The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-11-16
Halloween.

rom Une earliest times men have
been trying to look ahead. The ancient
Egyptians had oracles where their GODS
were supposed to answer the ouestione
OF men by dreams and other Ways. the
ancient Greeks also had famous or
acles, which people came from far-off
lands to consult; the Romans killed
certain fowls or animals, and guessed
at the future by the looks of their in
ternd organs; the Hebrews and the
Babylonians had their own peculiar
ways OF finding out what was to han
pen. The world has not yet outgrown
the longing to look ahead. The Hin
doc to-day sets lamp afloat on his
sacred river, and judges of the future
by the length of time it burns. tbe
Chlnaman consults his "wise men,"
who pretend to understand signs: the
Ignorant African takes notice of the
cries OF birds and animals; the English
not long ago-tried to learn by help
OF what they call "witches:" and
splrltnalists even now believe the pre-
dlctions of medium"
No serious attempt to look into the
future has been made for a long time
by intelligent people, and the old
customs have become frolicsome try
ing OF "charms," especially on one
night of the year. 1t 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, in honor of all the
saints who had no particular day
assigned to them. The Romans brought
this festival to England there it be-
came All Hallows, and the evening
before it Halloween or Halloween,
and the seventeenth century England
gave up the night to feasting and
frolicking. Nuts and 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 a
tub of water, and of course getting
very wet or trying to snatch in the
teeth an apple off one end of a stick,
which had lighted 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 a playful fortune-tell-
ing by naming nuts, roasting them be-
fore the fire, and watching their con-
duct when heated-whether they
burned steadily or bounced away, or
burst with noise, each movement of
the charmed nut being of great impor-
tance.
One nut test was tried by grinding
and mixing together a walnut, hazel
nut and nutmeg, making into pills,
with butter and sugar, and swallowing
them on going to bed. Wonderful
dreams would follow (Which was not
surprisingly.
In Scotland the night was given en-
tirely to serious and sometimes fright
ful attempts to peer into the future by
means Of charms. One way of trying
fortune was TO throw ball of blue
yarn out of Il window and wind it into
a bail again from the other end. Near
the last something would hold it fast,
when the Winder must ask: "Who
holds?' The answer would name one
who was to have Importance in the
questioner's future.
Another Scotch custom was "pull.
ing lsale-stallls." Ayoung person went
blindfolded into the garden, pulled W
the first kalc or cabbage stalk ht
touched and carried it into the house
The whole future was read from that
stalk; the size indicated the stature OF
the future partner in life; the quan.
tity Of earth at the roots showed thc
amount of his or her fortune; the
taste Of the pith told what the temper
would be; and when the Stalh
was placed over the door, the first
name of the person entering was the
fated name.
The island of Lewes, on the coast Of
Scotland, had some curious customs
Young women made q "dumb cake
and baked it before the fire with Ger
tain ceremonies and in perfect silence
expecting to see wonders; and the peo
pie also sacrificed to sea-god calleC
Shong, throwing cup of ale into th'
sea, and calling on him to give then
plenty of sea-weed to enrich thei
grounds.
In another Scotch trial a girl woulC
go into Il barn, holding winnowin!
sieve and stand alone, with both door
open, to see her fate.
The fashion of trying charms is nov
nearly outgrown among English-speak
ing people. 1t survives in America a
pleasant frolic for a social gathering
In our own day young people "sov
hempseed," "eat apples before tn
glass" "go down the cellar stairs back
ward" holding candle and mirror
They also 'pop chestnuts," "launcl
walnut shells" holding tapers, and IT,
the "three saucer" test of the future.
In some Of our cities the boys o.
Halloween collect old tea-kettles, boots
large stones, etc, and deposit them il
clean vestibules, ringing the door be
and running away.