Which ancient empire invented apple bobbing?

The answer is: Roman Empire

The Romans didn't just give us roads, aqueducts, and questionable emperors – they also bequeathed us the art of face-planting into a bowl of apples. But here's the twist: it wasn't originally a Halloween game at all. It was a matchmaking ritual.

In ancient Rome, young singles participated in divination games involving apples floating in water. Whoever managed to snag an apple first was destined to be the first to marry. Think of it as a very damp version of racing to the altar.

As the Romans spread across Europe, their apple-based matchmaking merged with local traditions. When it collided with Celtic Samhain celebrations, something magical happened. The Celts, who already saw apples as symbols of fertility and prophecy, embraced this wet form of fortune-telling with particular enthusiasm.

By medieval times, the tradition had taken on an even more romantic twist. Women would mark their apples before adding them to the communal basin, then watch as men dunked their heads in pursuit of love. If a man caught a particular woman's apple, destiny (or at least a very wet courtship) awaited. It was basically medieval Tinder, except instead of swiping right, you had to risk drowning.

Like every tradition that crossed the Atlantic, apple bobbing got a uniquely American makeover. When Irish and Scottish immigrants brought their customs to the New World, the solemn romance of divination gave way to pure entertainment. Because if there's one thing Americans excel at, it's taking ancient rituals and turning them into party games.

Today, we've mostly forgotten the romantic origins of apple bobbing, but the sight of people repeatedly dunking their faces into cold water still manages to amuse party guests just as it did two thousand years ago. The strategy hasn't changed much either – "hold your breath and hope for the best" works just as well for party games as it did for finding love.