Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-31
HALLOWEEN At HOME.
One Custom That Promises Never to
Become Utterly Obsolete.
NEXT HOLIDAY TO CHRISTMAS.
Innocent Features of the Day as 1t Is Gel
ebrated Abroad
A NIGHT OF NlRTH AND MERRYMAKING
CORRESPONDENCE OF rHE DrspArcH.I

who feel and say this are themselves merely
growing away from them, and in a manner
passing, through age and shifting condition,
out of their own former environment Some
Of the more ancient customs are surely be-
coming obsolete, and with no loss to human
kind. But there will ever remain to the
Christian world few of the sweet old days
of mirth and merrymaking which no change
or iconoclasm can mar or dispel.
Halloween is one of these. 1t is growing
upon American people in countryside quar-
teys and even in city homes The continu-
Gus strong, firm and fine incoming of En-
clish Irish and Scottish folk among those
who have preceded them long enough to be-
come 6istinctiyelv American" is grad
uallv engrsfting the best loved olden mem
cries upon our new social trunk Hal
loweeu. next 10 Christmas tide, must ever
remain the most cherished of all recurring
yearly periods when the mysteries have
most afluent and the most torgivable, II
often grotesque expression, through the
lOngings and vagarieS of the human heart.
Whether its origin was pagan or Chris
1ian IS of no consequence. Halloween
would have been invested with Just the
same tender brood of superstitions and
practices if It had fallen upon tie eve of
Foster. St Johns day, or the Fourth of
,Julv-if the latter had had tie white
beard Of age upon il. The hearts Of men
and women, maids and youths, fixed upon a
time for Cupid-worship; for the plighting
of r-o:hs: for the divining of what love
might have IN store. Sacred as all other
things ever have been or ever will be, is the
pericd of awakening of the sweetest emo
tons. No more fitting a time could be for
this than the night before All Hallows, All
Holy, or All Saints Day: and the mellow
ing ot the centuries has curtained this eve of
Al Hallows with such misty draperies, and
set behind them such a wealth of innocent
memories. that even age and austerity, turn
ing to their witching maze in youthward
gaze and longing, ever draws them aside
with, tender and loving hand.
Horse Play and Rude Burlesdue.
In the remoter districts of England, and
especially in the ancient villages where
little change has taken place for centuries,
the older and more innocent features of
Halloween are still preserved and enjoyed
with unbounded zest In the larger cities
and villages the observance has never been
much above ''horse play" and rude bur-
lesque The Saxon mind is not go retentive
OF sweet Old custom and tender superstition
as IS the Celri.- In large sense il NAV be
said that the English folk generally while
ignoring Halloween practices, universally
maks mental defense of the Halloween
time and spirit. and are affected, in a pas
Sive ana admissive manner, by its hold on
them through literature rather than
through It's direct spell upon their natures,
Is with ali folk Of Celtic origin. Therefore
while its recognition by the english is COM
Dlete, its observance is tolerative rather
than active.
The Queen herself was the chief person.
are IN d marked illustration of this fact in
1876. Halloween was celebrated with un-
usual cererouy at her BaimOral Castle in
-Aberdeenshire, Scotland, by the tenantry
end servants Of Balmoral and InVergeldie.
d here were torchlight professions, e1traor-
aIlary bOLtires and the burning in effigy of
witches and warlocks. Nearly 200 torch
bearers assembled at the castle as the
shadows Of evening tell They separated
into JwC parties, one band proceeding to
Invergeldie the other remaining at Bal
moral When the torches were lighted at
o'clock the Queen and Princess Beatrice
were driven to Invergeidie, followed by the
Baimoral torchbearers. Here both parties
united and returned in procession to Bal
lauraL a tremendous bonfire was then
lighted, the Queens pipers playing the
while. Refreshments, comprising every
dish dear to halloween memory, were
served to all, when dancing to the strains
ol tie bagpipes was begun on the green
sward.
Ccrcs and Elves in Swarms.
When the frolic was at its height there
suddenly appeared from the rear of the
castle c-1tesqUe figure representing a
Evi-rH with a TTain Of OEreS and elves as at
reu4auts Al these made every possible
,es3aust-ation of terror At sight of the huge
rT-,av, E,lln-E-.-,9 oF Jar,oni
,.oal aspect and shape, followed by another
..4aoas warlock drawing a car on which
v.s seated the efhCy Of a witch, surrounded
l- other figures in the guise of ogres ana
demons These ulearhly intruders were
marched several times around the bonfire,
:nd finally tEe chief figure. the embodiment
or vltahdom, was taken from the car and
huI-ed lnre the blazing pile amid weird
s-T.eils and howls from the masked demons,
rshu Instantly fed into the darkness the
cheers OF she multitude mingled with the
widest strains Of the hagpipes and great
lisEiav o. fireworks.
An attendant present at the time told me
that size scene WAS most impressi We and pic- |
---csque, lochnager and other mountains
iG lie neighborhcod being covered with |
snow: that dancing and all manner of Hal |
laweeE festivities were kept up until morn |
ing: and that the Queen, precisely as anv |
other morris! present, entered into the |
spirit Of the extraordinary occasiop-as- |
si>tinE IN some Of the preparations with her |
own haEda-with the utmost interest and |
Zasr.
In Scotland and ireland, where supersti- |
tions have held their own against all change
and progress, though undoubtedly having
largely passed by gradual evolution from
tile status Of almost savage belief to that of
loved and cherished custom, there is not
another more prIzed time in the whole year
Tor Difference 20 the universal sway of gel-
lie vjtchcry and ogreish charm. L have
found thar the same. III degree, holds true
in Northumberland. Durham, Northern
Yorkshire, Cumhasland and Westmoreland, /
aad ia Wales aud the Isle of Man. The
Hsop3e Of all these regions were originally
Celtic.
Halloween among the Irish Peasantry.
To me the conclusion seems irresistible
!Lat The traditions, superstitions and prac-
tees are not only largely of Celtic origin,
bat that Halloween memories and charms
hold closest and longest in the hearts of all
folk having descent atHpities to the Celtic
Tarent race Ny attention was first called
70 a study OF these lines of distinction
through the interest awakened in the per-
scnal enjoyment Of a Halloween festivity,
while wandering among the peasantry of
Ireland. Il was nightfall ere my peasant
host and myself who had been passing the
div among the Donegal glens and noun
iains. reached the farmhouse, where quite a
number Of c0uptry-foIk were already await |
ing our arrival. The house itself was some
what larger than the average Irish cabin. |
Il contained three very large square rooms.
Above these were iairly spacious lofts,
rather close against the thatches, where /
lnSgt Of the scantv stores were placed, and |
y. H. Of AZ