Why Is 3 AM The Witching Hour?
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Different Sources Propose Different Time Periods For The Witching Hour
There are many myths associated with the witching hour and its origins, and several are contradictory. Its proper title, when it takes place, and what supposedly occurs during the hour are all up for debate. The mystery and fear associated with it seem to be the only consistent elements.
The most readily agreed upon time for the witching hour is 3 am, as it holds numerous links to Christian theology, as well as modern folklore regarding occult activity. However, some also argue that the hour isn’t actually 3 am at all, but midnight. Those who believe the witching hour to begin at 12 am argue that, because this is the beginning of a new day, the spirits can more easily move about the Earthly realm.
For instance, in many popular fairytales - such as Cinderella - magic spells are broken at midnight, suggesting that the magic from the day past has been reset. Others believe there is no hour limit to the activity of spirits at all, and that the witching hour refers to the entire night - from when darkness begins at dusk until it retreats at dawn.
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Since No Liturgical Prayers Are Recited At 3 AM, Supernatural Activity Is Thought To Be Heightened
According to the practices of the early Christian church, certain types of prayers were recited at different times during the day. As a result, the liturgical prayers, which are prayers that must be recited publicly to the people, were recited at seven specific daytime hours beginning with the Matins prayer at sunrise.
During the nighttime hours, when people were asleep, the church would hold prayer vigils instead of liturgical prayers. It is because of this pause in liturgical prayer that many suspected the presence of both demons and supernatural activity was heightened at night, unobstructed by the word of God.
Some Believe The Veil Between Life And The Afterlife Is Thinnest At 3 AM
A common supernatural belief is that life and the afterlife are two sides of the same world, separated only by a veil. This veil is said to become the most transparent in the early morning hours around 3 am.
Because of this thinning of the veil between life and the afterlife, the spirits of the deceased are able to travel back into the realm of the living temporarily. Some believe this is why people are more likely to be awoken by the sensation of someone being near them in the middle of the night, and less so during the day.
Still others believe there are spirits around us at all times, but we are only likely to notice them in the quiet of the 3 am hour.
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The Witching Hour, Or ‘Devil’s Hour,’ Is Thought To Be An Inversion Of Christ’s 3 PM Passing
Despite the debate surrounding when the witching hour is alleged to take place, one of the more convincing pieces of evidence comes directly from biblical scripture. According to Mark 15:34-38, Jesus expired at three in the afternoon:
At three o’clock, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah.” And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.
Those who support the idea that the witching hour, or the devil’s hour, takes place at 3 am argue that, because it is the inverse of 3 pm, the hour that Jesus passed, it is the ideal time for the devil to undo the good that Jesus Christ sought to accomplish with his sacrifice.
Demonic Entities Seemingly Use The Number Three To Mock The Holy Trinity
The number three, and multiples thereof, have long been used in Christian theology as a way to express the opposing relationship between God and the devil. So, it seems only natural that people would associate the hour of 3 am, when the world is in its most quiet and dark state, with dark powers and demonic spirits. Not only is 3 am exactly 12 hours after Jesus Christ’s alleged time of expiration, but the use of the number three is also believed to be the devil's attempt to “mock the Holy Trinity.”
People have reported paranormal occurrences in sets of threes, from three scratches suddenly appearing on their skin to hearing the rapping of three knocks on their bedroom walls. The belief is that evil spirits are challenging the power of the Holy Trinity (God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit) by striking fear in its followers.
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The Forces Of Evil Are Thought To Be More Active At Night, So 3 AM Is A Better Time To Do Magic
Even outside of traditional Christian theology, there are many who believe that evil, supernatural forces become far more powerful under the anonymous protection of darkness. The world is quiet and the evil spirits can lurk around when people are asleep and vulnerable - or perhaps it's because of the opening of a metaphysical door to an unknown supernatural realm.
And because most people are asleep around 3 am, it is thought that those who practice witchcraft have the freedom to complete their work undisturbed and without the threat of being discovered. This is especially notable, as throughout history, individuals accused of practicing witchcraft have been harshly persecuted by the rest of society, so many believe this to be a good reason why they may prefer to practice at night.
Some Believe That 'The Evil Hour,' Or La Mala Hora, Isn't An Hour At All, But A Spirit
The witching hour is sometimes associated with yet another name, "the evil hour" or "La Mala Hora." However, this term doesn’t refer to a time of night but to a spirit that roams freely. This spirit embodies the evil that is associated with the hour of 3 am and harnesses it while walking among the living.
According to legend, the figure of La Mala Hora serves as a reminder to those she meets that they will someday perish. She acts much like the omen of the Grim Reaper, but does not slay anyone herself; she only warns them of their eventual demise. She allegedly appears most often when people are at a physical or metaphorical crossroads, instructing them to avoid darkness and loneliness.
In 1535, The Catholic Church Banned Activities Between 3 AM and 4 AM To Prevent Witchcraft
Before "the witching hour" even had a name, the Catholic Church feared the evil energies that seemed to be present during the late-night hours. In 1535, church leaders became so concerned with the evil deeds that were likely going on late at night that the church allegedly instated a sort of curfew between the hours of 3 and 4 am.
This was done to halt the efforts of the devil and the practice of witchcraft, which had increasingly become a concern for the church. This declaration by the church may have helped to cement the association between witchcraft, evil spirits, and the 3 am hour.
Before The Industrial Revolution, Most People Slept In Two Separate Shifts And Were Awake At 3 AM
There may be a less supernatural origin to the concept of the witching hour. Prior to the socioeconomic shift that came with the Industrial Revolution, people went through their days at a dramatically different pace than what we are familiar with today. According to one historian, Roger Ekirch, people once slept in two sessions rather than one eight-hour session, as we do today.
Because the winter nights in Europe could last up to 14 hours (far longer than anyone needs to sleep in one session) the two shifts were naturally established, Ekirch argues. As he writes, “Possibly due in part to the lack of electricity and brutally cold winters, people were in the habit of splitting up the night into two sleeping shifts, usually switching between midnight and 3 am.”
The Industrial Revolution contributed to a shift in sleeping schedules, Ekirch believes. This was mainly due to “growing urbanization and better forms of artificial light," meaning folks could sleep until morning and use artificial light to begin, and end, their days. This, however, may have left many people’s sleep patterns confused, and caused them to still wake up between midnight and 3 am without any logical reason - giving further credence to the witching hour.
The Witching Hour Is A Common Time To Wake Up In The Night Due To Melatonin And Sleep Cycles
Theology and superstition aside, there appears to be scientific theories behind the origins of the witching hour, as well. Because of the way humans sleep - progressing through various stages and depths of sleep until, finally, reaching deep REM sleep - it is either easier or harder to wake up at certain times of the night. Depending upon when people go to sleep, and how well they fall asleep, it can take about 90 minutes for them to reach an individual REM cycle, which is a level of intensely deep sleep that is particularly hard to wake up from.
However, between each of these REM cycles (which can last anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour), people also go through a much lighter non-REM sleep cycle - at which point they are much easier to wake up. It is this non-REM cycle that many have begun to associate with waking suddenly during the 3 am hour. What’s worse, many people have experienced being woken up around the 3 am hour while in the middle of a deep REM cycle, which leaves them feeling disoriented and startled - and adds to the mystery and fear associated with the witching hour.
It has also been noted by scientists that "experiences of crisis apparitions and of a sensed presence are also more common during the period between 2 am and 4 am, as supported by folk concepts of this time (3 to 4 am) as 'the witching hour' and 'the graveyard shift,' and coinciding with the approximate 3 am peak melatonin period."
This suggests there may be a chemical component that has left people predisposed to waking at this time and seeing figures in the darkness.
The Witching Hour Continues To Show Up In Media And Reality
The legends surrounding the witching hour, or the devil's hour, have only become more deeply ingrained in the global culture as time passes. Not only are there factual accounts of eerie, tragic events happening at 3 am, but references to this time show up in numerous stories from all around the world.
For example, it was at 3 am that Ronald "Butch" DeFeo Jr. executed his entire family while they slept in their Amityville, Long Island, house. The event, which took place on November 13, 1974, has since become associated with the Amityville haunting.
Additionally, there are numerous references to the witching hour in popular stories, such as Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes, which makes reference to evil acts that occur late at night, around 3 am.
