Why apples? Why now? For playtime why not try an apple bobbing game – perhaps a forgotten seasonal tradition. The aim is for each person to bite an apple from a large bowl of water using only their mouths. I remember playing this as a child. However, historically it had romantic meanings, particularly linked to Halloween and a Celtic festival at the end of Autumn. Original versions involved guessing a person’s romantic future. But it’s just for fun!
On a romantic note, it was this time of year that I first met my husband-to-be in 1978. It was a Halloween party at the Christie Hospital Staff Club. I was a PhD student at the Paterson Institute for Cancer Research (known as the Paterson Labs in those days). I was swept off my feet by a dashing young lawyer (well something like that 😉😂).
On a well-being note, I think I really should eat more apples.
Let’s hear it for the apples 🍎📣.
by Dr Julie Charlesworth 30/10/2025
Further comment: Nowadays there are pumpkins galore and they are lovely🎃. So when did pumpkins become the tradition in the UK? That’s another story. I remember as a child we used large turnips – how hard they were to carve! [A nod there to some Irish heritage and like many a few of my ancestors.]