Double, Double Toil and Trouble…
Greetings Ghouls, Gargoyles, and All Monsters In-between: Last weekend, I had the opportunity to visit Salem, the Halloween capital of the world. I’d like to share with you the amazing experience I had there, in addition to what to expect if you ever visit. Let’s get started!
Salem Then
Salem is a place of rich history and interesting stories. To be there is to immerse yourself in an atmosphere that is very heavily influenced by the past.
Salem, Massachusetts was established by Puritan Europeans in 1626. Sixty-six years later in 1692, The infamous Witch Trials began.
It all began with three girls: Elizabeth Parris, Abigail Williams, and Ann Putnam. They all began having “fits”. They blamed three other women for these afflictions, one of which was the Parris’ slave, Tituba. These false accusations–in addition to daily interrogations–lead Tituba to confess that she had wild visions and had signed the Devil’s Book. This resulted in a hysteria that shadowed over all of Salem until 1693. A full list of those that were found guilty of witchcraft and hanged can be found here. Since then, Salem officials have pardoned all those accused and have worked to make amends for the pain that was caused.
Salem Today
Today, Salem is alive with the spirit of witches. The practice is welcomed with open arms, and the town fully embraces the once devilish ideas. Although there is a newfound appreciation for these things, there is still a slight somber air all around. Many memorials stand for the twenty innocent victims of The Witch Trials. In addition, there are many areas that are said to be haunted by the restless spirits of past residents and trial victims alike.
My Experience
Last weekend, my family and I took the trip to Salem. This was our second time visiting, but this time around we had many other opportunities available to us.
One of the first things we did was visit the Salem Wax Museum.
Inside was a variety of wax figures made to resemble key figures of Salem, including Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of The Scarlet Letter; and George Corwin, the High sheriff during the Salem Witch Trials. At the end of the tour was a statue titled “The Towne Sisters” dedicated to Rebecca Nurse, Mary Estey, and Sarah Cloyce. They were sisters, and of the three Sarah was the only one who survived the Witch Trials.
After that we had some time to spare until our next event, so we ran through a haunted house and visited some of the vendors in the town. Afterwards towards the night, we went on a candlelit tour that took us to some historic spots and some haunted locations, including a Church where I managed to catch an orb in my photos!
Before we left, we took the time to visit one of the memorials that had been put up for the victims of the Witch Trials. The memorial is a small courtyard where twenty benches line the walls with the names of those who were hanged. It is a very serene and empathetic experience. You can’t help but feel some kind of remorse for what happened.
All in all, Salem was a wonderful and very educational experience. I definitely recommend that you visit before October is over!
Happy Halloween Everyone!