Halloween is upon us. I was perusing a book called Mrs. Sharp’s Traditions for Halloween decorating ideas and I came upon these Halloween games. These are Victorian games but could be a lot of fun?

The heading of the games on the page is called:

Home Amusements from the Past

Bobbing for Apples

Who hasn’t bobbed for apples, right? Actually I haven’t, and I’m good with that…no really.

Choose as many fine, large apples as there are persons playing, and scratch the initials of some person known to all present, placing the names of girls or women on the apples intended for all the men and vice versa have in readiness a tub two-thirds full of water, and in it place the apples prepared for the feminine “bobbers”, who will the n kneel beside the tub and endeavor to take an apple from the water with their teeth. The men are then permitted to attempt this rather difficult feat. When anyone succeeds in taking an apple from the water, the person whose name is inscribed upon it will be his or her partner for life.

Apple Peeling

Each guests peels an apple, being careful to keep the paring in an unbroken strip. To make this possible the fruit should be very smooth and in perfect condition. When all the apples have been pared, each person in turn tosses his or her strip of peel over his or her right shoulder, and one of the company who acts as oracle decides what letter it resembles as it lies. The letter named is an initial of his or her person’s future mare

There were a couple of others but they pretty much had the same theme as these two…fortune telling as to your life partner and future. I surely didn’t know the Victorians had such a penchant for gazing into the future.

I’ll end with an old Cornish Prayer that was in the book.

From ghoulies and ghoisties and

long-legged beasties

And things that go bump in the night,

Good Lord, deliver us!

If you are interested in the book (and who wouldn’t be, right?) you can click on my affiliate link!