The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1882-12-13
Halloween.

OF men by dreams and other ways; the
ancient Greeks also had famous or
q acles, which people came from fav-off
lands TO consult; the Romans killed
icertain fowls OF animals, and guessed
at the future by the looks Of their in
ternal organs; the Hebrews and the
Babylonians had their own peculiar
ways of finding out what was to hap
pen. The world has not yet outgrown
the longing to look ahead. The Hin
doc to-day sets a lamp afoat on his
sacred river, and judges of the future
by the length Of time it burns; the
Chinaman 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
spiritualists even now believe the pre-
dictions 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. It is curious enough
that the night selected is the eve of
the festival of All Saints, which was
established in the seventh century by
a 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 Hallow-even or Halloween,
4
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 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 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 a 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
full attempts to peer into the future by
means of charms. One way of trying
fortune was to throw a ball of blue
yarn out of a window and wind it into
Il bali 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 kale-stalks." A young person went
blindfolded into the garden, pulled up
the first kale or cabbage stalk he
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 guam
tity of earth at the roots showed the
amount of his or her fortune; the
taste Of the pith told what the temper
would be; and when the stalk
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 a "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 a sea-god called
Shong, throwing a cup of ale into the
sea, and calling on him to give them
plenty of sea-weed to enrich their
grounds.
In another Scotch trial a girl would
go into barn, holding a winnowing
sieve and stand alone, with both doors
open, to see her fate.
The fashion of trying charms is now
nearly outgrown among English-speak-
ing people. 1t survives in America as
a pleasant frolic for a social gathering.
In our own day young people ''sow
hempseed," "eat apples before the
glass, Ego down the cellar stairs back
ward" holding candle and mirror.
They also pop chestnuts," "launch
walnut Shells holding tapers, and try
the "three saucer test of the future.
In some of our cities the boys on
Halloween collect old tea-kettles, boots,
large stones, etc, and deposit them in
'lean vestibules, ringing the door bell
and running away.
William Bassett of Camden, N. j.,