The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-11-18
HALLOiEMAS EVE,
The Celebration of Halloween Instituted
by the Ancient D-uids.

The Celebration of Halloween Instituted
by the Ancient D-uids.
Old sUperstitions die hard, and it will
certainly be long before the festival OF
Halloween becomes as much a thing OF
the past as has pracEically become the
Guy Fawkes celebration on the 9TH Of
November. Long before the Christian
faith made way among the untutored
people of ancient Britain, the DrIids
had performed special rites on what is
now known as Hallowmas Eve; fires
were lit deep in remote forests, upon
outlying spurs of hills, even upon the
great plains that stretched between
dense forests and partially cleared
woodlands; mystic rites were per-
formed, the help of the true God was
implored, the Vaccinations of evil
powers were protested against. The
earliest records bear witness to uni
VerSal belief that on this night the
powers of darkness muster in great
force, that all supernatural beings hold
revel within the sphere of humanity,
and that therefore it behooved all per-
sons to be careful on this night of all
nights, for any sin committed rendered
the peTpetrator liable to be brought
under the influence of some evil spirit
throughout the whole year thereafter.
To this day any child born in Scotland
on the eve of the 3lst of October is sup
posed to be in possession OF certain
mysterious faculties, to hold-if not
consciously, at least Unconsciously y in
the midnight hours when the senses
are obScured by sleep-communiOn
with the supernatural world, and to be
at all times q person whose actions,
however eccentric, TAust be re-
garle charitably. Those who have
read Sir Walter ScOtt's Monastery
will remember that he has made use
of this circumstance has space. "She's
as flytie as a Halloween wean" is a
phrase that may even yet be occasion
ally heard north of the Tweed, and in
most of the popular accounts of wiz
ards and uncanny folk the date of their
births is generally set down as on the
last day of October. When, later on,
All-hallOw Eve became Christian ob b.
servance. the old customs pertinent to
its celebration did not pass into disuse;
on the contrary, they became more and
deeply established. every here and there
accommodating some new superstition,
or anncXing some old belief that had
long fingered without direct assOciat on
with any special day, season or local
ity. Boniires are still lit on Hallow-
mas Eve, though perhaps only one or
two here and there among the men,
bers of the innumera5le village COM
munities who thus celebrate the great
event know that the practice is a rem
nant of paganism; indeed, it IS sur
priSing. in the use OF this as of many
other popular customs, TO find how
few know any thing whatever of the
significance of their celebrations. I'VE
do as our fathers did before u.s. is
sufficient to account for every thing.
In Protestant countries the vigil Of All
souls is no longer religious ObserV-
ance, or, at any rate, is not so in Scot
land, England or Germany. 1t may be
said that Halloween, as we understand
it, is only celebrated by the TeutOnic |
and Celtic races; with the LatinS it is
merely a religious vigil. round its OBJ
servance clinging few if any of those
wild legends or superstitiOns that are SO |
plentiful in Scandinavia, Scotland and |
Ireland. The nearest approach to the |
Northern solemnity, and even weird |
ness, is the Venetian note dele D1Orti,
or night of all the dead; but the relig-
ious ceremonies attendant thereon
take place not on the 3ist of October, but |
on the eve of All-souls Day, that is. the |
dav following. 1t is in Scotland and Ire
land that Halloween is kept in its en-
tiretv; in the former, curiou5ly enough, |
more in the east, mid-country. and
LowlandS than in the remOter High
land districts; in other words more
the Scots proper than among
the pure Ceits. The best chronicle of
IiallowmaS Eve that exists is the well
known poem of Burns, containing rs it
does some record of the most generally
pracJ.ced customs in connection with
this really ancient vigil, but, consider
ing the popularity of the subject, there
Is a wonderfully limited Halloween"
literature. The succeeding threefold
chronicle may possibly, then, contain
to many readers. II may be that the
timeis not far distant when All-hallows
Eve will lose its hold upon rural as
as it has upon urban popu-
lations. when bonhres will he lit only
by few Youngsters, when apples will
cease to be ducIed for, and when nuts
will no longer be set ablaze amid the
red-hot Goals; but the writer, for one, /
believes that such 4 time Is not vet ut
hand, and diSbeliaVeS that Halloween |
will disappear altogether as festival.
1t Is not oaly that there would be a
revolution in the child-world if such
sacrile9ious diSuSe were to become the
fashion. but that there are too many
older children interested in the famous
eve to allow its celebration to drop al
yet awhile. At sea, in Canada,
the States. Australia, even in India,
wherever true Scottish or irish family
is located. there is sure to be one voice
raised in favor of the genial old Gus
tom. Its SupcrStitious observances
mHSt undoubtedly pass awav-have.
indeed, to a great extent already be-
come obSolete--but the good-feEow-
ship. the laughter. the nut-roastinr,
the apple-ducking. the candle-Singeing
ought long TO be specially associated
with the SlSt Of October. IFm. Sharp.
.H HdrBCr'S i0qd:jR