In my new paranormal series about Changelings, the Macleod family hails from northern Scotland. Halloween is a very different holiday over there, especially when our heroes James, Connor, Culley and their sibs were kids.

Samhain Bonfire

Halloween in the Highlands has its roots in Celtic traditions that are thousands of years old. It was the celebration of Samhain, the end of summer and the light half of the year, and the beginning of the dark half. Feasts were held and huge bonfires lit throughout the countryside. Samhain also marked a mystical time when the veil between worlds was very thin. The souls of the dead, the fairy folk, demons and evil spirits could all interact freely with humans. In many parts of Scotland, an empty chair and a plate of food was put out for the spirits of departed family, who were most likely to come calling during the hour before midnight.

Carved turnip or "tumshie"

Humans, of course, wanted to protect themselves from most otherworldly visitors. To keep the wandering souls and evil spirits away at this time of year, candles and lanterns were used. The bright orange jack o’lantern we know today began as a lowly garden turnip, rutabaga or even a large potato, carved with a frightening face and fill with an ember or two from the fire so it would glow. By the way, turnips are often called neeps in Scotland.

The Scottish tradition of guising – going in disguise – began as people used masks and ragged clothes to fool evil spirits into thinking the guisers were dead souls too! The guisers would often go door to door and were given gifts of food and other little offerings as a way of placating the unseen beings. Later, guisers often had to sing or perform a little dance before they received the goodies.

apple dookin

Outside of warding off evil, there was plenty of celebration at Samhain in Scotland. Games included biting at treacle-covered scones that were dangled on strings – with your hands behind your back and blindfolded as well. (Treacle is a sticky molasses-like syrup) This was followed up by bobbing for apples (called apple dookin in Scotland), another game where you can only use your teeth. Often, it was done by holding a fork between your teeth and catching the stem of the apple with it. And the water in the washtub was usually well-sprinkled with white flour, designed to stick to your treacle-covered face!  Games where the future was divined were very popular. An apple would be peeled in one long strip, and the peeling tossed backward over your shoulder. The shape of the fallen peeling would signify the first letter of a future spouse’s name.

Foretelling the future had its ominous sides too. For instance, after the village bonfire went out, the ashes were often swept into a circle and a large stone placed in the center by each family that lived there. If their stone was moved for any reason, it was said that someone in that family would soon die!

A grave in Scotland

Traditions changed in later centuries, helped along by the Catholic church which sought to replace pagan holidays with its own. Thus the Christian feast of All Saints was assigned to November 1^st, a day which honored all saints and especially those that didn’t have their own day devoted to them. The night before became known as All Hallows Eve – but the tradition that souls could wander on that night remained, and the lines between Samhain, Halloween and All Hallows became permanently blurred.

I like to think about my characters, the Macleods, living in northern Scotland a couple hundred years ago and celebrating Samhain in the old traditional ways. Would they utilize their special abilities as Changelings to run as wolves on that night? I can picture them being joined by friends and family, the Pack that they knew at the time. Perhaps they would meet in a special clearing in the great thick Caledonian forest and light their own bonfire.

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Dani Harper's new shapeshifter series