Here’s a list of interesting superstitions and folklore surrounding apples.
Allantide – shops would display Allan apples, which were highly polished large apples. On the day itself, these apples were given as gifts to each member of the family as a token of good luck. Older girls would place these apples under their pillows and hope to dream of the person whom they would one day marry.
Wassailing apple orchards is a long standing tradition and is to honour the apples for a good harvest and to drive away evil spirits. The trees are offered spiced cider and cider soaked bread and various rhymes are sung while cider is drunk, e.g: Apple tree, I light with glee, with bell and candle. I Wassail thee.
Apples left behind after the harvest were left for the pixies.
In Cornwall people were given a large pippin apple for luck at Halloween.
When a full crop of apples is picked in Cornwall, it is unlucky to go again and pick the few remaining ones that have been missed. Those belong to the fairies …
Share an apple with a friend and friendship will follow.
Never cut an apple tree for it’s wood. Only use what has fallen, or bad luck will come to your household.
Lightening never splits an Apple tree trunk because it is protected by all the love it contains.
Plant an apple tree near your home to protect it against lightening and to keep love in the household.
In Guernsey they believed that watering the apple trees with urine made the apples sweeter.
If the first apple from a young tree is eaten by a woman who has had many children, then the tree would also have many fruitful seasons.
Keeping apples were picked in the moon’s dark in case harmful rays caused rot.
In Devon apples were never picked during the waning moon (getting smaller) in case the apples ‘shrumped up’.
Dreaming about apples foretold a long life
Apple blossom was never taken inside since it would bring sickness on the house.
To make a spell, cut the apple in half and put the spell in the middle. Bury the fruit and when it rots into the ground the spell comes true.
Apple blossom is added to love spells
Apples have inspired the Wassail event