From the Ground Up: Fun Halloween folklore, plants for a bewitching time

While Halloween brings images of jack-o'-lanterns and bed-sheet ghosts, the origins of this fun and frightening night are quite serious in nature. Many of our modern Halloween traditions have roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. The Celts marked Nov. 1 as the beginning of the new year, just after the end of summer and harvest. The Samhain Festival marked the end of the season of the sun and the beginning of the season of darkness and cold. The Celts believed that on Oct. 31, the eve of the new year, the laws of space and time were suspended, allowing the spirit world to mingle with the living. Eventually, Nov. 1 became All Saints Day or All Hallow Day, making Oct. 31 All Hallow's Eve, or Halloween. Here's some fun folklore of plants and Halloween.

Vegetable Jack-O'-Lanterns

The Irish legend of Stingy Jack, a character who fooled the devil using devious, unorthodox means, inspired the first jack-o'-lanterns. As the story goes, when Jack died, he was turned away with only a burning ember for light because neither God nor the devil wanted him. Jack hollowed out a turnip to hold the ember, and 'Jack of the Lanterns' has been wandering the countryside with his glowing turnip ever since. When this tale reached America, where pumpkins were in great supply, the pumpkin quickly became the signature squash used for jack-o'-lanterns. The light from these simple lanterns not only scared away evil spirits, they also welcomed the spirits of loved ones.

Garlic

Centuries before Bram Stoker wrote Dracula, people wore or ate garlic to ward off vampires. Despite its roots in folklore, modern research shows garlic is effective in repelling ticks, mosquitoes, fleas — and other people. So why shouldn't it work on a passing vampire?

Rosemary and thyme

These herbs were thought to bring sweet dreams and protection. Placed under a pillow, these herbs would keep evil spirits and corresponding bad dreams at bay. Rosemary hung on doors would deter thieves, while burning thyme could purge a room of evil spirits.

Apples

Today we bob for apples for fun, but originally, the first woman to bite the buoyant fruit would be the next to marry. Or if a young lady could peel an apple in one continuous piece and toss the peel over her shoulder, it would form the first initial of the future husband's name when it landed.

Salvia (Salvia divinorum) 

Also called diviner's sage, salvia was associated with immortality and visions. Unlike harmless rosemary and thyme, salvia allegedly had mood-altering properties and could cause hallucinations.

Hazelnuts

Halloween is sometimes called nut-crack night because hazelnuts were used to predict romance. Whether roasted in a pan or placed directly in the fire, the way the nuts burned was believed to foretell the closeness and endurance of a love match.