Halloween
Lit-up pumpkins are seen during the Pumpkin Lantern Festival in Heroes Square in Budapest October 29, 2011. Reuters/Bernadette Szabo

While a lot of people have come to realize that Halloween night superstitions of the past are nothing more than urban legends, there are still stories that linger regardless of the times. Some of these beliefs continue to haunt people especially on Hallow's eve.

1. The medium

In an article on FrightBytes.com, there are tales that people who were born on Halloween have the ability to see and talk to the dead. They can sense ghosts in every place and the spirits themselves can also sense that these living individuals have the ability to see and communicate with them. As a result, some actually end up becoming mediums for people to talk to their deceased relatives. The disadvantage is, the ghosts keep bothering them everywhere, especially the evil ones.

2. The black cat

People today still avoid having a black cat pass in front of them for fear of having bad luck. The idea of a black cat being associated with evil or witchcraft dates back to the Dark Ages, based on a report by LiveScience.com. in the past, women who were accused of witchcraft were said to keep pet cats that served as their "familiars". Familiars are demonic animals that were supposedly given to witches by the devil.

3. The number 13

Until now, many people do not like the number 13, believing that it brings bad luck. There are several hotels and buildings that skip the 13th floor entirely when constructing. The association reportedly started during the time of Jesus Christ. Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed him, was deemed the 13th man seated at the dining table during the last supper. Today, some people still believe that having 13 people in one table is bad luck.

4. Treat or treating

In ancient times, people believed that during Samhain, the boundary between the world of the living and the dead grew thin so ghosts and spirits can easily enter and mingle with human beings. Ghosts can disguise themselves as humans and would knock on people's doors pretending that they were asking for food or money. If people turned them away, the spirit will curse the house. Dressing up as ghouls and spirits today is said to ward off evil or prevent them from attacking people, since the ghosts themselves would be fooled that the costumed humans were one of them.

5. Do not slam the door during Halloween

As mentioned above, ghosts allegedly do not like being turned away by humans so a slamming door might cause them to curse or haunt people's homes forever, based on a report by CBS.