If You See a Spider on Halloween, You May Want to Think Twice About Killing It

Human beings need to participate in some really funky mental gymnastics to feel special. Take holidays. for instance. You don't see a family of beavers huddling around a fire in the wintertime exchanging gifts while they sip warm beverages and munch on ginger snaps. It's probably because they're too busy building dams with their tails and loving every second of it.

But we love and arguably need our holidays in order to make life a lot more interesting, like Halloween, which comes with its own subset of traditions and hidden meanings. For instance: What does seeing a spider on the holiday mean?

The idea of a guardian angel is usually associated with imagery that's traditionally seen as hopeful, enlightening, or beautiful. A person who just lost a loved one, for instance, walks out of the hospital, and they see a butterfly perched on their car. Or a ray of sunshine beams down on them, or as they drive home, they see a rainbow pouring into their house.

But because this is Halloween we're talking about, all of the imagery is going to take on a bit of a spooky flavor. Typically, when we see spiders in our homes, we immediately either grab some toilet paper to smush them or call someone braver in the house to send the eight-legged beasts on a journey to meet their maker.

However, if you believe in "signs" and certain myths associated with All Hallow's Eve, then you're probably going to want to pause before you commit arachnicide.

That's because seeing a spider on Halloween means that you're being visited by a dead loved one who has manifested in the form of a creepy crawly in order to watch over you.

So let's say you're dressed up like Freddy Krueger and have had too much to drink and you spot a spider. The spider is probably there to make sure nothing bad happens to you. You should probably cup that bad boy in your hand and set him free.

For example, if you were born on Halloween, it's been said that you have the "second gift of sight" which allows you to assist in keeping evil spirits at bay, according to American Folklore.

If October 31 isn't your birthday but you still want to keep bad juju away, then you should walk around your house three times backward before sunset.

But, if you happen to be wearing your clothes inside out while walking backward, legend says you'll meet a witch. In all honesty, anyone who's willing to hold a conversation with you after seeing such erratic behavior probably has something wrong with them too.

Let's say you hear a "sigh" in the wind on Halloween night. We've got some bad news: That means you'll be dead within the year. Time to draft up that will which gives your Disney Plus bundle account information over to that special someone.

If a black cat meows near your window on Halloween, then that means a death will occur in your family, and if you happen to kill one of these creatures on that fateful day, then you'll have seven years of bad luck.

Seeing bats flying around means there are ghosts of spirits nearby, which you can help keep away by lighting a jack-o'-lantern. Or you could always toll some bells.

Also, if you believe in this folklore, laying in a coffin on Halloween is a sign of "inviting death," and you shouldn't even place any of your belongings inside of one, even if it's just a joke.

Man, for a holiday that's mostly about dressing up in costumes and getting lit while children gorge themselves on candy, there sure are a lot of rules.