Why does the witch of American folklore (Halloween) have big noses?

Question

It's almost as if they have a "Jewish nose." I am Arabian/Italian 7 I have a pretty long nose myself. I hate Halloween because I feel like I look like a witch. Can anybody give me the history on why the witch is drawn with a big nose?

Answer 1

Because that's what the stereotypical "look" became when people started turning witches into ugly old hags.  Big nose, warts, and hey, why not even a green face.

Answer 2

when we think of witches we think of green old ugly women. and what makes a old women ugly is a big nose with a wart on it

Answer 3

In a lot of euro-centric folklore, beauty was seen as good, and ugliness was seen as evil.  A beautiful woman was seen as dainty and fair.  Ugliness was usually defined as large and dark.  Big teeth, a large nose, big feet, etc, were all written as bad, or evil.

Most mainstream folklore from the United States is based on folktales from Europe.  As I said in the first paragraph, beauty meant that someone was dainty and fair.  The upper classes were usually dainty and fair, and the lower classes were often larger.  This was most likely due to the fact that the lower classes had to work, while the upper classes did not.  If a young woman in a lower class managed to still be dainty and fair after working hard, of course people would consider her beautiful- and yes, if a fairy tale prince happened to ride by, he would notice her.  The normal people would get jealous- jealously turns people evil, and so you have a witch.

We tend to lump people into groups, and that's where the stereotypes come from.  The Halloween witches that you see with the large warty nose are just a caricature of that stereotype.

Something else I would like to add, Arabian people and Jewish people were seen as villains in a lot of folklore that I have read, and that might be one of the reasons why you feel so insecure.  Having a long nose is fine.  Differences are a good thing.  If you don't want to be a witch for Halloween, be something else.  I'm sure you don't look like the stereotypical image of a witch,

Answer 4

There is another reason that stereotypical witches are depicted as having large noses and use broomsticks to fly.

Unfortunately, I cannot tell you what that reason is right now or my answer might be deleted.  If you do wish to know, though, message me and I will tell you.

Answer 5

People associate witches as ugly, evil, old women.

Answer 6

Old women, associated with witches, have a big nose (the nose and the ears grow during whole life); and then, because it's taken as an ugly feature and the catholic church wanted to show witches as despicable as possible (question of propaganda).

Don't worry; I've got a big nose myself and I think it gives a lot of personnality to the face.