Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-11-01
HE CHARMS of HALLOWEEN.
Some of The Superstitions of the
Eve of All Saints.

Some of the SuperstitionS OF the
Eve of All Saints.
The pranaish little elf that is supposed
to help unrayel SO many mysteries on
Hallow Eve must have had busy time OF
it last night. 1t is not hard 10 guess WI At
a sly peep behind close draws curtains
just at midnight, when the whole popula-
ton of EIhand is supposed to be abroad
and the very air is Oewitched, would have
revealed. Fair f0rms in dainty white at
tire stood before many mirror and
awaited patiently for the image OF man
to reveal itself. Dozens of foolish things
we're done in the half hope
that mans face or something that
looked like one would appear,
without a thought OF such thing
actually happening. The school girl that
does not have something to telp' her
chum this morning will be a curiosity,
and that something will be sure TO be
what she did and saw on Halow Eve.
The vigil of Haliowmas and the quaint
customs connected win 10 are very an-
Gent. 1t Is difficult now even to discover
the origin Of the ideas associated with
HallOw Eve, but for centuries the bell (
prevailed that upon the last night OF Oc-
tober the whole Of Eifdom was free
10 roam about at will until warned
back to it's mysterious realms
by the cocks shrill clarion"
heralding the dawn OF al especially
molly day. Very naturally those who
credited these supernatural beings with
superior powers took advantage of time
when they were most accessible, 10 con-
suit them regarding future events and to
prODitiate their favor in behalf of what
ever desire lay nearest their hearts. The
coyetous sought TO learn from them some
means of increasing their wealth; the
ambitious now to attain the object of
their aspirations, while TO the Uimid
swain 1t afforded an easy opportunity OF
discovering tue sentiments of his lady
love without the embarrassment Of a
formal proposal.
Perhaps owing to the proverbial fool
lshness of lovers they were the last to re"
nounce faith in these superstltions, aud
so, In the time of Burns, the Scottish lads
and iasses used 10 assemble upon that
night TO test their fate in various ways,
one OF the most popular being tue burning
of nuts, named after the various couples,
upon the hearth, and the manner in which
the tilberts behaved while burning was
supposed to fOreshadOw the course of
their love affairs. In one of the Baroness
TautphCeus' charming stories the heroine
resorts to another test then in great favor
among the girls OF the period, that OF
looking into a mirror at the exact
moment of midnight while rectiDg some
form OF Incarnation warranted to produce
an image OF her future husband in the
glass, and was frightened malt out OF her
wits when face really appeared looking
at her over the shoulder of her own
image in the mirror. The baking OF
dumb cakes" eating salt herring, or
as much salt as could be contained in
halt the white OF hard boiled egg from
which the yelk had been removed, and
sc re OF other plans Of testing fortune or
eVOking wonderful dreams were once
practlced at Hallow Eve, but are now
well nigh forgotten.
In Scotland the child born on Halloween
was supposed to be marked by eccen-
tricity of character, and to be endowed
with an unusual insight into things mvs-
FERROUS and hidden. The best Informed
authorities trace the customs OF HallOw
Eve u a pagan origin. The most essen
tIal part OF the ancient ritual seemed to
have been the lighting by each household
of a bonfire at nighttall, which is traced
TO a very remote and widespread practice
OF lighting sacred fires at certain seasons.
The German nations had their o Sterfeuer
and Johannfeuer, the Celts their Bealteine
or Samhteine, the former on the eve OF May
] and the latter on the eve OF Nov. l.. 1t
was supposed that on those two DAYS the
fairies were unusually active and pro-
piuOus.
however this may be, the occasion has
become associated with the Christian
Feast Of All Saints, or, as it is often termed.
"Hallowmas," at which time the church
hOnors the memory OF her departed saints.
This feast will be observed today in the
Catholic and Episcopal Churches.