Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1865-11-02

! IIOLLOWI EN- uesday evening, OCtO.
bor 3l,t, was the anniversary Of IIollowe en-
Tor the evening before All Saints Day } one
of the ancient fashions which are fast dis
appearing from the purlieus of the present
century. Thirty yeais ago there was no
evening more looked forward to by the young
folks in both the old and new worlds than
this festival. In Ayrshire, Scotland, the
land of Burns, it was very popular, and,
until within the past decade, was kept up
with great spirit by both old and young. -
Several attempts have been made to revive
it year after year, but it has become a thing
of the past, except in some of the rural dis
tricts in this country and in Scotland 1t
was generally supposed, and in ancient days
it was regularly credited that on Hollow
cen, ghosts, witches, and fairies held high
carnival. The country folks were in the
habit of meeting together in the kitchen of
some large farm house, so graphically de-
scribed by Burns in his celebrated poem:
"ro burn their nuts, an pou their stocks,
An haud their Hollowc'en.'
After the company had all assembled the
ceremonies of the night were commenced
by the lads and lasses proceeding to the
garden to pull each stalk or plant of kali.
The usual practice is for all to form in line,
join hands, then shut their eyes and then
pull the first they meet with. It's matter
Of great moment whether the stalks are big
or little, straight or crooked, as it is con
sidered to be prophetic of the size and shape
of the future husband or wife. In the event
of any of the soil clnging to the root it is
significant of the amount of the fortune that
the bride or bridegroom will enjoy; while
the taste of the "custock' or heart of the
stem is emblematical Of the temper or dis
position of the future partner in life. The
'runts, as they are generally called in
Scotland, are then placed above the door
leading into the kitchen where the ceremonies
are going on, and the Christian names of
the persons who enter are taken to be the
names Of the future partners according to
the priority in which the stalks had been
placed The burning of the nuts is con
sidcred to be a most potent charm a clear
place in the fire is selected. The name of
a male and female is given to each particular
nut as it is placed in the fire, and according
as they start from each other or burn quiet
" SO is supposed to be the issue Of the
courtship.
A favorite rite and one in which only
young damscls take part, is to eat an apple
in front off looking glass, in order that
while doing so her future husband may look
over her shoulder and have his face reflected
IN the mirror. Few girls have the courage
to perform the act, and there are instances
on record in which young women have lost
their reason by the fright at supposing she
had seen something supernatural The
usual plan Is for the young woman, who is
about to try the spell, to go alone into a
room with lighted candle, placing it before
the looking glass and eating the apple as
she stands i'll front Of the mirror. If the
spell is successful, her future coniugal com
panon will peep over her shoulder and his
face be reflected in the glass. This ceremony
has been the subject of serious practical
jokes on the part of the male sex and many
girls have had reason to regret having tried
the experiment
The ceremony of trying their luck by three
dishes is very simple and innocent, and gen
orally provocative of much merriment.-
Three bowls are placed on the floor usually
in front of the fire. In one is placed clean
water in the second foul water, while the
third is empty. The person who wishes to
try the experiment is then bliudfoded and
led forward to the hearthstone, where the
dishes are placed. Fit is young woman
who is experimenting and she places her
hand in the clean water she will come to the
bar OF matrimony maid, if in the foul |
water a widow but if she is so unfortunate
as to put her hand into the empty bowl she
willlive and die an old maid The ceremony
is repeated three times, and on every occa-
sion the position of the dishes is changed -
The majority of chances always rule in this
as in every other case. By the time the
various ceremonies enumerated were got
through with in the good old times" mid |
night was drawing nigh. The bread and
cheese and buttered sowens were then set
out and ample justice done to them.
"Syne wi n social glass o strunt,
They parted off carcerin'. "