<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: medium;"> On Monday, we talked about the origins of Halloween and the legend behind why we carve pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns. </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: medium;">Today let's enjoy some vintage Halloween cards and explore folktales that help young women identify their future husbands.</span><a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/choose.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-3766 aligncenter" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/choose.jpg" alt="choose" width="174" height="289" /></a>Romance writers should love these folktales and see potential romance stories.

According to folklore, young women have tossed apple-peels over their shoulders on Halloween, hoping that the peels would fall on the floor in the shape of their future husbands' initials.<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/valentine-couple.jpg"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-3769" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/valentine-couple.jpg?w=117" alt="valentine couple" width="117" height="150" /></a></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: medium;"> O</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">r, peered at egg yolks floating in a bowl of water to learn about their futures. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Or, stood in front of mirrors in darkened rooms, holding candles and looking over their shoulders for their husbands' faces.</span>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/bobbing-for-apples.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-3770" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/bobbing-for-apples.jpg?w=97" alt="Bobbing-for-Apples" width="97" height="150" /></a><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">One legend claims the first successful apple-bobber will be the first to marry.</span></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Another suggests that matchmaking Irish cooks bury a ring in her mashed potatoes on Halloween night, hoping to bring true love to the diner who finds it. </span></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Scottish fortune-tellers recommend eligible young women name a hazelnut for each of her suitors and then toss the nuts into the fireplace on Halloween night. The nut that burns to ashes rather than popping or exploding, represents the girl's future husband. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">In a confusing version of this same tale, the opposite was true: The nut that burns symbolized a love that would not last.</span>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: medium;">Another option with food suggest e</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">ating a sugary concoction made out of walnuts, hazelnuts, and nutmeg before bed on Halloween night can bring dreams about a future husband.</span>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/hug.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-3772" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/hug.jpg?w=94" alt="hug" width="94" height="150" /></a>But what if you've already found your mate, you say. <a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/hugging-on-jack-o-lantern.png"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-3771" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/hugging-on-jack-o-lantern.png" alt="hugging on jack-o-lantern" width="80" height="125" /></a></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Then try some of these ideas for romancing your Halloween night. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia', 'serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">~~Decorate your house for a Halloween evening. Let flickering candlelight set the mood. Place gourds or pumpkins hollowed out and filled with orange and purple flowers.</span></p>
<span style="font-family: 'Georgia', 'serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">~~Prepare a </span><span style="font-family: 'Georgia', 'serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">warm and intimate Halloween dinner. How about a delicious pumpkin soup, followed by a herb roasted chicken with mashed potatoes – maybe you’ll find a ring inside –, and, of course, dark chocolate for dessert? Click <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/herb-and-lemon-roasted-chicken" target="_blank">here</a> for the chicken recipe. </span><span style="color: windowtext;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: medium;">And <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/11/pumpkin-soup/" target="_blank">here</a> for a wonderful pumpkin soup recipe from the Pioneer Woman. </span></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0 0 11.25pt; color: black; line-height: 19.8pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia', 'serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">~~Cuddle together on the couch and watch a scary movie. Frightening moments give you the perfect excuse to snuggle. Check out <a href="http://www.imdb.com/list/VhHeuKOc60c/" target="_blank">IMdb’s list of the 60 Scariest Movies </a>if you need ideas. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0 0 11.25pt; color: black; line-height: 19.8pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia', 'serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">~~Plan midnight picnic</span><span style="font-family: 'Georgia', 'serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;"> with finger foods. Head into the woods –  near a graveyard if you want to be spooky. If you want to be warm and safe, picnic in front of a roaring fire or in the middle of your bed. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0 0 11.25pt; color: black; line-height: 19.8pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia', 'serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">~~Enjoy a hayride if you live in a rural area. Nothing better than burrowing beneath a warm blanket and watching the night sky to stimulate romance.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0 0 11.25pt; color: black; line-height: 19.8pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia', 'serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">~~Book a bed and breakfast in</span><span style="font-family: 'Georgia', 'serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;"> a rural, isolated area for a romantic escape. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0 0 11.25pt; color: black; line-height: 19.8pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia', 'serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">~~Attend a Halloween costume party <b>BUT</b> don’t tell each other about your costume and arrive separately. Pretend you’re truly strangers meeting</span><span style="font-family: 'Georgia', 'serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;"> for the first time.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0 0 11.25pt; color: black; line-height: 19.8pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia', 'serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">~~Head out to a local haunted house for a </span><span style="font-family: 'Georgia', 'serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">scary date night holding each other's hands.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0 0 11.25pt; color: black; line-height: 19.8pt;">Wishing you a fun-filled, romantic Halloween evening.<a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/kiss.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3774" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/kiss.png" alt="kiss" width="178" height="283" /></a></p>