traditions

  While many today consider Halloween a child's holiday, this was not so in the 1800s. This holiday, originally of Celtic design, was celebrated by many adults, as well as the children of the age. Parties were an occasion to dress in costumes, as well as indulge in some light games and some dark magic. Popular parlor games involved hiding a ring, coin, and a sewing item into baked cakes - the ring meant you would be married, the coin meant good fortune, and the sewing item (such as a button) meant you would have plenty of time for sewing. If you found one of the items in your slice of cake you would have the future that was associated with the item.

  Another tradition which some may find disturbing was the burning of "witches" by Queen Victoria before she would start her lavish Halloween parties. Since this is a more uncomfortable topic to write of, I shall not elaborate on it. Thankfully, however, the Queen did eventually stop these yearly burnings of "witches."

Superstitions

  As to be expected, many Victorians were superstitious; and superstitions were only enlivened by the festivities of Halloween nights. One commonplace superstition at the time was the belief that if a young maiden were to enter a dark room at midnight and look upon a mirror, she would see not only herself, but the face of her future beloved. However, not all mirror gazing was so successful. If the spirits were irked or aggravated, the maiden would see only a skeleton, meaning that she would die alone.

Decorations

  It is only natural to wonder what places looked like in the past, before they had been touched by time. What if you could visit a Victorian house in all its splendour on Halloween night, before the stair railings have rusted and the paint has faded away? You would find a mixed variety of decorations, both depending on location and exact year of the particular Halloween. Turnips and pumpkins were popular objects to carve faces into, and could be sent or used as party invitations or decorations. Harvest centerpieces adorned the insides of homes while hanging apples and horseshoes decorated (and kept spirits out) of doorways. Bats, cats, witches and devils were also becoming more commonly associated with Halloween during this time as party hosts used these images to decorate their homes.

  Ah, what I wouldn't give to celebrate the holiday all year round. Imagine dressing up as a clown or a creature from one of Mother Goose's rhymes everyday. The fun would never end. But, alas, everything comes to a close - this letter being no exception. Good night to all, and a happy [late] Halloween!

       Until we next meet,  

              The Friendly Steampunk

Credits to Google Images for the picture