Photo: North Texas Agricultural College students bobbing for apples, circa 1930s (University of Texas at Arlington Photograph Collection)

Many Halloween traditions originate in the distant past, but perhaps one of the oldest has roots going all the way back to ancient Rome, where apples were associated with Pomona, the goddess of fruit and abundance, and represented love and fertility. When Roman festivals and celebrations merged with Celtic ones, it gave rise to the tradition of bobbing for apples, which continued to be a popular activity for hundreds of years in Europe before eventually making its way to North America, where it remains associated with Halloween to this day.  

The tradition of “bobbing for apples” (or “apple bobbing”) involves filling a large tub with water and apples and having participants try to catch them with only their teeth (using one’s hands is considered cheating!). A variation of this game involves hanging apples from strings and jumping up to take a bite with only one’s teeth. In the past, this game was considered to be a form of “romantic divination,” a way to match potential suitors and determine how successful a relationship would be depending on which apple was caught and how many attempts were required. 

In modern times, however, bobbing for apples has lost its symbolism and has simply been seen as a children’s Halloween party game. Although it was still common when I was a child, this tradition has become much less popular in recent years, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Putting one's mouth in a tub of water that many others have also put their mouths in is now seen as unhygienic, and it’s possible that this tradition will be forgotten in the near future. However, Halloween has a long history of adopting new traditions and evolving to suit each era, so even if some traditions disappear, others will take their place. 

root - the origin or cause of a condition, problem, or event 

abundance - having a plentiful amount of something (more than enough to meet your needs) 

fertility - (of animals and plants) the quality of being able to produce children or fruit  

to merge - to combine, join, or blend two or more things 

to give rise to - to be the cause, source, or origin of something, or to bring something into existence 

to make one’s way - to travel, move, or progress toward a destination 

tub - a large, round container with a flat base and an open top

divination - the use of supernatural or occult powers to tell the future or discover information

suitor - someone who wants to engage in a romantic relationship

symbolism - using physical objects, colors, characters, or actions to represent abstract ideas, themes, or emotions 

in the wake of - happening after and often as a direct result of a previous event 

unhygienic - not clean (in a way that is likely to spread disease, cause infections, or promote poor health) 

era - a distinct period of time