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Samhain -

Before there was Halloween, there was Samhain, an ancient Celtic festival marking the end of summer, and still celebrated today in some circles. Samhain celebrations took place on October 31, and according to an interview with a modern druid, remain "a time when the doorway to the 'other world' is open and we can commune with the dead—a time of divination."

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Roman rituals -

By 43 CE, the Roman Empire had conquered most of the territory previously held by the Celts. History.com explains that "two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain."

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Occult connections -

Slicing an apple in half reveals a pentagram—the five-pointed star commonly associated with Satanism and the occult. Coupled with the fact that the apple was said to be the 'forbidden fruit' that tempted Eve in the garden of Eden, the innocent apple takes on a darker meaning.

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Sinister apples? -

The 1864 book 'Chambers Book of Days' states that Halloween has its roots in pagan tradition.

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Dangerous games -

The book details a painful-sounding early version of apple-bobbing, involving candles: "...the merry-makers in succession leap up and snatch at the apple with their teeth, but it very frequently happens that the candle comes round before they are aware, and scorches them in the face." This 1886 pictured version looks a lot safer!

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Bob-apple -

This early depiction of 'bob-apple' is taken from  John Cassell's Illustrated History of England, Vol. I (1865). Apples were hung from above, rather than plunged into water.

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Fertile fruit -

The apple has strong connections with fertility, and is thought to have been used to ignite the flames of love in many an ancient ritual. It's still used as an ingredient in modern day 'love potions.'

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The man in the mirror -

The apple's romantic significance was incorporated into early Halloween celebrations. 'Chambers Book of Days' mentions "a celebrated Halloween spell of eating an apple before a looking glass, with the view of discovering the inquirer's future husband, who it is believed will be seen peeping over her shoulder." Sounds like a less-murderous Candyman!

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Fruity fun -

According to Joan Morgan, British co-author of 'The New Book of Apples,' the romantic associations have stood the test of time. In an article for NPR's The Salt, she states: "Throughout Europe ... apples, apple peels and even pips have long been used to peer into the romantic future."

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Dunking for love -

And loved-up young ladies could be sneaky. According to Morgan, "In one popular version of the game, girls would secretly mark apples before tipping them into a barrel of water. Apples float, and as the girls' potential sweethearts ducked to catch the fruit with their teeth, future couplings were determined—or foretold."

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Apples and the agricultural gentleman -

The romantic connotations of apples and their flirty allure have never quite gone away, although the tagline "Doing His Best With What He's Got" on this 1920s agricultural magazine cover leaves a lot to be desired!

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May you always get the apple you want! -

While the apple's early part in Halloween celebrations were frequently connected to young girls' romantic yearnings, apple-bobbing was popular with all. This postcard from around 1900 declares "May you always get the apple you want!"

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Creepy kids -

There's something inherently creepy about heavily made-up children,  jack-o'-lanterns, and games with their roots in pagan fertility rituals. This cheery postcard from the early 20th century is a case in point.

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Family fun -

Fun and games, rather than religion or fertility ritual, gradually became the main focus for October 31st festivities.

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Apple-bobbing -

Some early versions of the game involved biting at apples suspended from strings. And competition was fierce: this image shows young Scottish girls competing for apple-biting victory at a sports day in Royal Caledonian Schools in Hertz, Scotland, around 1925.

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A competitive sport -

And the boys were no less competitive. Here, youthful members of the 5th London Defence Corp Brigade bob for apples at their annual sports day, circa 1920.

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Good clean fun? -

In pandemic times, the idea of groups of children taking turns to dunk their faces into a communal vat of water seems like a surefire way to spread germs. But by the time of this 1945 photo, apple-bobbing was well-established as good clean Halloween fun.

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Frozen faces -

Dunking people's heads under cold water in the name of sport was part of the fun on cold autumn evenings.

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An abundance of apples -

Apples are in abundance at harvest time, so the October 31st festivals have long embraced them in everything from cider-drinking and pie-making to party games.

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No mask required -

Another variation on the apple-bobbing theme in decades past was for the apple to be submerged in flour. No Halloween mask required for this 1925 dunker!

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Horsing around -

Apples are a major feature of the autumn harvest, and made their way from Celtic harvest festivals to Halloween. These rural apple-bobbers in the 1950s were careful to keep their horses steady while they dunked.

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Stylishly spooky -

When early European colonists brought apple seeds to North America, the traditions came with them. This 1922 snap shows a group of stylish ladies enjoying the Halloween fun.

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Family tradition -

The game quickly gained popularity in the United States, and was a popular family game by the 1900s.

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Timelessly spooky traditions -

Apple-bobbing made its way to the United States from the UK together with other traditions, such as trick-or-treating, which also have their roots in Celtic times.

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A fruit steeped in folklore -

The 'cursed apple' or 'poisoned apple' crops up throughout literature, from the tempting of Eve to the story of Snow White. Teamed up with crazy costumes, apples' presence at Halloween seems pretty appropriate!

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Glamorous apple-bobbing -

Taken circa 1945, this shot of Warner Brothers starlets apparently getting set to bob for apples is more saucy than spooky.

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Eat your greens! -

Kids throughout the years have proved that, even if they wouldn't ordinarily eat an apple, once it's part of a competition it suddenly becomes incredibly appealing.

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Party favorite -

The practice of apple-bobbing has become such a familiar part of Halloween festivities that few even stop to think about where the tradition comes from.

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Apple-bobbing -

Like many Halloween traditions, apple-bobbing's origins are somewhat spooky, but it has evolved to be kid-friendly entertainment with added vitamins. 

Sources: (History.com) (Vice) (NPR)

See also: Vintage Halloween photos guaranteed to make you shiver

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