When we think of Halloween, we think of Apples. We long for Apple Bobbing, Caramel covered Apples, and Even hot Apple Cider. We even go apple picking. But do we know why we associate Halloween with Apples? I did some internet searching and found the answer.

History of Halloween Apples

Did you know that Apples were once believed to be a powerful symbol of fertility and immortality? (History)

“Apples have been easily accessible and widely consumed since Antiquity. In fact, several European languages, including Greek, Latin, English and French, used the word ‘apple’ to refer to all fruit. In the West, apples are seen as highly thirst-quenching and nourishing. They not only represent health but are also a guarantee of eternal youth and immortality. Over the centuries, they have repeatedly fueled pagan myths, the biblical narrative, fairy tales and popular legends, and have become part of the collective imagination as a powerful and ambivalent symbol, associated with seduction and femininity.

Greek mythology, both gods and mortals coveted the golden apples the mother goddess Gaia gave as a wedding present to Hera and Zeus. They were kept in a garden guarded by the Hesperides, daughters of the goddess of the night, and by Ladon, a hundred-headed dragon that never slept. These apples promised immortality and anyone who ate them would never again experience hunger, thirst, suffering or illness. According to one version of the myth, Eris, the goddess of discord, was furious at not having been invited to the wedding of Thetis and Peleus, so she took one of the apples and threw it among the guests. The apple was inscribed with the words ‘To the fairest’ and caused mayhem among the crowd.

This event led to the Judgement of Paris, to end the quarrel by choosing the most beautiful goddess. Paris gave the golden apple to Aphrodite, the goddess of love, beauty and fertility, who, in return, promised to give him the beautiful Helen of Troy, thereby triggering the Trojan War. In another Greek myth, Eurystheus commands Heracles (Hercules in Roman mythology) to fulfil twelve labours, one of which was to steal these same golden apples by braving Ladon (the dragon). In Celtic mythology, portrayals of Lugh, one of the prominent gods, usually show him holding three apples, signs of immortality, power and prosperity. In Snorri’s Edda, a 13th-century collection of Norse myths in prose form, the goddess Iðunn is the keeper of the apples of immortality, food of the gods. The giant Þjazi, forcibly takes her far away from Asgard, and this abduction causes the premature ageing of the gods.”. (Alimentarium/Nestle Foundation)

Vice Spoke to a Druid About the Occult History of Apple-Bobbing. This is what they found out.

“The apple, for all of its wholesome goodness, has a bit of a dark past. The forbidden fruit at the root of humanity’s falling out with God is often illustrated as an apple. Cut an apple in half, and you will find a five-pointed star, or pentagram, often associated with Satanism and the occult.

We spoke to Tony Locke, a writer and current-day Druid, to unpack the murky past of apple-bobbing and to better understand the occult significance of the apple. The Druids were a class of people within Celtic society that fulfilled many roles—that of religious advisor, astronomer, healer, poet, or historian. They were held in high esteem and considered in many ways to be just below the Chieftain or King in the social order. They settled disputes, acted as judges in the event of disputes, sometimes intervened between warring tribes, and in some cases, stopped battles being fought.

What is the occult significance of the apple? The apple has been held as magical throughout history, although it was never identified as an individual fruit until roughly the 17th century. It has been suggested that all fruit from a foreign source was referred to as an “apple,” even the tomato was commonly known as the “love apple.” The apple was never identified as the fruit that grew on the tree of knowledge in Christian mythology. The apple and its place in mythology can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, where it was considered to be a potent symbol of the goddess Pomona and was depicted as being favored by Venus. Hence, it has become known as a love fruit.

Are apples used for spells? It is used in many spells and rituals and has been mentioned in stories throughout history; from the Garden of Eden to Snow White. The apple was considered sacred by many societies and has been used in divination spells and is still used today by many pagan groups. The practice of cutting open an apple to reveal that most potent symbol within— that of the pentagram—is still carried on today, particularly at Samhain and Halloween.

What role does food play in Samhain? Samhain is the time when we honor our ancestors. Food was prepared for the living and the dead. Of course, the food left out for the returning ancestors was not eaten, so it was ritually shared with the less well-off who had nothing.

It is a time when the doorway to the “other world” is open and we can commune with the dead—a time of divination. It was also the time when livestock was brought down from the hills to overwinter and the animals thought less likely to survive were slaughtered for food during the winter, a practice still carried on today in some areas”. (Vice Interview)

Bobbing For Apples

“Bobbing for apples has been an autumn tradition for hundreds of years. Despite its presence at Halloween parties and festivals today, however, its origins are more rooted in love and romance than tricks and treats. In fact, it began as a British courting ritual, popular among young ladies and their potential beaus. There were several variations of game: In one set of rules, each apple was assigned to a potential mate. The bobber would then attempt to bite into the apple named for the young man she desired. If it only took her one try, they were destined for romance. If she succeeded with her second attempt, he would court her but their love would fade. If it took three tries, their relationship was doomed. Another approach to the game was a race to be the first to bite an apple; the first to emerge successful would be the first to marry. A related superstition suggested that if a girl put the apple she had bitten underneath her pillow, she would see her future soul mate in her dreams that night. Eventually, the game declined in popularity, and by the 1800s, it was common only in Ireland and certain areas of England. At the end of the century, though, Americans exploring their immigrant roots decided to bring back this Celtic fall tradition as a game for both children and adults at Halloween parties. Today, some parents may keep their kids away from the tub of apples for fear of spreading germs”. (History)

Now that we know the History behind Halloween Apples and Bobbing for Apples, we will explore the different alternatives to Bobbing for apples. Recently, apple bobbing has fallen out of favor again, with parents lamenting the unsanitary conditions and potential spread of germs, not to mention the hazard of drowning. Thankfully, there are various alternatives to apple bobbing that can still make for an exciting Halloween game.

Hygienic apple bobbing and other fun autumn game alternatives

Hanging Apples

Rather than putting apples in a barrel full of water to float, tie strings to the stems. Then hang each individual apple to a clothesline. Without using their hands, participants must eat the majority of the apple of their choosing. Apples can be replaced with other treats, such as doughnuts.

Fishing for Apples

tie string loops onto the apple stems and then fish for them with a stick, some twine, and strong wire. Simply bend the wire into the shape of a hook, wrap the twine around the hook and knot the end.

Or attach a magnet to an end of string tied to a stick to make a fishing rod of sorts. Cut out paper apples and adhere something metallic to the cut-outs, such as paper clips. Kids take chances fishing out their selections. Each cut-out earns players a prize.

Candy Catch

Participants line up holding a small receptacle, such as a cone-shaped party hat turned upside down or a small plastic pumpkin. While an adult tosses candy into the air, the children try to catch it in their containers.

Apple Toss

a variation on a beanbag game or ring toss activity, players can aim a plastic apple or pumpkin into a hole or barrel. Red ping pong balls tossed into canning jars or plastic cups can work as well.

Bobbing for Apples with some Twists

Party hosts can still float apples in a bucket of water, having participants bob in a different way. They can try to scoop apples out with a small spoon or two chopsticks. Let imaginations reign supreme while keeping germs out of the apples. Or give party participants their own separate bowls or buckets for bobbing. With their own separate bowls or buckets you could fill the buckets with a bag of apples and see how many Apples they can get in 1- 2 minutes time.

Wow! There are so many Fun ways to incorporate Apples into your Halloween Celebration. Growing up, I was only taught about Bobbing, Picking, and Caramel Apples. Apparently, I was missing out! Apples are Definitely a must have for any Halloween Celebration. But what if you need a little more sweetness added to that Apple? It is a Sugary Holiday After all. Now we will dive into the Scrumptious Apple inventions that have won over Halloween since 1908. 

The History of Caramel and Candy Apples

Caramel apples were invented many years after the candy apple, in the 1950s, by Kraft Foods employee Dan Walker. Like candy apples, caramel apples’ invention also resulted from experimentation with holiday candy – Walker said he discovered the recipe when experimenting with excess caramels from Halloween sales; he simply melted them down and added apples, and the rest is history. While caramel apples were made by hand for the first decade or so of their existence, Vito Raimondi of Chicago, Illinois made and patented the first automated caramel apple machine in 1960.

Other Flavor Variations

In addition to the traditional candy and caramel apples, many other variations exist, including:

Caramel Apples are often called “taffy apples” when additional ingredients such as peanuts are applied.

Chocolate apples – These include both caramel apples dipped in chocolate and chocolate-coated apples (with no caramel). Chocolate and chocolate-caramel apples are made with both milk chocolate and white chocolate, and may also include toppings such as sprinkles, crushed cookies, and candy bits.

Jelly apples – This type of candy apple is sold in Coney Island, New York. Jelly apples differ from regular candy apples in that the candy coating is softer and cherry-flavored, rather than cinnamon-flavored”. (Gold Medal food Corporation)

How To: Make Caramel Apples with the wraps

Caramel Apples with the Kit

How to make Caramel Apples with Caramel Candies

How to make PERFECT CARAMEL APPLES! Tutorial + Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 light corn syrup
• 7 oz. sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 8 Granny Smith Apples
• 8 bamboo sticks or popsicle sticks

How to make Chocolate Covered Apples

Chocolate Covered Apples

These Chocolate Covered Apples make for a healthy chocolate dessert everyone will love making and eating!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time5 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 4 Granny Smith Apples
• 10 oz Enjoy Life Chocolate
• 1 tablespoon Refined Coconut Oil
• Preferred Toppings optional

Instructions

1. Wash the apples, remove the stems and then insert the skewers where the stems were. Pat them dry with a clean towel to prevent water from getting into the melted chocolate.
2. Fill a small saucepan with water, about a cup. Place the saucepan onto the burner and bring it up to a simmer.
3. Place a glass bowl onto the saucepan and then pour in the chocolate chunks and coconut oil. Mix the chocolate chunks often to help them melt.
4. Once the chocolate is fully melted dunk the apples in the melted chocolate by swirling them around and using a spoon to cover them with the chocolate.
5. After you’ve coated the apples give them a little swirl around to remove the excess chocolate. Add your favorite toppings and then place onto a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet.
6. Refrigerate the apples for 20-30 minutes to allow the chocolate to set.
7. Enjoy now or serve within 3-4 days.

Notes

• Granny Smith is preferred, but you can use whatever apples you like.
• Dry the apples after washing, water will cause the chocolate to seize up.
• Use coconut oil to thin the chocolate, if the chocolate is too thick you may need to melt it a bit more or try adding more coconut oil.
• Use organic apples whenever possible, especially since no organic may have a waxy coating.

DISNEY CANDY APPLES

DISNEY CANDY APPLES | Halloween Party Treats 2021 | How to make Caramel Chocolate Apples

I never knew there were so many kinds of Flavor variants for Apples on a stick either. I will have to try all the other variations now. I hope I am not the only one who was in the dark about these other flavor combinations. LOL! I hope you have enjoyed this post. If this Post made you smile, educated you in the slightest, or even made you Laugh I have done my Job. Please feel free to, like, Comment, Share, and even Subscribe to my Page.