Happy Haunting... ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏   | Happy Haunting... The Fright Bite Blame it on black cats, broomsticks and Friday the 13th, but there’s something spooky sweeping across the nation. As Halloween creeps closer we’re digging into the curious origins of All Hallows’ Eve in Britain and beyond.
Read on, if you dare… | | | | Horrible Histories The earliest accounts of Halloween in Britain originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, named after the Gaelic word for ‘November’, which symbolised the end of harvest season and the last night before winter. According to legend the boundary between those living and dead became blurred on the night of October 31st and spirits in the afterlife could return to earth undetected to claim living souls for the Underworld, so people lit bonfires, wore costumes and howled like animals to convince the spirits they were not human in the hopes they wouldn’t be claimed for the afterlife by morning. It’s enough to make your blood run cold...
| | | | Moving swiftly on to the sweeter side of things, in 16th century Britain apple bobbing was primarily a game to help young people find romantic partners before winter kicked in. Villagers would gather to watch as young women bobbed for apples, each apple representing a suiter from the village, in a game which ultimately predicted their matrimonial futures – those unable to secure an apple were destined to live long and lonely lives as spinsters. Thankfully, this rather unkind side of the game remains firmly in the dark ages. | | |  | | | | Caledonian Creeping As well as dressing up in their scariest costumes children in Scotland must recite a poem, tell a joke sing a song, do a magic trick or have some other entertainment prepared when knocking on doors hoping for sweets. This unique Scottish tradition is known as Guising, a play on the word ‘disguise’, and is as popular today as it was in 1785 when Robert Burns wrote an entire poem about it. | | | Did You Know... - Before pumpkins became easily available children would carve faces into swedes, turnips and even potatoes for their Halloween lanterns.
- The UK’s favourite Halloween treats are surprisingly traditional, with Toffee Apples, Jelly Beans and Fudge all consistently popular choices for Halloween celebrations.
- Orange and black are the definitive colours of Halloween. But why? Orange traditionally represents autumn and the fading harvest season while black symbolises supernatural activity and the arrival of winter. | | | No Tricks, Just Treats! Here are a few of our eeriest essentials for fright night. |  | NEW! The Wicked Wicker | | | | |  | Pumpkin Faces Iced Biscuits | | | | | | |  | | Fortnum’s Spirits Rumours abound of a Fortnum’s ghost roaming the building by night, the natural assumption for a store well over three centuries old, but rest assured the only spirits lurking at Fortnum's are those which belong in a cocktail. | | | | | | |  | Already wondering how to use up leftover pumpkins?
Ta da... | | | | | One more thing... From apple-themed tipples, zero-waste supper clubs and an education in food fermentation to tasting lab-grown chocolate, so far autumn at Fortnum’s Food & Drink Studio has been delicious. | | | | |  | | | |  | #Fortnums is Made for Sharing Every day is a delicious adventure with Fortnum's.
Follow our journey and share your own. |  | | |   |
