On this day in 1692, the witch trials began in Salem Village, Massachusetts, targeting three young women, Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne, and Tituba, who were all accused of witchcraft.
The girls were experiencing unusual fits and confessions, so accusations quickly escalated, leading to a series of hearings that would grip the community for months. As the hearings progressed, more and more individuals were accused, including several prominent members of the colony, and by the end of summer, the magistrates had overseen 20 executions.
The Massachusetts Bay Colony eventually recognized the Salem judgments as wrongful convictions and declared proceedings of this nature unlawful in 1711. The Salem witch trials remain a dark, iconic chapter in American history, illustrating the profound danger of mass hysteria and the irreparable damage that can be fueled by superstition and unfounded accusations.
Music Du Jour: Salem Witch Trials Playlist
Films Du Jour:
- Witches of Salem (2019)
- The Salem Witch Trials (2021) documentary
- Salem Witch Trials (2003)
- The Crucible (1996)
- The Witch (2016)
- Salem Series (2014)
- Three Sovereigns for Sarah (1985)
- The Covenant (2006)
- Mayfair Witches (2023)
- The Lords of Salem (2013)
Snacks du Jour: The colonists likely had a regular diet of wild game, salted cod, wheat bread, corn bread, butter, cheese, baked beans, apples, berries, lettuce, carrots, and squash. Witches usually maintain organic vegan diets, accompanied by the occasional blood snack from ritual sacrifices.
Cocktail Du Jour – Salem Witch Cocktail
This recipe comes from Cocktail Builder:
- 5 oz vodka
- 5 oz of Midori melon liqueur (or watermelon liqueur)
- 5 oz raspberry schnapps
- 1 splash of lime juice
- 1 splash of grenadine syrup
- Sweet and sour mix*
- Soda water
In a Collins glass with ice, pour in vodka, Midori, and raspberry schnapps. Add a splash of lime juice. Fill with sour mix until glass is 2/3 full and fill the rest with soda water (or seltzer). Stir gently. Top with a splash of grenadine.
*To make sweet and sour mix at home, heat ½ cup of water, ½ cup of sugar, ½ cup of fresh lemon juice, and ½ cup of fresh lime juice on the stovetop until sugar is completely dissolved (about 5 mins). Let cool.
Mocktail Du Jour – Salem Witch Mocktail
- 5 oz non-alcoholic vodka
- 5 oz watermelon syrup
- 5 oz raspberry syrup
- 1 splash of lime juice
- 1 splash of grenadine syrup
- Sweet and sour mix*
- Soda water
In a Collins glass with ice, pour in non-alcoholic vodka, and raspberry and watermelon syrups. Add a splash of lime juice. Fill with sour mix until glass is 2/3 full and fill the rest with soda water (or seltzer). Stir gently. Top with a splash of grenadine.
- *To make sweet and sour mix at home, heat ½ cup of water, ½ cup of sugar, ½ cup of fresh lemon juice, and ½ cup of fresh lime juice on the stovetop until sugar is completely dissolved (about 5 mins). Let cool.
Beer Du Jour
Coven Brewing Labels if you can find them.
Pilgrims were rationed a gallon of beer per day while voyaging across the Atlantic to the New World. Once settled in, they brewed their beer from corn. Modern beers that have corn as a major ingredient include:
- Budweiser
- Miller Lite
- Coors Light
- Corona Extra
- Tecate
- Shiner Bock
- Yuengling Traditional Lager
Wine Du Jour
Any Magic Box label.
Since grapes were difficult to begin cultivating in the American Northeast, the colonists made a wide variety of wines from other fruits. Here’s a recipe for making your own berry wine.
Use freshly squeezed citrus in your cocktails and mocktails when called for – It makes such a difference! Here’s a reliable and inexpensive juicer.
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Photo credit: “Sarah Good” by danahuff is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
the holiday.
