Short answer: There is no law in Scotland or elsewhere that made it illegal to eat pork on Halloween. The claim is a modern myth that has been debunked by reputable sources. Details:
- In Scotland, the enduring “pork on Halloween” myth is linked to the Witchcraft Act of 1735, but historical analysis shows the act was about suppressing witch persecutions and did not criminalize eating pork pastries on Halloween. The 1951 Fraudulent Mediums Act (which replaced earlier provisions) does not mention such a prohibition. In other words, sausage rolls or pork pastries were never legally banned on Halloween in Scotland, and any such belief is misinterpretation or a joke that circulated later.
- A number of fact-check discussions and reputable summaries noting this myth have pointed out the origins as folklore or a spoof that got repeated, not a factual legal prohibition. Modern reporting and historical reviews consistently conclude there was no enforceable ban on eating pork pastries on Halloween under the Witchcraft Act or its successors.
If you’d like, I can pull up specific debunkings or primary-source discussions that trace how this myth spread and what the Witchcraft Act actually covered.
