What is the Meaning of Halloween Symbols?
As Halloween is approaching, we thought you might want to have really cool costumes this year and match them with thematic temporary Halloween tattoo.
There are some widely known Halloween symbols that people usually use to decorate their homes and their clothes with, on this special day in October: pumpkins, bats, cats, owls, witches and others, which you can also use as temporary tattoos if you want to have a spectacular appearance at the Halloween party. Halloween is a dark celebration, a day per year when people take a break from their daily habits and turn their attention towards dark and gruesome things, mostly part of the popular culture, such as ghosts, spirits, dead persons, magic and supernatural happenings. Of course that different cultures approach this celebration differently or don’t approach it at all. Although being a modern holiday, with its roots based in the 16th century and developed in North America starting from the 19th century, most of the symbols of Halloween originate from the ancient Celtic culture, where they held sacred and psychic significations. Here are the most commonly used Halloween symbols and their detailed meaning for you to discover:
The original vegetable that started this habit was the turnip, which was carved inside and garnished with a candle to serve as guiding lights for beggars and other people who were roaming in the initial All Hallow’s Eve. After this tradition was passed to America, the Irish replaced the turnips with pumpkins which were larger and more accessible. Carving the pumpkins with scary faces and adding the candle inside has the purpose of keeping away bad spirits. The name “Jack” presumably comes from Jack, the weather sprite who announces the approach of winter.
Cats and especially black cats have long been associated with the supernatural and the underworld realms, due to their sleek personality and ability to see in the dark. People who perform magic or energetic communication usually accept cats for company and thus they became known as creatures that open the gates towards darker worlds, connectors between real and supernatural. Black cats are attributed their abilities because the black color is associated with mystery, the unknown and with dark energies.
The connection between Halloween and witches lies in their common ground in the supernatural and magical aspects. The witch is a pop culture character known for crafting all sorts of dark tricks and playing with hidden energies and interpretations. People used to ask witches in this period of the year to connect them to the dark side or maybe to one of their dead relatives, helping them receive and understand messages sent from that direction. Many people decide to dress up as witches on Halloween precisely because of their dark nature.
Bats have become connected with the Halloween due to a funny association: they were attracted by the bonfires made by people at the end of summer because they could find many insects to eat around the fires. This way, they became a common presence around the Halloween eve.
The owl has become a symbol of Halloween from the same reasons as the bat: there were many owls present around the fires on the Halloween night. However, the mystical symbolism of the owl also contributes to its connection with this holiday. It is seen as a wise creature that helps people predict things and answer to questions. Witches can interpret what the owl is saying, so the two symbols are associated together with the Halloween celebration.
As you already know, Halloween is associated with the dark side and with the dead, so the skeleton is there to remind people of what will be left of them after death. On the other hand, skulls have a deeper meaning, being considered the psychic center of the human being by many ancient civilizations, so it will take people towards their deeper selves around Halloween.
Spiders are other creatures who have gained supernatural abilities in time, in humans’ conceptions. Witches welcome spiders as company and are helped by them to understand energetic patterns. The spider webs are strong symbols of time, human progress, ambition and fate, pointing out the journey from birth to death, this way connecting the insect to the spiritual meaning of Halloween. View our spider tattoo here Having some interesting information on the symbols of Halloween, you can now make a clearer opinion of why people came to adopt them during this time of the year. If you enjoy some of the symbols and their meaning, and if Halloween is a special celebration for you, we invite you to use these symbols in your costume and home decorations and why not, use them as temporary tattoos! See our full collection of temporary tattoos HERE
The Carved Pumpkin or the “Jack-O-Lantern”:
The original vegetable that started this habit was the turnip, which was carved inside and garnished with a candle to serve as guiding lights for beggars and other people who were roaming in the initial All Hallow’s Eve. After this tradition was passed to America, the Irish replaced the turnips with pumpkins which were larger and more accessible. Carving the pumpkins with scary faces and adding the candle inside has the purpose of keeping away bad spirits. The name “Jack” presumably comes from Jack, the weather sprite who announces the approach of winter.
The Black Cat
Cats and especially black cats have long been associated with the supernatural and the underworld realms, due to their sleek personality and ability to see in the dark. People who perform magic or energetic communication usually accept cats for company and thus they became known as creatures that open the gates towards darker worlds, connectors between real and supernatural. Black cats are attributed their abilities because the black color is associated with mystery, the unknown and with dark energies.
The Witch
The connection between Halloween and witches lies in their common ground in the supernatural and magical aspects. The witch is a pop culture character known for crafting all sorts of dark tricks and playing with hidden energies and interpretations. People used to ask witches in this period of the year to connect them to the dark side or maybe to one of their dead relatives, helping them receive and understand messages sent from that direction. Many people decide to dress up as witches on Halloween precisely because of their dark nature.
The Bat
Bats have become connected with the Halloween due to a funny association: they were attracted by the bonfires made by people at the end of summer because they could find many insects to eat around the fires. This way, they became a common presence around the Halloween eve.
The Owl
The owl has become a symbol of Halloween from the same reasons as the bat: there were many owls present around the fires on the Halloween night. However, the mystical symbolism of the owl also contributes to its connection with this holiday. It is seen as a wise creature that helps people predict things and answer to questions. Witches can interpret what the owl is saying, so the two symbols are associated together with the Halloween celebration.
The Skull and Skeleton
As you already know, Halloween is associated with the dark side and with the dead, so the skeleton is there to remind people of what will be left of them after death. On the other hand, skulls have a deeper meaning, being considered the psychic center of the human being by many ancient civilizations, so it will take people towards their deeper selves around Halloween.
The Spider
Spiders are other creatures who have gained supernatural abilities in time, in humans’ conceptions. Witches welcome spiders as company and are helped by them to understand energetic patterns. The spider webs are strong symbols of time, human progress, ambition and fate, pointing out the journey from birth to death, this way connecting the insect to the spiritual meaning of Halloween. View our spider tattoo here Having some interesting information on the symbols of Halloween, you can now make a clearer opinion of why people came to adopt them during this time of the year. If you enjoy some of the symbols and their meaning, and if Halloween is a special celebration for you, we invite you to use these symbols in your costume and home decorations and why not, use them as temporary tattoos! See our full collection of temporary tattoos HERE
