【导语】万圣节是纪念所有圣徒的节日，亦称“诸圣瞻礼”或“诸圣日”。以下是
Halloweenhasalwaysbeenaholidayfilledwithmystery,magicandsuperstition.itbeganasacelticend-of-summerfestivalduringwhichpeoplefeltespeciallyclosetodeceasedrelativesandfriends.forthesefriendlyspirits,theysetplacesatthedinnertable,lefttreatsondoorstepsandalongthesideoftheroadandlitcandlestohelplovedonesfindtheirwaybacktothespiritworld.
Today'shalloweenghostsareoftendepictedasmorefearsomeandmalevolent,andourcustomsandsuperstitionsarescariertoo.weavoidcrossingpathswithblackcats,afraidthattheymightbringusbadluck.thisideahasitsrootsinthemiddleages,whenmanypeoplebelievedthatwitchesavoideddetectionbyturningthemselvesintocats.wetrynottowalkunderladdersforthesamereason.thissuperstitionmayhavecomefromtheancientegyptians,whobelievedthattrianglesweresacred;italsomayhavesomethingtodowiththefactthatwalkingunderaleaningladdertendstobefairlyunsafe.andaroundhalloween,especially,wetrytoavoidbreakingmirrors,steppingoncracksintheroadorspillingsalt.
Butwhataboutthehalloweentraditionsandbeliefsthattoday'strick-or-treatershaveforgottenallabout?manyoftheseobsoleteritualsfocusedonthefutureinsteadofthepastandthelivinginsteadofthedead.inparticular,manyhadtodowithhelpingyoungwomenidentifytheirfuturehusbandsandreassuringthemthattheywouldsomeday--withluck,bynexthalloween!--bemarried.
In18th-centuryireland,amatchmakingcookmightburyaringinhermashedpotatoesonhalloweennight,hopingtobringtruelovetothedinerwhofoundit.inscotland,fortune-tellersrecommendedthataneligibleyoungwomannameahazelnutforeachofhersuitorsandthentossthenutsintothefireplace.thenutthatburnedtoashesratherthanpoppingorexploding,thestorywent,representedthegirl'sfuturehusband.(insomeversionsofthislegend,confusingly,theoppositewastrue:thenutthatburnedawaysymbolizedalovethatwouldnotlast.)anothertalehaditthatifayoungwomanateasugaryconcoctionmadeoutofwalnuts,hazelnutsandnutmegbeforebedonhalloweennight,shewoulddreamaboutherfuturehusband.youngwomentossedapple-peelsovertheirshoulders,hopingthatthepeelswouldfallonthefloorintheshapeoftheirfuturehusbands'initials;triedtolearnabouttheirfuturesbypeeringateggyolksfloatinginabowlofwater;andstoodinfrontofmirrorsindarkenedrooms,holdingcandlesandlookingovertheirshouldersfortheirhusbands'faces.
Otherritualsweremorecompetitive.atsomehalloweenparties,thefirstguesttofindaburronachestnut-huntwouldbethefirsttomarry;atothers,thefirstsuccessfulapple-bobberwouldbethefirstdowntheaisle.
Ofcourse,whetherwe'reaskingforromanticadviceortryingtoavoidsevenyearsofbadluck,eachoneofthesehalloweensuperstitionsreliesonthegoodwilloftheverysame"spirits"whosepresencetheearlyceltsfeltsokeenly.oursisnotsuchadifferentholidayafterall!