Evening journal., 1890-10-31
TONIGHT is HALLOWEEN.
CUSTOMS CONNECTED WITH THIS
MISCHIEF MAKING FESTIVAL.

the night of mirth fun and frolic. and
scarce any species Of mischief is too ex-
travaeant TO be INDUCED in. To their
elder sisters, budding into womanhood,
IL is a night of mystery and divinatian,
when. by many sorts OF spells and charms
the future husband is to be discovered.
II is many centuries since the Catholic
Church set aside November / as the day
on which all the saints were to be
honored. and called 1t, All Saints Day.
II is still kept as a holiday by the Cstho-
lie, Episcopal, and Lutheran churches.
The vigil of the feast was called All
Hallow Eve, since corrupted In Hal
lowe'en.
But long before this event, October 81
has been looked upon as invested with
mystic character, q day on which
witches, spirits, ghosts, devils and
| fairies are allowed to roam about and on
which even Old Nick himself may be
consulted with impunity. Tradition says
that the day was celebrated as festival
OF the AZ cient Druids. hence 1t may be
safely assumed that all the singular Gus
toms connected with this eve are the
relics Of Pagan times. In this respect,
1t is surprising to find how near we are
TO Paganism. All the old rustic poets
have many fairy stories connected with
this festival, TO tell Robert Burns says
it was the night
"W hen fairies lieht
| On Cnssilus Downan's dance,
Or 0wre the lays in splendid blaze,
| On sprightly cousiers prance."
In Ireland, where fairies formerly
reigned supreme, the eve was looked
upon as the anniversary Of fairy cee-
bration, and little ones dared not venture
outside of doors lest the "Pokah. which
is one of the most mischievons of fairies,
would carry them of TO the fairisf' camp.
Moore Lover, Griffin and katherine
lyman have celebrated in verse many Of
the actions attributed to the "Pokah"
and "Leprauchaun" on Halloween night.
But Bobert Burns in his poem Hal
lowe'en" gives the most graphic de-
scription of more than dozen spells and
charms c.nnected with this eve, and
PECULIAR to the Scotch peasantry Per
haps the most common practice was that
of wrapping a sheet around the head and
blind folding the person, who was then
led to cabbage garden. The first plant
touched was to be plucked It's being big
little, straight or crooked, was indicative
of tie size and shape of the future hus-
band or wife. Cabbage gardens are still
l tnAtithf NV WIN bAp Nlco IAbotQs hnu
the plants are pulled, not as prophetic of
the future companion, but that the old
man who owns Re garden nay be hngert1 4
and annoyed.
Another custom was that formerly
praeticed by girls TO ascertain the name
and surname of the future husband "a
clue OF blue yarn was thrown into lime
kiln and rolled-up three times by the
=
the winding. Upon the third winding OF
the clue on the Tightening of the thread.
the maiden would ask who holds2' and
the name and surname Of her future
partner would be spoken from the kiln
The difficulty Of finding lime-kiln will
render the feat impracticable to thS
majority of our readers
Roasting chestnuts has been another
custom. Two chestnuts were placed oil
a fiat iron and put In the fire II the,
2 burned without moving, the parties Ii
e whose name they have been put, woul'
L marry and live happily together: but
g one hoped away they we're not destinei
: for each other and might give over court
s ing at once. Apples, the sallow tree
. walnuts, water, grains Of corn, rushe
. and thread, all play an important part II
7 the spells and charms connected will
Halloween.
Another means Of getting a view o.
p the future husband or wife, is on going
= to bed ITO leave a glass of water in whicl
= Is q small piece of wood on a table by
z your bedside In the night you will
{ dleam Of falling over a bridge and you
Q husband or wife will come and rescue
i you. No one believes in these old ira
-, ditions now, yet It would be interestin,
9 TO know how many girls win go to bet
to- night with glass of water in whicl
& is piece of wood, by their bedside
|. Thomas Gray, the English poet thus al.
9 ludes to this custom:
"I.ast Halloween longed my love to see,
q Aud tried spell to call her up TO me,
4 With wood and water standing by yside
1 / dreamed dream and saw my own swee
BRIDE"
Kidding oats, sweeping the streets
: cutting sods. and many other practices
. were INDUCED in by those making mat
: rimonial speculations.
Other methods to ascertain II sweet
heart will be true are also adopted Of
!, this night, and to any girl who fear
y her lover may be plighted TO another,
recommend this plan on the words o
Thomas Gray: "Pluck at midnight Of
= Halloween two monthly roses wit
, long stems, name one for yourself, th
~ other for your lover. Go then directly I
Y your sleeping room without speaking I
I anyone, kneel beside your bed and twin
the stems Of the roses together, an
y while gazing intently on the rose name
for your lover, repeat the followin
lines
Twine, twine and intertwine.
Let my love be wholly mine
. IL his neart be kind and true,
~ Deeper grows his roses hue.
Should tae lover be faithful, the color
the rose representing him win becon
y more intense
y Another charm associated with Hal
!. lowe'en has been peculiar to England
= II is "That IL a man or woman goes
10 midnight on Halloween to a walnut tre
~ and walks around It three times saying
u ! Let him (or herr that is to be my trI
y, love bring me some'walnuts.' the futui
q, partner will be seen gathering the fruit
"a This is how Gray refers to It,
A. Last Halloween sought a walnut tree,
In hopes my true loves face that might sc
Three times called, three times walk
apace,
h. Then in the tree saw my true loves face"
n In the quaint old book Folk Lore
IT, many traditions Of the way in whi,
of fairies aud spirits are allowed 70 roa
ais about that night is told. In Ireland {
lal Halloween, the mere mention Of d
ghost or fairy was sufficient to scare Il
ed most mischievous child into tremblil
rs submissiveness, and the small boy won
C, not venture beyond the threshold le
he the "LeprauchRu" should carry him