The Democratic advocate., 1879-11-01
VOL. XIV.-NO. 80.
@ar @lio,


witches Night
From the earliest times men have been
trying to look ahead The ancient Egyp-
tians had oracles where their gods we're
supposed to answer the questions Of men
by dreams and other Ways the ancient
Greeks also had fspous oracles, which pco-
pie came from far-of lands to consult; the
Romans killed certain fowls or animals,
and guessed at the future by the looks pf
their internal orgaas; the Hebrews Snd
the Babylonians had tk:r own peculiar
ways Of finding out what was to happen.
The world has not yet outgrown the long
ing to look ahead The Hindu to-day sets
lamp aAoat on his sacred river, and
judges Of the future by the length Of time
it burns the Chinaman consuIts his awise
men" who pretend to understand signs;
the ignorant African takes notice Of the
cries Of birds and animals; the English
not long ago-tsied TO learn by help Of
what they call witches" and Spiritual
lists, even now, believe tho predictions Of a
medium
No serious attempt to look into tho
future has been made for long time by
intelligent people, and the old customs have
become frolicsome trying of "charms,
especially on one night of the year. II is
curious enough that the night selected is
the eve of the festival of All Saints, which
was established in the seventh century by
pope Of Rome, 10 honor Of oil the saints
! who had no particular day assigned to
them. The Romans brought this festival
to England there it became All Hallows,
and the evening before it, Hallow even or
Halloween, and that was the night sacred
to charms and games. In the Seventeenth
century, England gave up the night TO
feasting aud frolicking. Nuts aud apples
were plenty from one end Of the island
. to the other, and "Nut-crack Night" was
the name given to it.
% In England, the revels were for fun, such
= as diving for apples floating in tub Of
water, and, Of course, getting very wet; or
/, trying TO snatch ia the teeth an apple on
y one end Of stick, which had lighted
= i candle at the other end, and, being hung
= by string, could be spun around very
" fast so that the players often seized the
!. candle instead OF the fruit, or playful
~ fortune-tclling by naming nuts, roasting
them before the fire, and watching their
De conduct when heated, whether they
~ burned steadily, or bounced away, or
), burst with noise, each movement Of the
, charmed nut being of great importance.
a One nut test was tried by grinding and
W mixing together walnut, hasel-nut, and
nutmeg, making into pills, with butter and
lg sugar, and swallowing them on going to
haA f..l a
(which was not surprising)
= In superstitious Scotland, the night wa,
- given entirely to serious and sometimes
vi frightful attempts to peer into the future
:. by means Of charms. One way Of tryin.
II fortune was to throw ball Of blue yarI
~ A. out of a window, and wind it into bal
'A- again from the other end. Near tho las
something would hold it fast, when tn
" winder must ask .-"Who holds?" Tn
az answer would name one who was to hav
sSs Importance in the qucstioners future.
an Another Scotch custom was s'puIlin
kale stalks" A young person went blind
!, folded into the garden, pulled up the fir
T. kale or cabbage stalk he touched, and cal
r'y ried it into the house The whole futur
was read from that stalk the size indical
!, vas ed the stature of the future partner il
nc life; the quantity Of earth at the root
oe- showed the amount Of his, or her, forum,
+" the taste of the pith told what tho tempe
would be; and when the stalk was place,
'ou over the door, the first name Of the perso
entering was the fated name.
y The island Of Lewes, on the coast Z
=" Scotland, had some curious custom.
Young women made "dumb cake" an
ny baked it before the fire with certain cerc
Lhe monies and in perfect silence, expecting /
:, see wonders and the people also sacrifice
''u to sea-god called Shong, throwing GU
Of ale into the sea, and calling on him b
VI give them plenty Of sea-weed to enric
their grounds.
'or In another Scotch trial, girl would q
into barn, holding winnowing sieve
~ and stand alone, with both doors open, I
~ see her fate,
n'' The fashion of trying charms is NOS
L. nearly out-grown among English-speakin
hs people. IL survives in America as a pleas
'"- ant frolie for social gathering. In ou
a own day, young people asow hemp-seed,
III III seat apples before the glass, Ego down tb
~ ~ cellar stairs backward, holding a candI
:, - and mirror. They also ''pop chestnnts,
'O' 'launch walnut-shells' holding tapers, an
try the ''three-saucer" test Of the future
In some Of our cities, the boys on Hal
ely loween collect old tea-kettles, boots, larg
I'M stones, etc, and deposit them ia clea
ny vestibules, ringing the door-bell and rut
ming away.
'er Thus the 3lst Of 0ctober--sei apart b
:, a pope as religious festival--became, i
me superstitious times, "The Witches Night;
Iuh crossed the ocean as a season for frolicl
!, and ends with street-boys jokes
aid Nicholas for October.