Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-11-10


Burns poem of " Halloween" will probably
preserve throughout the w1-li the Ola trsii,ions
e unectel with this them, fr sres after the
r-sctices it celebrates have iiei cu IN Scotland.
ie, tte Ola observation q t1e festival having
iis roots in socisl eri ymeu' snl iu superstition,
HCssetEe- peIhsps mote vitality than ne would
care 90 couiess lt was e season set apart for
ihe genial gathering together Of the people 0f
one ne Ehh1llO0l. IN the ur-t place Cui1ymeut
wss go te secu.ei aut it was pursued 10 all
s1r,. cf games. the more b'ts.eso1s the better
The cisss Of people. who were mos, devoted TO
the Celebration, being neither rich nor refined
their resources llr smu.e1eat werc simple AMI
isr from costly. TIE luxurIe- Of Hsll0E Eve
have from time immemo.4l besa nuts aud AZ
q'es The latter were uot carcessly bestowed
They were t1 BE sought sui Won by individual
holiuess auI dgXteri'y under tiiiculous hazards
70 the great de- eht of the COMPANY Numbers
OF hue, lsrse re1-chcekei apples were set float
ing for instance in = sub Of cold wSter. and the
most adventurous yogng people present kuelt on
the rim and holding their ure-srious position by
the sd Of their Esuis 1a each side, iucsei after
the tempting fruit. swapping vigorously to f4s.-
en- their teeth 10 them. II i- easy 90 inseire the
result Of such business as ,his Truly such
psstime ou the last night ia October would re-
qui-e harlcr race Qt people than ourselves TO
enj1y 30. Another ftyo-I-e device was 20 set an
apple Jl one eni oi % stick sul li.ltei camille
GA the othar, aul then suspeul the instrument
frlm string, bs.sucing IL in the miiile The
stick could then he set rslidly vhiriiug sud if
there Was any very hungry man OF Jly present
be might step forward sud catch what be could
in bis mouth->ometimes 'hr apple, but more
commonly the candle. fl- must have been
nice plsy for the mau that kept the machinery
IN motion ami t,7 the lockers on These ia
stsnces viii serve 10 illustrate the pcrverse in
geuuity speu- upon the smusemcuts oi Holland
tide
Doubtless some Of the many tests TO he tried
on llSiiuH eve, slch s. polling cabbage stalks
we're gro'esque methods Of Eecping up fun
among young people on su ever agreeable sub
ject but many Of the iuctutstiens employed to
produce the sppzriEoa Of future spouse, were
entered upon with fear ami trembling People
usei TO have a more acute sense Of the reslity
suI personality Of the devil than they have
now. The charms prscticei sre well known and
need only be alluded o.. To know tie nsme Of
ones wife or husband it wss only necessary to
take bali Of yarn, proceei TO a kiln and throw
in the ball, retaining ore end of the thres1.
Wind mp The yarn until it was held. and then
ask " no holis7'' An Irish echo would re
turn the sll important name Eating an apple
before = lloking-glsss snd holding a candle in
your hand meanwhile was Ssaii TO he a sure
method Of bringing your future husband or
what is sometimes the same thing, the devil, to
look over your shoulder. 4 very ghostly per-
f1rmsnce WAS to 60 into barn, after previously
taking both doors of the hinges, and winnow
imaginary grain three times; the speeter Of your
future spouse, with his or her appropriate re-
time Of attendants would then come in at the
windy doorway and walk through. Any lady
wishing 10 settle 10 her own satisfaction the
question as to whom she shall marry, may to-day
take handful Of hemp seei, steal out unper-
ceivei and scatter it saying 8" Hemp seed |
SOW thee; he that is to be my true love come
after me and pull thee" Look over your left
shoulder and you will see the man Of men there
in the sttiiuae Of pulling hemp If be isn't he
deserves to wear hemp for a handkerchief Ls-
dies, by rising that night in a costumemOre inter
esting than elaborate and pouring melted lead
through key into cold water, may zee what
manner Of men they are going to wed, if they
can't find out in any other way. Any young
woman desirous to see the counterfeit present
ment Of the man who in the future is to pay her
dry goods bills, should proceed, ike the widow
described by Burns, to a spring or brook where I
three lords lands or towns lands meet, and dip /
into the water the left sleeve of thst article Of
apparel corresponding to the Roman lady's tuHi- /
ca interior, the same part Of her dress to which |
Othelo hkens Dssdemona's complexion when /
contemplating her after her death, a garment .
which only very shifIless woman would go .
without. After getting home, hang the afore-
said garment on chair before the fire and re-
tire. Towards midnight the appsrition of the
coming man will, ss in duty bound, step forth
and turn the sleeve The test by selecting blind
fold from three plates containing earth, ring
and water, to see whether the grave, marriage
or voyage over the sea is to be your fate with
in the year, was also common.
In conclusion it may be said that although We
cannot explain with any degree Of clearness the
origin of the peculiar customs OF HalloW Eve,
yet the name Of the night snd the cause Of its
observance are well known Ii il the eve ofths
first of November, the vigil of the Catholic fer
tivsl of All SAINTS, a holy day very sOlemnly OBJ
served By that church She has set apart dur
ing the year memorial day for each of the
great leaders and heroes of the church militant
such SIS Peter, Paul and Francis. The single
anniversary Of All Saints Day is set aside in ]