 The Church
attempted to Christianize the pagan festival of Halloween by adopting
11/1 as All-Saints Day - a time to remember those
that have passed away.
"Hallow" is an old word meaning holy, whilst "e'en" is Scottish
for evening.
The
name witch comes from the Saxon term wica, meaning wise one.
It is
estimated that between the 15th to 18th centuries, approximately two million
people were executed for witchcraft, 80% of this number were
women.
If a
candle flame suddenly turns blue, there's a ghost
nearby.
In North
America, it's bad luck if a black cat crosses your path and good luck if a
white cat crosses you path. In Britain and Ireland, it's exactly the
opposite!
If you
ring a bell on Halloween, it will scare the spirits
away.
If you
see a spider on Halloween, it could be the spirit of a dead loved one who is
watching you.
You should
walk around your home three times backwards and counterclockwise before
sunset on Halloween to ward off evil spirits.
Remember, black cats that cross your path are bad luck!
It's
believed witches wore black to be like the night. Native Americans
associated black with learning and wisdom.
The cone shape of the witch's hat was believed to direct energy
from higher dimensions to her mind and down through her body.
Witches
carried lanterns to illuminate the world above and below.
In North
Africa and Greece, the cat has been a symbol of the hearth, or spirit of
place. The buds of the willow branch were thought to resemble the paws of
the cat, a favorite pet of witches.
The moon was believed to be a symbol of
mysteries.
Believed
to be the chosen mode of transportation for witches, the broom was thought
to symbolize the ability to blend home life with travel to other spiritual
dimensions.
 
Images from: CatStuff; Suzanne's Gif Shoppe
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