Apple Ducking, Duck-Apple, Apple Bobbing
Samhain/Halloween Activity that we are all familiar with is bobbing for apples. However in Scotland, this may be called “dooking” (i.e., ducking)”Dooking for Apples”. In northern England, the game is often called apple ducking or duck-apple.
This game involved attempting to grab an apple from a wooden tub filled with water and apples the water was traditionally stirred with a wooden spoon to keep the apples moving. Using only your mouth you attempted to bite or grab an apple the first young lady to grab an apple would be the first to be married. In some case the name of eligible young men was carved on the apple.
The divination practiced at Samhain were chiefly used to discover who would marry, who one’s partner was going to be, and who was going to die over the course of the next year.
Ravenhawks' Magazine Magick for Mind Body and Soul 
Reblogged this on Kate McClelland and commented:
Ahhh Thanks so much for this! We did this every year, but our parents stuck coins in the apples. We also used to have apples strung across the room on a string and try to catch the apples by biting them.
LikeLike
That too is part of an old Celtic tradition it has been made safe for children before it included a candle and an apple on opposite end of a stick and you had to grab the apple with your teeth and avoid getting your hair singed by the lighted candle as the stick revolved. So many of the Halloween antics do find their roots in Celtic traditions.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! didn’t know about the lit candle bit. I would have gone up like a Roman candle as I had tonnes of unruly hair when I was younger :0)
LikeLike
Believe me it was not recommended for youth. Many of the practices were designed as a means of divination or water and fire rituals so were not for children. By taking out the dangerous parts and just making it fun they became party games.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I find it fascinating finding out about these old rituals and how they’ve been ‘tamed’ over the years or appropriated for others.
LikeLike
yes
LikeLiked by 1 person