The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-11-01
II. GUTMAN Il CO.'S.

ALL HALLows EvE.-Last night was
All Hallow's Eve, or Halloween, and
the Juvenile portion Of the community
improved it by bombarding windows
and doors with corn and shot and COM
hitting other pranks peculiar to the
occasion:
Halloween is the night when witches
are supposed to walk abroad and super
natural influences prevail in the visible
and invisible world. In the United
Kingdom, particularly in Scotland and
Ireland, it is great day, and a few old
Irish and Scotch Irish people of this
city, who spent their early days there
will remember with pleasure the inter.
eat with which they looked for its an
nusl recurrence. Some have been dis.
posed to connect Halloween with the
observance OF All Saints Day, which
follows; but according to the best au-
thorities it is relic OF pagan times.
In the United Kingdom it 10 celebra'
ted in . quaint manner by the common
people, and the customs there have to
some extent been brought to this coun-
try, although it is not now celebrated to
90 great an extent as formerly. In the
Old Country nuts and apples were
everywhere in great demand, and many
strange superstitions concerning the OBJ
servance of Halloween prevails among
all. Burns, in celebrated poem, has
done much to immortslize the Eve:
The auld guild wife's well boarded nits
Are round and round divided;
And mony lads and laSses' fateS
Are there that night decided.
According 10 Brand, the young women
who wish to know whether their lovers
are faithful put three nuts upon the
bars OF the CRATES, naming the nuts
after their lovers. If nut cracks OF
jumps the lover will prove unfsithful
if it begins to blaze or burn he has q
regard Tor her. II the two named after
the girl and her lover burn together
they will be married. With apples the
custom is to set them ahoat in tub o.
water, into which tie Juveniles by turns
duck their heads, with the view Of
catching them, and the bobbing Of ur.
cbins' heads in pursuit of the apples
occasions great merriment to the
youngsters. Another ceremony much
practiced is to place three dishes filled
with clean and foul water and one
empty on the hearth, when the parties
blind folded, advance in succession and
dip their fingers into one. II they dip
into the clean water they are to marry
q maiden; if into the foul water q
widow; ifinto the empty dish the party
80 dipping is destined to be either a
bachelor or an old maid.
Other customs of still more super
stitious character are common, one OIL
them of eating an apple in front Of a
looking glass with view OF discovering
the inquirer's future companion peepiDg
over the shoulder; another is the Gus
tom to wet shirt sleeve. hang it up &c
the fire to dry and lie in bed watching
until midnight. when the appariton o.
the individuals future partner for life
will come in and turn the sleeve. In
cities Halloween lie generally thoroughly
observed BY the juveniles in the matter
Of ringing door bells and humping or
doors of houses not possessing these ap
pendages, and many are annually sur
prised al the number OF callers until the
explanation comes, "Oh! its only Hal,
loween.' One custom common in this
country is for young lady to throw g
ball OF Irvine out the window and com.
mense winding it up from the inside
The first young man who picks up the
outside ball is to be her future lover.