Apple and Candle Night

Apple and Candle Night

October 31

Another name for Halloween among children in the Swansea area of Wales. The traditional game of "Apple and Candle" is played by suspending a stick from the ceiling with an apple fastened to one end and a lit candle to the other. The object is to eat the apple without using hands and without getting burned by the swinging candle. To make the game more challenging, players are sometimes blindfolded and the stick is twirled around before the game begins.
See also Mischief Night

SOURCES:
DictDays-1988, p. 4
DictFolkMyth-1984, p. 869
FestSaintDays-1915, p. 192
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 604

Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary, Fourth Edition. © 2010 by Omnigraphics, Inc.