The Love of Halloween
Guest post by Leigh Michael
Halloween, Hallows’ Eve, Hallowe’en, whatever you prefer to
call it, is a holiday we’ve all come to know and love. For many, it’s a jovial
time to get dressed up and eat lots of candy. For others, it stems from
observances of All Saints’ Day, All Souls’ Day, or Samhain.
But did you know that, for some, Halloween was also a time people yearned to find love?
On this night, hopeful young girls often used mirrors to
reveal their true loves. Want to give it a try? Follow the following steps to catch a
glimpse of your prince charming.
Wait until the sun has set.
Sit down and place a candle and mirror in front of you.
While brushing your hair, look intently into the mirror.
By doing so, folklore says that a reflection of your future
husband will appear in the mirror. In fact, he’ll be standing right behind you.
Be warned though, folklore also says that if you turn around, he’ll disappear
along with your chance to marry him.
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You’ve probably bobbed for apples before, but did you assign a different crush to each apple? In fact, if you can seize an apple in one bite, folklore believes you are destined to be together.
Did it work? Here's another one: Place four cups on a round table. |
Here’s one more. Just follow these simple directions.
In the first cup, put a ring.
In the second, add a petal from a flower.
In the third, drop a coin.
In the fourth, place a marble.
Blindfold yourself (or a friend) and carefully walk around
the table three times.
Then, without looking, touch a cup.
The first person to touch the cup with the flower petal will
wed first. Or so folklore says. If you blindly chose the cup with the ring,
you’ll have a lifetime of devoted love. The cup with the coin means you’ll be
wealthy. And alas, if you happen to pick the cup with the marble, there’s a
chance you’ll remain single or childless.
So what do you think? Are you going to give these Halloween
love potions a try?
All this talk of love reminds me of folklore from my series,
Annabelle’s Story. Unfortunately, both of these excerpts showcase those not so
lucky in love. But don’t worry; I’m sure you’ll have much better luck.
The love of Selkie
“Well, encantado and selkie
turn into human-forms differently,” he started. “For the selkie, it’s easiest
to think of them as wearing a wet suit. Once they leave the sea, they peel off
their sealskin and walk the land like a normal human. It’s kind of weird to
think about it.”
“Seriously? Their skin just
peels off?”
He nodded. “It can get a little
tricky for the selkie because they have to be really careful not to misplace
their skin. If they do, they can’t return to the water in their sprite
form.”
“So I take it this has happened
before?”
His head bobbed again.
“Throughout history, there’ve been stories of a woman falling in love with a
selkie. Over time the woman uncovered his secret, then stole his skin so the
selkie couldn’t ever leave her.”
“Talk about a forced
relationship.”
“For real,” he said with a
laugh.”
The love of Lorelei
“Lorelei was once a beautiful
young woman who thought she had it all. She lived with her husband in a small
town along the Rhine River in what is now known as Germany. One day, she
learned that her husband wasn’t faithful. In a fit of rage and sorrow, she
threw herself into the river. Upon her death, she transformed into a Siren, a
kind of mermaid.
Although, Lorelei’s story
didn’t stop there. She carried such an immense amount of hatred not only
towards her unfaithful lover, but also towards men in general. As a Siren,
she’d sit upon a rock and lure sailors with her tantalizing voice, causing them
to crash into the rocks and drown.”
Kin (Annabelle’s Story Part Two) can be purchased at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords
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About Leigh: Leigh Michael is an author of YA fiction. She's worked within the advertising world for nearly a decade before writing her debut series, Annabelle's Story. Leigh lives in Washington, DC with her husband and goldendoodle. Please learn more about Leigh and her works at www.LeighMichaelBooks.com.
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