Allan Day

Posted by Elizabeth Yetter Oct 16, 2006

Allan’s Day, also known as Allantide, is an English festival that was celebrated on the nearest Saturday to Halloween. On Allan’s Day, apples were given to family members as gifts of good luck.

Girls and boys would place the lucky apple under their pillow at night to bring about a divinatory dream of their future husband or wife. The next morning, to ensure that their dream came true, the children would eat the apple in absolute silence.

For those wondering if this festival was named after a person or saint, Allan is actually an Old English word for apple.