The tradition of bobbing for apples dates back to the Roman invasion of Britain, when the conquering army merged their own celebrations with traditional Celtic festivals. During an annual celebration, young unmarried people try to bite into an apple floating in water or hanging from a string on a line, rather than in a bowl of water; the first person to bite into the apple would be the next one to be allowed to marry. Apple bobbing was appropriated in the Celtic festival Samhain, with apples a sign of fertility and abundance.
