Rosemary, Sage and a Braid of Garlic: The Charming Herbal Folklore of Halloween
Welcome along, fellow time travelers, and happy Halloween week! Long before costumes came from the shop, Halloween was a festival of the harvest and the herb garden. On the last night of October, families across Ireland, Scotland, England and early America brought in the final herbs of the year, hung them to dry, and told wonderful stories about the plants that kept a household cheerful and safe through the dark half of the year.
A festival at the turning of the year
Halloween grew from Samhain (pronounced "SOW-in"), the ancient Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter. Later it blended with the Christian feasts of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day on November 1 and 2. "All Hallows' Eve," the night before All Saints, became "Hallowe'en." Because it sat right at the edge of winter, it was a natural time to gather and store the herbs that would flavor food and freshen homes until spring.
Rosemary: the herb of remembrance
Rosemary has been tied to memory since ancient Greece, where students are said to have worn rosemary garlands while studying. Shakespeare's Ophelia says, "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance." Because Halloween and All Souls' Day were times to remember loved ones, sprigs of rosemary were often tucked into wreaths and laid on family tables. Folk tradition also held that a sprig over the door kept the household's good luck inside.
Sage: the herb of wisdom
The name sage comes from the Latin salvia, from salvere, "to be well," and an old English saying asks, "Why should a man die who has sage in his garden?" Sage was a treasured kitchen herb, traditionally used to flavor the rich autumn dishes of the harvest season, from roasted fowl to sausages and stuffing. Bundles of sage dried in the rafters scented old farmhouse kitchens all winter.
Mugwort: the traveler's herb
Mugwort, Artemisia vulgaris, grows along roadsides all over Europe. The Roman writer Pliny the Elder recorded that travelers tucked it into their shoes to keep from tiring on long journeys. In medieval Europe it was gathered for midsummer garlands, and in Japan a close cousin, yomogi, gives a lovely green color to springtime rice cakes. In folklore it was a "herb of dreams," sometimes placed under the pillow on special nights of the year.
Garlic: the famous protector
No herb has a more delightfully spooky reputation than garlic. Braids of garlic have hung in kitchens since ancient times, and Egyptian, Greek and Roman writers all praised it as a hearty, strengthening food. In European folklore garlic was said to keep away everything from bad luck to mischievous spirits. Bram Stoker made the legend famous in his 1897 novel Dracula, where garlic flowers are hung around a window to keep the Count away. Today we mostly use it to keep our pasta sauces delicious!
Rowan and the red berry
In Scotland and Ireland, a sprig of rowan (mountain ash), with its bright red berries, was traditionally hung over doors and barns at Halloween. An old rhyme promised, "Rowan tree and red thread, put the witches to their speed." The red color was thought to be lucky, and the cheerful berries brightened the autumn doorstep.
Bringing the tradition home
You don't need a cottage in the Highlands to enjoy this charming custom. Hang a bundle of rosemary or sage in your kitchen, braid some garlic for the pantry, and enjoy the scent of the old herb garden. At VitalogyShoppe.com, our formulas draw on the long traditions of herbal practice, and every product page lists its complete ingredients so you can see exactly what's inside. You might enjoy our botanical blends Relaxology and Dreamology.
So tell me, fellow time travelers: which herb would you hang over your door this Halloween?
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. This post shares history, folklore and traditional uses only.
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