• BristolPress | Story Of The Day
Monday, June 23, 2025
  • Login
Bristol Press
  • Home
  • World
  • News
  • Politics
    Former Labour MP calls for party to ditch ‘rigged’ voting system

    Former Labour MP calls for party to ditch ‘rigged’ voting system

    Labour’s £14bn ‘fixation’ with new nuclear power ‘won’t cut bills or help climate’

    Labour’s £14bn ‘fixation’ with new nuclear power ‘won’t cut bills or help climate’

    SNP rebels plot to oust John Swinney as party leader after Hamilton by-election loss

    SNP rebels plot to oust John Swinney as party leader after Hamilton by-election loss

    Anas Sarwar should not expect to oust John Swinney yet, says polling guru

    Anas Sarwar should not expect to oust John Swinney yet, says polling guru

    Keir Starmer says he will not support a second independence referendum as Prime Minister

    Keir Starmer says he will not support a second independence referendum as Prime Minister

    Angela Rayner accuses Reform of ‘politics of hatred’ as she insists Labour can win bitter Holyrood by-election

    Angela Rayner accuses Reform of ‘politics of hatred’ as she insists Labour can win bitter Holyrood by-election

    SNP complain about Reform’s ‘race-baiting’ advert on Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar

    SNP complain about Reform’s ‘race-baiting’ advert on Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar

    Two Israeli embassy staff shot dead in Washington DC, sparking massive anti-terror response

    Two Israeli embassy staff shot dead in Washington DC, sparking massive anti-terror response

    Reform chief rules out IndyRef and claims party will be second biggest in Scotland

    Reform chief rules out IndyRef and claims party will be second biggest in Scotland

    Scotland being held back by chronic shortage of housing with calls for 25,000 new builds a year

    Scotland being held back by chronic shortage of housing with calls for 25,000 new builds a year

    Keeping Royal Family in Scotland ‘can no longer be justified’, claims Patrick Harvie

    Keeping Royal Family in Scotland ‘can no longer be justified’, claims Patrick Harvie

    Reform UK defeat Labour in crunch by-election by six votes after recount

    Reform UK defeat Labour in crunch by-election by six votes after recount

    Trending Tags

    • Business

      Salesforce boss Marc Benioff joins Weev.

      What is a virtual office and why you need one in Central London – Your Company Formations Ltd

      What is a virtual office and why you need one in Central London – Your Company Formations Ltd

      Inflation rises again to new 40-year high

      Inflation rises again to new 40-year high

      Bank of England hikes interest rates to 1.25%

      Bank of England hikes interest rates to 1.25%

      Hiring activity in Scotland slows amid steep decline in staff availability

      Hiring activity in Scotland slows amid steep decline in staff availability

      Scottish retail footfall growth ‘worst in UK compared to pre-pandemic’

      Scottish retail footfall growth ‘worst in UK compared to pre-pandemic’

    • Sports
      Celtic on brink of four new signings as Benjamin Nygren lands staggering transfer claim and Balikwisha stays cool

      Celtic on brink of four new signings as Benjamin Nygren lands staggering transfer claim and Balikwisha stays cool

      I see cracks in Celtic with transfer fears over four starters so maybe this Rangers claim is a myth – Hugh Keevins

      I see cracks in Celtic with transfer fears over four starters so maybe this Rangers claim is a myth – Hugh Keevins

      Punters dramatically lose faith in Rory McIlroy in wake of his astonishingly honest US Open confession

      Punters dramatically lose faith in Rory McIlroy in wake of his astonishingly honest US Open confession

      ‘I still always visit Sir Alex Ferguson’s house – even though he branded me a Big Time Charlie’

      ‘I still always visit Sir Alex Ferguson’s house – even though he branded me a Big Time Charlie’

      The £17m reason Celtic won’t sit still this transfer window as Brendan Rodgers learns painful lesson

      The £17m reason Celtic won’t sit still this transfer window as Brendan Rodgers learns painful lesson

      Rangers placed on Vaclav Cerny red alert over Wolfsburg ‘fire sale’ as Cyriel Dessers makes transfer stance clear

      Rangers placed on Vaclav Cerny red alert over Wolfsburg ‘fire sale’ as Cyriel Dessers makes transfer stance clear

      Mathias Kvistgaarden waves Brondby farewell but Celtic hit with transfer blow as boss throws spanner in works

      Mathias Kvistgaarden waves Brondby farewell but Celtic hit with transfer blow as boss throws spanner in works

      World A-listers go nuts for Ange as Roy Keane drops the mic, McCoist breaks down barriers and Salah keeps receipts

      World A-listers go nuts for Ange as Roy Keane drops the mic, McCoist breaks down barriers and Salah keeps receipts

      How a ferry and a forklift helped Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers reach the top as SFWA Manager of the Year relives his journey

      How a ferry and a forklift helped Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers reach the top as SFWA Manager of the Year relives his journey

      How Celtic fans can still land Aberdeen Scottish Cup Final tickets as second chance emerges

      How Celtic fans can still land Aberdeen Scottish Cup Final tickets as second chance emerges

      Ante Palaversa tells Aberdeen pals how they can turn Rangers atmosphere early as Jimmy Thelin message revealed

      Ante Palaversa tells Aberdeen pals how they can turn Rangers atmosphere early as Jimmy Thelin message revealed

      Kieran Tierney hit by brutal takedown as Arsenal star ‘finds his level’ at Celtic

      Kieran Tierney hit by brutal takedown as Arsenal star ‘finds his level’ at Celtic

      Trending Tags

      • Technology
        Lenovo IdeaPad laptop praised for everyday use and affordable price

        Lenovo IdeaPad laptop praised for everyday use and affordable price

        EE unveils huge new discount on JBL Flip 7 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker but you must act quick

        EE unveils huge new discount on JBL Flip 7 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker but you must act quick

        Elon Musk to halt SpaceX’s NASA astronaut missions after Trump’s contract threat

        Elon Musk to halt SpaceX’s NASA astronaut missions after Trump’s contract threat

        IMGP4O: Pioneering Sustainable and Innovative AI Ecosystems for the Future

        IMGP4O: Pioneering Sustainable and Innovative AI Ecosystems for the Future

        Apple AirPods Pro 2 hit lowest price since Black Friday at five different retailers

        Apple AirPods Pro 2 hit lowest price since Black Friday at five different retailers

      • Health
        French chef shares ‘simplest ever’ one pot cake recipe ready in under an hour

        French chef shares ‘simplest ever’ one pot cake recipe ready in under an hour

        TikTok skin care routines ‘harmful’ and ‘problematic’ scientists discover in new study

        TikTok skin care routines ‘harmful’ and ‘problematic’ scientists discover in new study

        10 early signs of Parkinson’s as Ah-ha star Morten Harket announces diagnosis

        10 early signs of Parkinson’s as Ah-ha star Morten Harket announces diagnosis

        ‘I lost 6stone with weight loss jabs but there’s one side-effect no one tells you about’

        ‘I lost 6stone with weight loss jabs but there’s one side-effect no one tells you about’

        One surprising food ‘you should eat 3 times a week’ to lower heart disease risk

        One surprising food ‘you should eat 3 times a week’ to lower heart disease risk

      • Entertainment
        Dozens of UK holidaymakers fall ill after five-star ‘holiday from hell’

        Dozens of UK holidaymakers fall ill after five-star ‘holiday from hell’

        Full list of people on PIP most at risk of payment cut under new DWP welfare reforms

        Full list of people on PIP most at risk of payment cut under new DWP welfare reforms

        New DWP fraud and error report finds people on PIP may be due more money

        New DWP fraud and error report finds people on PIP may be due more money

        Film fans have just days to watch ‘most perfect film ever made’ before it’s axed from BBC

        Film fans have just days to watch ‘most perfect film ever made’ before it’s axed from BBC

        ‘Time saving’ robot vacuum drops below £100

        ‘Time saving’ robot vacuum drops below £100

      • Life Style
      • Travel
      • Education
        Exam bosses accused of ‘patronising’ Wales and students in Welsh GCSE paper

        Exam bosses accused of ‘patronising’ Wales and students in Welsh GCSE paper

        Cardiff University ‘has no God given right to exist’ bosses say

        Cardiff University ‘has no God given right to exist’ bosses say

        Cardiff University cracks down on students protesting on its campus

        Cardiff University cracks down on students protesting on its campus

        People urged to apply for £200 grant with deadline in days

        People urged to apply for £200 grant with deadline in days

        School leaders want to see more fines for parents to tackle major problem

        School leaders want to see more fines for parents to tackle major problem

      • Real Estate
      No Result
      View All Result
      • Home
      • World
      • News
      • Politics
        Former Labour MP calls for party to ditch ‘rigged’ voting system

        Former Labour MP calls for party to ditch ‘rigged’ voting system

        Labour’s £14bn ‘fixation’ with new nuclear power ‘won’t cut bills or help climate’

        Labour’s £14bn ‘fixation’ with new nuclear power ‘won’t cut bills or help climate’

        SNP rebels plot to oust John Swinney as party leader after Hamilton by-election loss

        SNP rebels plot to oust John Swinney as party leader after Hamilton by-election loss

        Anas Sarwar should not expect to oust John Swinney yet, says polling guru

        Anas Sarwar should not expect to oust John Swinney yet, says polling guru

        Keir Starmer says he will not support a second independence referendum as Prime Minister

        Keir Starmer says he will not support a second independence referendum as Prime Minister

        Angela Rayner accuses Reform of ‘politics of hatred’ as she insists Labour can win bitter Holyrood by-election

        Angela Rayner accuses Reform of ‘politics of hatred’ as she insists Labour can win bitter Holyrood by-election

        SNP complain about Reform’s ‘race-baiting’ advert on Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar

        SNP complain about Reform’s ‘race-baiting’ advert on Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar

        Two Israeli embassy staff shot dead in Washington DC, sparking massive anti-terror response

        Two Israeli embassy staff shot dead in Washington DC, sparking massive anti-terror response

        Reform chief rules out IndyRef and claims party will be second biggest in Scotland

        Reform chief rules out IndyRef and claims party will be second biggest in Scotland

        Scotland being held back by chronic shortage of housing with calls for 25,000 new builds a year

        Scotland being held back by chronic shortage of housing with calls for 25,000 new builds a year

        Keeping Royal Family in Scotland ‘can no longer be justified’, claims Patrick Harvie

        Keeping Royal Family in Scotland ‘can no longer be justified’, claims Patrick Harvie

        Reform UK defeat Labour in crunch by-election by six votes after recount

        Reform UK defeat Labour in crunch by-election by six votes after recount

        Trending Tags

        • Business

          Salesforce boss Marc Benioff joins Weev.

          What is a virtual office and why you need one in Central London – Your Company Formations Ltd

          What is a virtual office and why you need one in Central London – Your Company Formations Ltd

          Inflation rises again to new 40-year high

          Inflation rises again to new 40-year high

          Bank of England hikes interest rates to 1.25%

          Bank of England hikes interest rates to 1.25%

          Hiring activity in Scotland slows amid steep decline in staff availability

          Hiring activity in Scotland slows amid steep decline in staff availability

          Scottish retail footfall growth ‘worst in UK compared to pre-pandemic’

          Scottish retail footfall growth ‘worst in UK compared to pre-pandemic’

        • Sports
          Celtic on brink of four new signings as Benjamin Nygren lands staggering transfer claim and Balikwisha stays cool

          Celtic on brink of four new signings as Benjamin Nygren lands staggering transfer claim and Balikwisha stays cool

          I see cracks in Celtic with transfer fears over four starters so maybe this Rangers claim is a myth – Hugh Keevins

          I see cracks in Celtic with transfer fears over four starters so maybe this Rangers claim is a myth – Hugh Keevins

          Punters dramatically lose faith in Rory McIlroy in wake of his astonishingly honest US Open confession

          Punters dramatically lose faith in Rory McIlroy in wake of his astonishingly honest US Open confession

          ‘I still always visit Sir Alex Ferguson’s house – even though he branded me a Big Time Charlie’

          ‘I still always visit Sir Alex Ferguson’s house – even though he branded me a Big Time Charlie’

          The £17m reason Celtic won’t sit still this transfer window as Brendan Rodgers learns painful lesson

          The £17m reason Celtic won’t sit still this transfer window as Brendan Rodgers learns painful lesson

          Rangers placed on Vaclav Cerny red alert over Wolfsburg ‘fire sale’ as Cyriel Dessers makes transfer stance clear

          Rangers placed on Vaclav Cerny red alert over Wolfsburg ‘fire sale’ as Cyriel Dessers makes transfer stance clear

          Mathias Kvistgaarden waves Brondby farewell but Celtic hit with transfer blow as boss throws spanner in works

          Mathias Kvistgaarden waves Brondby farewell but Celtic hit with transfer blow as boss throws spanner in works

          World A-listers go nuts for Ange as Roy Keane drops the mic, McCoist breaks down barriers and Salah keeps receipts

          World A-listers go nuts for Ange as Roy Keane drops the mic, McCoist breaks down barriers and Salah keeps receipts

          How a ferry and a forklift helped Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers reach the top as SFWA Manager of the Year relives his journey

          How a ferry and a forklift helped Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers reach the top as SFWA Manager of the Year relives his journey

          How Celtic fans can still land Aberdeen Scottish Cup Final tickets as second chance emerges

          How Celtic fans can still land Aberdeen Scottish Cup Final tickets as second chance emerges

          Ante Palaversa tells Aberdeen pals how they can turn Rangers atmosphere early as Jimmy Thelin message revealed

          Ante Palaversa tells Aberdeen pals how they can turn Rangers atmosphere early as Jimmy Thelin message revealed

          Kieran Tierney hit by brutal takedown as Arsenal star ‘finds his level’ at Celtic

          Kieran Tierney hit by brutal takedown as Arsenal star ‘finds his level’ at Celtic

          Trending Tags

          • Technology
            Lenovo IdeaPad laptop praised for everyday use and affordable price

            Lenovo IdeaPad laptop praised for everyday use and affordable price

            EE unveils huge new discount on JBL Flip 7 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker but you must act quick

            EE unveils huge new discount on JBL Flip 7 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker but you must act quick

            Elon Musk to halt SpaceX’s NASA astronaut missions after Trump’s contract threat

            Elon Musk to halt SpaceX’s NASA astronaut missions after Trump’s contract threat

            IMGP4O: Pioneering Sustainable and Innovative AI Ecosystems for the Future

            IMGP4O: Pioneering Sustainable and Innovative AI Ecosystems for the Future

            Apple AirPods Pro 2 hit lowest price since Black Friday at five different retailers

            Apple AirPods Pro 2 hit lowest price since Black Friday at five different retailers

          • Health
            French chef shares ‘simplest ever’ one pot cake recipe ready in under an hour

            French chef shares ‘simplest ever’ one pot cake recipe ready in under an hour

            TikTok skin care routines ‘harmful’ and ‘problematic’ scientists discover in new study

            TikTok skin care routines ‘harmful’ and ‘problematic’ scientists discover in new study

            10 early signs of Parkinson’s as Ah-ha star Morten Harket announces diagnosis

            10 early signs of Parkinson’s as Ah-ha star Morten Harket announces diagnosis

            ‘I lost 6stone with weight loss jabs but there’s one side-effect no one tells you about’

            ‘I lost 6stone with weight loss jabs but there’s one side-effect no one tells you about’

            One surprising food ‘you should eat 3 times a week’ to lower heart disease risk

            One surprising food ‘you should eat 3 times a week’ to lower heart disease risk

          • Entertainment
            Dozens of UK holidaymakers fall ill after five-star ‘holiday from hell’

            Dozens of UK holidaymakers fall ill after five-star ‘holiday from hell’

            Full list of people on PIP most at risk of payment cut under new DWP welfare reforms

            Full list of people on PIP most at risk of payment cut under new DWP welfare reforms

            New DWP fraud and error report finds people on PIP may be due more money

            New DWP fraud and error report finds people on PIP may be due more money

            Film fans have just days to watch ‘most perfect film ever made’ before it’s axed from BBC

            Film fans have just days to watch ‘most perfect film ever made’ before it’s axed from BBC

            ‘Time saving’ robot vacuum drops below £100

            ‘Time saving’ robot vacuum drops below £100

          • Life Style
          • Travel
          • Education
            Exam bosses accused of ‘patronising’ Wales and students in Welsh GCSE paper

            Exam bosses accused of ‘patronising’ Wales and students in Welsh GCSE paper

            Cardiff University ‘has no God given right to exist’ bosses say

            Cardiff University ‘has no God given right to exist’ bosses say

            Cardiff University cracks down on students protesting on its campus

            Cardiff University cracks down on students protesting on its campus

            People urged to apply for £200 grant with deadline in days

            People urged to apply for £200 grant with deadline in days

            School leaders want to see more fines for parents to tackle major problem

            School leaders want to see more fines for parents to tackle major problem

          • Real Estate
          No Result
          View All Result
          Bristol Press
          No Result
          View All Result

          Halloween foods from history reveal the holiday’s surprising romantic side – and you can try them yourself

          by BP Author
          October 28, 2023
          in World
          0
          0
          SHARES
          1
          VIEWS
          Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


          Think about Halloween, and romance is unlikely to be the first thing that comes to mind. But Victorian periodicals and newspapers show that alongside dressing in costumes, enjoying themed cuisine and telling ghost stories, historical Halloween food traditions were often centred on love. Here are three examples you can try for yourself.

          Halloween nuts

          An article published in the London magazine Kind Words for Boys and Girls in 1889 describes the autumnal traditions that marked this time of year throughout history. One particularly popular snack they point to is hazelnuts and cobnuts, which were in plentiful supply in the autumn.

          Two children collecting nuts

          Have Some Nuts by George Smith (1829-1901).
          Brighton & Hove Museums

          Rather than being part of a snack or game, however, the author notes that they were the “arbiters of fate” – a fate that was romantic. Those curious about the future of their love-life would place a nut on the grate of a brightly burning fire, and name it after their sweetheart. The status of their romance was divined through the way the nut burned. A short story published in Every Boy’s Magazine in 1896 also refers to this tradition.

          In the story, the narrator describes a Halloween visit to Scotland. Having read Robert Burns’s poem, Halloween, the narrator describes being at a gathering where sweethearts “burnt nuts and watched their fate with anxious hearts”. Should the nuts remain on the grate and roast peacefully side by side, the chances of harmonious love were good. If the nuts darted off and sparked out the fire erratically, the relationship was doomed.

          Roasting nuts and bobbing for apples are depicted in this story as traditions that “had died out in England”, but were “preserved in full vigour in Ireland and Scotland”. These Celtic associations with Halloween traditions are emphasised in another article.

          Halloween kale

          In 1879 in a children’s magazine called Little Wide-Awake, the Scottish author George Cupples (1822-1891) wrote an entry on October traditions called Talks About the Months. Alongside the nuts and apples which Cupples writes are “consumed in immense numbers” across the United Kingdom, he describes other peculiar ceremonies including another type of food: kale.

          cabbages wearing bow ties on a halloween postcard

          A Victorian Halloween postcard.
          William H. Hannon Library

          As with the romantic cobnuts, this kale is not for eating – at least in the first instance – and its significance is again tied to love.

          “In some places there is the pulling of ‘kale-storks’, or stalks of calewort”, writes Cupples, “to see if one’s future husband is to be tall or straight, little or crooked”. The root of the kale apparently represented the stature of one’s future spouse. Not only that, but the amount of dirt that clung to the stalk indicated the wealth of a future partner, and “if the pith tastes sweet it shows that the husband or wife of the lucky individual is to be sweet also”.

          The Halloween party games Cupples describes are similarly centred on love. The Three Dishes game consisted of three basins: one filled with clean water, one with dirty water and one left empty. A blindfolded player is sent forward to dip their fingers into one and decide their romantic fate.

          If they touch the clean water, a happy marriage to a young man or maiden awaits. If they chance upon the foul water, they are set to marry a widow or widower and if they choose the empty dish “the person is destined to be a bachelor or an old maid”.

          Soul cakes

          These activities may have been followed with “souling” on All Soul’s Day, November 2. Souling, a longstanding tradition with links to Christianity rather than paganism, is comparable to trick-or-treating in that it involved going from door-to-door to beg for “soul cakes”.

          Apple bobbing with a black cat.

          A Victorian Halloween postcard.
          Flickr/New York Public Library

          These are oaten cakes, sometimes containing seeds, fruits, or nuts, as well as spices, and were either round or triangular in shape. A recipe for soul cakes from a 1604 manuscript recipe book reads as follows:

          Take flower & sugar & nutmeg & cloves & mace & sweet butter & sack & a little ale barme, beat your spice, & put in your butter & your sack, cold, then work it well all together, & make it in little cakes, & so bake them, if you will you may put in some saffron into them and fruit.

          When “souling”, these cakes would be handed out as people sung a rhyme: “Soul, soul, for a soul-cake; Pray you, good mistress, a soul cake.”

          Food was therefore tied into multiple Halloween traditions that often had love trouble at their core, leaning into the idea that spirits could shed light on mysteries, including future romance. But what also shines through, is that 19th-century authors frequently associated Halloween with other, distant, time periods.

          Whether traditions were framed as the simple, “rough” ways of countryside or Celtic folks, tied to outdated religious practices, or simply viewed as folkloric fun, Victorian authors repeatedly described the celebration of Halloween in terms that evoked a darker, spookier, more unknowable past.


          Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.




          Source link

          Previous Post

          Artefy.ai Revolutionizes E-Commerce with Cutting-Edge AI-Driven Websites

          Next Post

          Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership is questioned even as Israelis rally round the flag

          Next Post
          Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership is questioned even as Israelis rally round the flag

          Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership is questioned even as Israelis rally round the flag

          • BristolPress | Story Of The Day
          • Privacy Policy
          • Publishing Request
          • Contact

          Copyrights © 2024 BristoPress.co.uk | One of the authentic and fast UK News source.

          Welcome Back!

          Login to your account below

          Forgotten Password?

          Retrieve your password

          Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

          Log In
          No Result
          View All Result
          • BristolPress | Story Of The Day
          • Contact
          • Privacy Policy

          Copyrights © 2024 BristoPress.co.uk | One of the authentic and fast UK News source.