The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-10-31
HalIou R,eB

To-day il Hallow Fen or Hallow
Eve, a day that among the Scotch,
Irish, and a portion of the English
people, is celebrated in very peculiar
manner that is hardly compatible
with its name, which indicates itas the
eve of All Hallows or All Saints Day.
Chambers describes it as day on
which supernatural influences are
supposed to prevail. and to judge from
the practices INDUCED on that day,
those who celebrate it must ignore
the sacred character accorded TO it by
the church, day Of fasting rs the
eve Of festival. In the North of
England it is known as Nut-crack
Night. from the custom of diligently
gathering nuts for use on that
evening. for the performance Of spells
by the young people to ascertain who
and Of what character their future
wives or husbands are to be.
The means employed on Hallow
Eve to obtain a peep into futurity
are almost innumerable. and strange
to say these means are all employed to
the same end-asoertainipg who and
what the future partner in life shall
be. To this end young people ara &C
customed 10 pNcs nuts upon the bars
of the CRATE, Eaming them after the
lovers and one Of the young women.
Those nuts which crack, or jump from
the heat, are said to inoieats that the
lovers they represent will prove un-
faithful, and if one burns steadily
with that representing tie young wo-
man. it is a sign that they will be
happily married.
HallOw Fen is also sometimes called
(" Snap Apple Night" from the Gus
tom which prevails in Ireland, Of sus-
pending crossed sticks from a ceiling
By astring, and placing lighted candles
on the ends of one stick, and apples
on the ends Of the other. The sticks,
which are placed about the height of
the heads of the company, are then
caused to Whirl. and the young people
snap ct the apples with their teeth,
often swapping the candles, or getting
their noses scorched instead of catch-
ing the fruit.
Another custom is to place num-
Der Of apples IN tub of clean water,
and let the little folks bob" for
them and catch them in their teeth,
and great fun is often experienced By
the failures of attempts to secure the
fruit from both fire and water.
Among other means of ascertain
ing who will be the future partner in
life. are tossing an apple pairing taken
from the apple without breaking.
The pari ng is to be swung around the
head three times and then thrown to
the floor. when it is supposed to form
the initial letter OF the coming
man" or woman's name, and it is sur
prising how skillful young people be.
come in detecting a resemblance be-
tween the shapeless pairing and some
letter. Another custom is to fill the
mouth with water, and walk a certain
distance abroad, when if the walker
hears any name pronounced three
times before emptying the mouth
that name is the name of his or her
8 prospective"
Going into the woods at night and
picking up stick in the dark. is re
sorted to as a means of learning
whether one will have a cross wife or
husband, a straight stick indicating
pleasant partner aud crooked one
the contrary.
Other practices are resorted to on
Hallow Eve night. some Of them like
the foregoing, light aud harmless,
and others of darkly superstitious
and fearful character. but the latter
are now but seldom resorted TO except
in the more remote corners of those
countries whence superstition has not
yet.been driven, and where the man
ners. Intelligence and religion of the
Inhabitants have undergone no change
for many generations.