Halloween foods from history reveal the holiday's surprising romantic side – and you can try them yourself

By Lindsay Middleton, Food Historian and Knowledge Exchange Associate, University of Glasgow

Think about Halloween, and romance is unlikely to be the first thing that comes to mind. But Victorian periodicals and newspapers show that alongside dressing in costumes, enjoying themed cuisine and telling ghost stories, historical Halloween food traditions were often centred on love. Here are three examples you can try for yourself.

Halloween nuts

An article published in the London magazine Kind Words for Boys and Girls in 1889 describes the autumnal traditions that marked this time of year throughout history. One particularly popular snack they point to is hazelnuts and…

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