The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-10-31
HALLOWEE ~!
The Vigil Of All SaintS'-Day.
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How It Was AnCientIy Observed
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Demons, Witches and Fairies at
Their Midnight Franks.
The Power of Charms and Spells.
How Husbands and Wives Were
Sought and Found.
Etc, Etc, Etc, Etc, Etc, Etc.


AT no time in its history has the Church OF
Rome been unerateful to the most faithful and
efficient among its servants. And though the
custom of raising them by canonization to the
dignity of saintship has fallen almost entirely
into disuse, 1T was actively continued for so
many centuries that soon no place in the calen-
dar could be found for the new creations. The
first day OF November was therefore selected
and devoted in general to all such as were not
otherwise provided for.
The Fairy Carnival.
The First of November thus became one of the
great festivals of the Church of Rome, and was
continued as such by the Church of England,
passing under the name of All Saints'-Day, or
All Halows. The preceding evening, of which
this night is the anniversary, being known as
All Hallow Eve, or Halloween, by some strange
freak of man was selected, long years ago, as
the one on which the Evil Spirit and his attend
ants would be most likely to visit the earth in
free, to vent their spite against the numerous
saints whose festival was so near at hand
by holding high carnival of their own The
poet Burns says of it that 1t "is thought to be
night when Witches devils, and other mischief
making beings are all abroad on their banefu
midnight errands; and when these aerial people,
the fairies in particular are said to hold grand
anniversary"
Spying Into the Future.
The heart of man, especially in ages and
countries where superstition has footholl is
ever longing to penetrate the veil of mystery
which overhangs the future. 1t has ever been
the province of devils, witches and Imps of
every grade 10 assist in such questionable pur-
suits; and for this reason All HalloW Eve, the
night OF ali the year when these doubtful per-
sonages were supposed to be abroad in more than
their usual numbers, was selected as the one on
which they would have the surest warrant of
success.
The different ceremonies, entertainments, or
spells for which Halloween has been noted
during many centuries, had, therefore, as thelr
grand object the revelation OF things ordi-
narily hidden from the world. Hhere was, in
deed time when they were all conducted
with sober earnestness, and with full and
abiding faith in the lniallibility of their
suits. Except in the most Ignorant and super
stitious neighborhooo1s Is in the old country this,
of course, is no longer the case. But even
now it is quite common thing for the
Young people, IN city and country, 10
meet together and engage in frolick-
some pastimes, such as ducking for apples in
water and pulling cabbage stocks, all of which
are founded on the ancient observances of
the day.
But few of these found their way into this
country, as at the time of its settlement grave
doubts began to be cast upon their efficacy or
propriety by that more intelligent class of per-
sons to which the emigrants for the most part
belonged.
About the only customs pertaining to the past
which are no W in vogue among our youth are
those of hanging dead cats to door-bells, and of
passing through the streets late at night and
arousing people of quiet turn of mind by
humping boisterously on their doors with cab
bage-staks. In some sections however, 1t is still
considered rare sport to kinde huge bonfres,
and make night hideous in general and mis-
cellaneous manner.
Halloween In Scotland.
Burns, in a lengthy poem, has pathetically
described the manner in which the vigil of
All Day was kept in old times by the
peasantry in the west of Scotland to whom its
charms and spells were $50 big will prophecy"
We quote the opening and closing stanzas:-
Upon that night, when fairies light
On Cassls Downans dance,
Or owre the lays. IN splendid blaze,
On spr1ghtly cOursers prance;
or Ior Coean the route is la'en,
Beneath the moons pale beams;
There, up the Cove TO stray and rove
Among the rocks end streams
10 sport that night.
"Among the boAnY, winding banks
Where doom rms, -Timpn clear
Whfre Bruce once ruled the marital ranLs
And shook his Carrick sp,sr S'
Some merry, friendly, country ISlks
Together did convene,
To burn their nlts, and pou their stocks,
anu H"'' 'A Fu' blythe that night.
:, The lasses feat and c'eanly neat,
Mair Draw than when thev're fine;
Their faces blythe, fa' sweety Ky the,
Hearts zeal, and warm, and kln'
The lads trig, WI wooer-Dabs
Weel knotted on their garteni
Some unco blate, and some WI CABS
Gar las es' hearts gang startin'
Wmles fast at night
"Wp merry sangs and friendly cracks
wat they did ma weary;
And unco tales, and funny Jozes.
Their Sports cheap aud cheery;
TlIl butterd SONS, wa fragrant lunt,
set a. their CABS o. steerin'j
Syne, WI a sOelai glass o. sirunt;
Fu' blythe thar night.
Pulling Cabbages.
The hrst ceremony in order among the Scottish
peasantry was That OF pulling kdu or caboages
The young people, having closed their eyes OF
been blindfolded, marched out into the garden
hand in hand, and drew from the earththe trs
plants that they came upon. The largeness ol
smallness, and straightness or crookedness o.
the stock thus drawn from the earth were indica