Random Scary Halloween Symbols And Their Origins (12 items)

(#5) Bats

Bats are one of the most common Halloween symbols today, but their connection with the holiday is multi-layered, dating right back to its roots.

A lot of vampires folklore states that vampires can turn into bats, giving them an extra spooky edge. And folklore aside, bats are pretty scare-worthy. Vampire bats live off the blood of animals - and sometimes people - and drink your blood for up to 30 minutes. Definitely Halloween material.
(#7) Ghosts

It's no surprise that ghosts have become a major Halloween symbol. Historically, Samhain was thought to be the time where the spirit and living worlds were the least separated, so you could run into a ghoulish spirit. But they weren't necessarily the friendly, Casper-esque ghosts we see today.

Though the presence of spirits was supposed to make the future easier to predict, pagans considered these departed spirits no laughing matter.
(#3) Jack-o'-Lanterns

Though you probably think of jack-o'-lanterns as synonymous with pumpkins, they actually find their origins with the humble turnip and the creepy story of Stingy Jack. According to the Irish folk tale, Jack invites the devil for a drink with him and, not wanting to pay, convinces the devil to turn himself into a coin to pay for the drinks. Instead of spending it, Jack keeps the coin in his pocket next to a cross, only freeing the devil when the devil promises not to claim Jack's soul when he passes. When Jack passes, God doesn't allow him into heaven and the devil doesn't let him into hell, instead giving him a burning coal to light his way. Jack puts this coal into a hollowed-out turnip to light his way and is forced to wander the Earth forever, a doomed soul.

Irish people would put jack-o'-lanterns outside their door to frighten away Stingy Jack and any other wandering spirits. When they immigrated to America, pumpkins (native to the New World) were used to keep their tradition alive.
(#12) Apples

After pumpkins and candy, apples may be the food most seen around Halloween, whether for bobbing or in a witch's hand. Though we make the more modern link between apples and witches (Snow White, anyone?), the apple's connection with this holiday goes much further back. Apples were associated with Pomona, the Roman goddess of abundance, and when the Romans invaded Britain, they brought their beliefs and their apples along with them, which is where apple bobbing came from.

But there's also a scarier side. When you slice an apple open, the seeds form a pentagram, a symbol associated with witches - so be careful apple bobbing.
(#11) Husks

A symbol and a decoration, corn and wheat stalks can be seen everywhere around Halloween. Considering that Samhain and the modern Halloween both fall around the end of summer harvest, corn and wheat would have been widely available. Plus, they are a sign of stocking up for the coming colder months.

But as this period is all about death, husks play into the imagery in an interesting way. Just as skeletons show what will remain when we rot away, dried-out husks are the remains of all the once-living bounty that has now been harvested.
(#4) Witches

If there's one human (well, human-ish) symbol of Halloween, it's the witch riding away over a full moon. Witches, especially in the Christian view originating in the Middle Ages, were thought to be in league with the devil. Their casting of spells and connection with the other world make them a natural fit for Halloween and its predecessor, Samhain. But how did they become so ubiquitous around this holiday?

Some think it was a tactical move by the greeting card industry. In any case, a bubbling witch's cauldron and wart-covered old woman are sure to be in any haunted house you visit this year.