Young people used parlor games for fortune-telling at every holiday, but Halloween is when the spirits are closest to the material world. In centuries past, many games and rituals surrounding Halloween were used to determine who one would marry, or whether one would marry at all. Evidence of these rituals survives in postcards, and many of them had to do with apples. We bob for apples for fun, and for the enjoyment of seeing others completely soaked, but at one time, apples could tell your fortune. Peel one and toss it; the shape it falls into will be the first initial of your true love. Mark apples before bobbing for them; which one you retrieve will tell you your future. And trying to bite swinging apple on a string could seriously lead to a kiss when you're competing with the opposite sex. Even stranger was the use of the produce most often associated with Halloween: cabbages. Read about the bygone fortune-telling rituals of Halloween at Messy Messy Chic, and see of collection of vintage Halloween greeting cards that tell the stories.
(Image credit: Flickr user Dave)