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Writer's pictureFaryn Steckiel

Trick or Tree: Halloween and the Forest

To understand the significance of trees to this autumnal holiday, one must first know how Halloween started in the first place. Obviously, it’s a long story– centuries long, in fact. But Halloween as we know it can be traced back to the Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced like sow-inn), which was celebrated in modern-day Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France. The Celts rang in the new year on November 1 and celebrated Samhain the night before, hence Halloween being on October 31. For them, the new year symbolized the end of summer, the harvest, and frankly, death. As a result, Samhain was understood to be a night where ghosts of dead relatives returned to earth, blurring the lines between the worlds.


Photo of costumes from the Liverpool Irish Festival.

Celtic priests called Druids took this foggy time as an opportunity to communicate with spirits and make predictions about the future. These predictions were very valuable to the Celts during the dormant season, as they did not yet have a comprehensive understanding of the natural world or a way to communicate with much of society the way we do now. To celebrate the predictions and honor their ancestors, Celts made huge, sacred bonfires, played games and did rituals, and dressed up in animal skin costumes before lighting their own hearths with a flame from the sacred fire.

The goddess Pamona. Image from "Myths of Old Greece" by Mara L. Pratt.

It is believed that after the Roman empire colonized most of the Celts’ territory, Samhain merged with the Roman festival of Feralia, which honored the passing of the dead, and another festival that celebrated Pomona, the goddess of fruit and trees. It may be from the festival of Pomona that we get the significance of apples within modern-day Halloween!


There are a handful of trees that were especially significant to Celts. Sambucus nigra (elderberry) branches were put above doorways to protect peoples’ homes from mischievous spirits, and the burning of the branches was forbidden as it was understood to be an invitation for death. Corlyus spp. (hazelnut) trees were also known as trees of protection, and garlands of hazelnuts would be worn around peoples’ necks to bring good luck. Similarly, the berries of Sorbus aucuparia (European rowan) were eaten for good luck and health, and the trees themselves were planted in graveyards in the hopes that they would bring peaceful sleep to the deceased. The relationship between pagan Celts and oak trees is one that should not be overlooked. Oaks were considered one of the most sacred trees to the Celts, and many rituals were performed strictly in oak groves. Oaks provided great quantities of food and material, and they were seen as powerful, strong, and wise. 


Embroidered chestnuts in burrs. Photo from Uesugi Halca.

There are many Halloween rituals that have been lost to time, including various matchmaking rituals. In Scotland, girls would collect and name a hazelnut for each of the boys they were interested in. Then they would toss them into the fire, and whichever hazelnut lasted the longest was deemed her match. Another piece of folklore claims that girls merely need to eat a mixture of walnuts, hazelnuts, nutmeg and sugar on Halloween night to see her future husband in her dreams. People would also throw apple peels over their shoulders in the hopes that they would fall in the shape of a letter, hinting at who their match might be. Another ritual that took place at parties included a chestnut-hunt. Whoever found the first burr from a chestnut tree was assumed to be the first to get married. 


It took many more centuries and lots of complex discourse for Halloween to gain the reputation, meaning, and symbolism that it has now, but there’s no doubt that trees still have significance. Some of the best, oldest, most gnarled trees can be found in cemeteries (which are not inherently scary, but have a spooky ambience to many). The colors of fall foliage reflect those in the gourds that lots of people decorate their homes with, and it’s not uncommon to see imagery of witches gathering in wooded areas. 


A barred owl at night. Photo by Davey Walters on Flickr.

Halloween is a great opportunity to form a deeper connection to the trees that surround us. If you see a tree that’s been vandalized with toilet paper or is being girdled by decorations, try to do what you can to clean it up. Fallen leaves can be collected and used in craft projects like homemade garlands– all you need to do is dip the leaves in melted beeswax and tie them to a string! This is also a common time of year for birding and naturalist groups to host nighttime bird watching events, often called Owl Prowls. These are a collaborative and fun way to explore the woods in the dark and maybe even hear the hauntingly beautiful hoot of a barred, great horned, or screech owl. Autumn is also a great time to join (or start!) a foraging group to learn how to be fed by the forest. So don’t let the advent of cooler weather keep you from exploring the great outdoors– a new side of the forest is just starting to make an appearance!



Sources:


  1. History.com Editors. (2024, October 7). Halloween 2024. History. https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween 

  2. Keith, J. (2014). Halloween Plant Lore. Fafard. https://fafard.com/halloween-plant-lore/#:~:text=All%20ancient%20festivals%20relating%20to,or%20even%20tell%20the%20future 

  3. Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids. (n.d.). Oak - Tree Lore. Druidry. https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-tree-lore/oak 



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