Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-22
YULE-TIDE CUSTOMS
Curious SuperstitiOns Connected With
The Savior's Birthday.
SEEKING OMEES OF GOOD Oh ILL
How Single Maidens Determine Their Matri-
monial Fate.
The LUCK OF A CHRISTMAS BIRTHDAY
rwBTTEN FOR THE D1sPArcH.l ]

WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPATCH.1
| During the Christmas holidays, includ
ing the period from Christmas to January
6 Twelfth day), more than at any othel
time of the year, the civilized world is de
voted to pleasure and enjoyment. Many o.
the old customs so dear to our forefathers
are disappearing, the yule log is replaced BY
natural gas, the Christmas carol gives way
to the oratorio, and the time-honored Gus.
tom of bestowing presents is often limited to
gifts to the children and servants. Super
stitious observances during this period,
however, hold their sway still over
the minds Of many. There is no
time Gore propitious for deter
mining, by some hocus-pocus, the sue
cess of enterprises during the coming year,
the welfare of the observer in life, or for
prognosticating the weather, the crops, etc.
Ceremonies for this purpose are observed by
the superstitious all over Europe and
America, and some of them are interesting
and curious. The wishbone of the Christ
mas fowl is broken with greater confidence
than that of any less distinguished bird.
Country girls still put it over the door, be-
lieving that the first man who enters, or one
of similar name, will be the future lord of
their household. In Germany, the first
piece of yarn spun by the spinster Oh that
day, stretched above the door replaces the
Wishbone.
Girls have many ways Of dlvining their
fate in marriage upon this day, or during
the II following ones. In some instances,
these ceremonies for this purpose are very
peculiar In one part of Germany young
maidens go after dark on Christmas Eve to
the sheepfold and clutch blindly among the
flock. If they are so lucky as to grasp a
rams fleece they think they will have a
husband the coming year. In another part
they sit up from IL to IL the same night and
listen to the boiling water in the ''copp.rs. :"
If it makes a rumbling noise the future
spouse will be a blacksmith, and other
sounds guide the knowing as to the
calling of the expected husband.
II the crack of whip is heard,
pipe, a shepherd. Others rush out of doors
and call on the recreant swain, while many
go to the crossroads and call out the names
Of several, confident that the proper. one
will respond. Danish girls do not take so
much trouble. for they only find it neces-
sary to go to q well at IL o'clock and peer
into it with light in hand. II mans
shadow appears at the bottom, the lucky
maiden will be wife before the year is out.
In Saxony unmarried women assemble on
Christmas eve and pour melted lead into
water. This will, it is claimed, assume the
shape of the tools used by the future spouse.
UNPLEAsANTLY PROPHETIC.
Some think that they have only to grope
backward out o the open door, when they
will grasp in the hand bunch of hair like
that of the unlucky man destined to be bald
If the habit is continued after marriage.
Others knock at the door of the henhouse at
IL o'clock. If the rooster cackles she will
surely get husband; if the hen, she will re-
main single that year at any rate. She may
divine whether he will be a well-made man
by going to the wood pile the same night
and drawing out at random a stick of wood.
II it is crooked she will marry cripple; if
straight, proper man." In other German
countries, the methods Of divination used
at Halloween in our own land are per-
formed at Christmas. Two empty nut shells
having in each a tiny wax taper to repre-
sent the maid and her sweetheart are set
afoat in tub of water. If they go out or
sink together the owner is good, but that
lover has no chance if one is extinguished
or sinks before the other.
Bread is also used. Three farthlngs worth
of white bread is divided into three parts,
one cut off in each of three streets, and in
the last street the sweetheart will appear.
Onions are made use of in test which
takes longer time than any of these. Four
of these sueculent vegetables are placed,
one in each corner of the room. and each
named after sweetheart. They are allowed
to lie there until the twelfth day, and then
examined to see if they have sprouted. If
one has terminated. the swain for whom it
was named will be the future husband, and
the wedding will take place that year.
Next to this important affair of marriage,
German maids of all work are concerned in
knowing whether they will keep their place
or not To ascertain this, it is only neces-
sary to turn the back to the open door on
Christmas Eve, and fling the shoe toward it
over the head. If the toe points is from the
door, the place will be open for the servant
during the year, but short stay awaits her
whose shoe points out. More vital qaestions
than these are also asked at this period of
the year. On Christmas Eve, if you leave
a little heap of salt on the table, you will be
able to divine whether you will live the
year out or not. If the salt evaporates be-
fore morning it is bad sign, but if it is
still there, you will flourish the coming
year.
In Denmark, it is said that if you grasp
a handful of mould from the ruins and find
anything living in it you will not die that
year.
An old fourteenth century author says
the length of lie was then foretold by going
ON Christmas Day to the woodpile and
drawing out stick of wood. The longer it
was the longer you would live.
oMENS IN FIRE AND WATER.
It was thought important to keep the
lights and fires going on Christmas Eve in
many countries. In Germany, if you let
the lights go out, some one in the house will
die that year. It was aso said that if
hoop came off a cask on Christmas it was
token of the same import. Not only
is the fire carefully preserved in France,
but there are also certain ways
only of building it. A huge
bush called christmas branch" is placed in
the fireplace, and sticks OF wood are put in
of great length. and allowed to burn at one
end. In Germany, piece of the yule log
is preserved until the next year, when it is
nsed in kindling the fire afresh. II glow
ing embers are found on the hearth on
Christmas morning, you will want for moth
ing that year. ''Some, says an old author,
stake vessel full of water, and dip it out
with a small spoon into another vessel.
They do this several times, and if they find
more water than at first, they reckon it an
omen of good during the coming year; but
if less, fortunes will decrease"
A curious Danish belief is that BY peeping