The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-11-17
CUSTOMS OF HALLOWEEN.
Quaint Practices Attaching to tn
Lest Day of October.

Quaint Practices Attaching to the
Last Day of October.
+ The evening of Monday, October 31st,
was Hallow Even or Halloween. The
Catholic Church designed this day to be
held in honor OF all those Saints who had
not particular days appointed for them.
Fin North Wales there is a custom on All
Saints Eve of making great fire called
'coel coeth." Every family, at a certain
hour in the night, makes great bonfire
in the most conspicuous place near the
house, and when it is about extinguish.
ed every one throws stone into the
ashes, having first marked it; then, hav-
ing said their prayers, turning round the
fire, they go to bed. In the morning, as
soon as they are up, they come to search
out the stones, and if any of them are
found wanting they have notion that
the one who threw it in will die before
another Halloween.
The same FIRE is mentioned by the
Rev. Mr. Shaw in his History of Moray"
as being kept in various parts of the
Highlands. "On All Saints Eve they
set up bonfires in every village. When
the fire is consumed the ashes are care
fully formed in y circle There Is q
stone put in, near the circumference, for
every person of the several families in
terested in the bonfire, and whatever
stone is moved out of its place or injur
ed before the next morning the person
represented by that stone is devoted or
rev. and is supposed not to live II
months from that day.
The ringing of bells was one of the
modes of celebrating Halowmas in Eng
land in the olden times. 1t was q Ros
man Catholic praetiea. being designed
in some way to favor the. souls of chris
tians. For this reason Queen Elizabeth
prohibited it. It was also the custom Of
Catholic families to have cake baked
for every member of the family, as a
soulmass cake, or soul cake. It was
composed of oatmeal and full Of aro-
matte seeds.
The burning Of nuts to test love or
friendship is ene Of the amasementa of
that night The nuts (chestnuts) are
placed on a hot stove and named, one
after the person placing it there, and the
other after the one whom she loves. If
they, when heated, fly toward each 9TH
er their love is supposed to be true, but
if they fly apart then trouble will brew.
Another game is to take bits of bread,
mo;sfe ten them t with watesand take tiny
slip of paper "a which is written the
name of SOME loved friends and press it
into the moistened bread, forming into
a little ball; drop the ball into glass OF
water, and, il it rises to the top, the
friend is true, fit remains in the bot
tom Of the glass, he is supposed 70 be
false.
faEe a fouE>quart tin basin, into it
place cards On which is written some
prophetic quotations. to~each of these
tie piece of baby ribbon half yard.
long. Have one card for each guest and
yourself as we'll; then take piece OF
pretty tisse paper and rover the tin over
the top Just as If it were a meat pie, let
ting the ends of the rib bons protrude
from slit in the centre of the pie.=
When refreshmsats Of apnles, dough
nuts, pumpkin pie and nuts are served
let each guest choose string aud pull
forth the fatal card prophetic of the fu.
ture. This can be made very interesting
and amusing. Use great care not to use
any quotation that could wound or give
ofiense. Then there is the pairing of the
apples and tossing the pairing oyer the
shoulder to see what cabalistie letter 1t
will form.
Again, when an apple is eaten the
seeds are struck on the back of the hand
and named, the hand is then thrown
back over the left shoulder and whats
ever seeds remain are true friends. The
girls are all seated in circle, the boys
carefully blindfolded, and each with
magic wand Ia cane will answer the pur
pose) walks three times around the cir
Gle, then touches one of the girls with
the wand, and SO select the enc he is to
wait on during refreshments. Again,
you can have fairy party by all dress
ing like brownies en- masque, removing
the masks when refreshments are served,