This is the time of year when darkness overtakes the daylight. We transition from a time of warm days and plenty of fruits and vegetables to colder days and less variety. It’s also a time when we are reminded of the eeriness and spookiness of things we don’t know. Those unseen forces, unseen energies that come into our focus as we celebrate Halloween. The holiday comprised of ghosts, graveyards and the mystical.
In the past few days, have you looked behind you as you heard the rustling of leaves and the impending feeling someone was there? Have you watched a spooky movie, unable to go to sleep afterward? Have you taken the Old Town ghost tour to hear of Robert E. Lee’s ghost that haunts his boyhood home? And have you potentially had something that happened, making you think it might be a ghost or deceased loved one sending you messages? Yes, it is Halloween! It’s when we seem to be most open to aberrations and the unexplained.
Halloween History:
This chill-inducing holiday traces its origins over 2000 years to the Celtics living in Ireland, the United Kingdom and parts of France. They held the festival of Samhain, celebrating the change of seasons from plentiful summer days to the colder, darker days of autumn and the beginning of winter. The holiday was a mixture of celebration and superstition, as people would dress in costumes to keep ghosts far away.
Throughout the centuries, ghosts have remained the key theme as the holiday has morphed and changed. Others have added their traditions to the Celtic festivities. When the Roman Empire conquered the Celtics in 43 A.D., they incorporated two of their celebrations with that of the Celtic’s festival of Samhain. It is the Romans, celebrating Ponoma, their goddess of fruit and trees, who contributed the “bobbing for apples” tradition. Ponoma’s symbol was the apple – hence bobbing for apples.
And still later, Pope Gregory III was recognized for incorporating All Saints Day on November 1 for the recognition of Saints and martyrs. This recognition happened the day after the Halloween festivities but the concept of ghosts and the mystical remained a part of the holiday.
Known Ghosts in Washington DC Region:
Ghosts continue to be a common theme in our modern Halloween celebrations. People anxiously wait in long lines to walk through haunted houses with the expectation of being terrified. Pranksters find the holiday an opportunity to play tricks on others, especially when perceived as scary, spooky or downright fear inducing.
Washingtonians are more than happy to hold Halloween parties and get-togethers. It is there and in other places that some Washingtonians are willing to acknowledge the existence of actual ghosts. On more than one occasion, once someone has told their story, others will also acknowledge their personal experiences too. And in this historical city, there are records of more than one sighting of ghostly encounters. Where are these ghosts? Let’s start with some of the more popular historical attractions in the region.
The White House:
Yep, the White House has been known to have more than one ghostly encounter. Many have heard of President Lincoln’s appearance but the White House Historical Association lists several other encounters too. Some of the most popular include:
- Abraham Lincoln: Abraham Lincoln appears in the Lincoln Bedroom and Yellow Oval Room with sightings by First Lady Grace Coolidge, Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands.
- Willie Lincoln: President Grant’s staff members saw in the 1870s, Willie Lincoln’s ghost. Willie passed away in the White House during the Civil War.
- Andrew Jackson: Andrew Jackson supposedly lying in his bed in the Queens Bedroom (Rose Room) lets out a guttural laugh that has been heard in the White House since the 1860s. Mary Todd Lincoln claimed to have heard Jackson stomping and swearing.
- Abigail Adams: Abigail Adams hung laundry in the East Room and contemporary staff can smell wet laundry and the scent of lavender.
The White House is not alone with spooky sightings and ghost stories. The Capitol building has its far share as well. Last year, the Architect of the Capitol released “Haunted Halls of Congress: 5 Creepy Capitol Legends” by Erin Courtney. Here are two of the ghost sightings offered.
- John Adams: John Quincy Adams is heard shouting “No!” near the Speakers Lobby. During a debate on the floor of the House of Representatives, Adams loudly voted “no” on a resolution then promptly collapsed at his desk. He was moved to the Speakers’ Lobby where he fell into a coma and died two days later.
- Wounded Civil War Soldier: A Civil War soldier reportedly wanders through Statuary Hall. In 1862, the military briefly converted the U.S. Capitol into a hospital for wounded Union soldiers. More than 1,000 cots were placed in Statuary Hall before patients were removed later that year.
Washington Appears at Mount Vernon:
If you head across the Potomac River to the Commonwealth of Virginia, travel south to the home of our Founding Father, George Washington and his estate of Mount Vernon. It is at Mount Vernon where President Washington died on December 14, 1799. He had succumbed to a nasty cold following hours of working on his plantation in the snow and freezing rain.
Washington has reportedly been known to move objects and make noise at his estate. In one well-known tale, Washington’s nephew, Josiah Quincy III, slept in his Uncle’s previous bedroom and during the night, Quincy was visited by Washington’s ghost.
Robert E. Lee Returns to His Childhood Home:
One story that I have heard repeatedly in the almost 30 years of living in Alexandria, Virginia, is the ongoing occurrence of a child laughing in Robert E. Lee’s childhood home. The home still remains in Alexandria and locals tell of how to this day the local police still receive calls saying that a child seems to be outside at early hours of the morning. Sometimes the police are told that a barking dog accompanies the small boy. In historical records, it is known that Robert E. Lee was around 4 years old when his family occupied the house. And yes, he also had a family dog then too.
While all of the above stories are of famous historical figures who lived in the Washingtonian area. There are numerous other ghost stories of less familiar people too.
Haven’t we all had an experience or two of unexplained occurrences or a possible message from a loved one? I certainly know that my mother, who passed away five years ago, enjoys making my bedroom lamp flicker on and off. And my husband’s father, who passed away years ago, woke my husband and I up at 3 am to loud noises in our bedroom when each of my husband’s children was being married the following day. (It was eerie to have that occur consistently with each marriage. And yet, reassuring to know that his presence was with us on the important day.)
What ghostly encounters have you experienced? I would love to hear.
