The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-10-30
All Saints Day and Halloween.

Friday, November 1st, is All Saints Day,
q festival of the Greek, Roman, Lutheran
and Episcopal churches. Halloween"
the evening before, is the night when
and play their baneful pranks. 1t was and
is still, the custom in Scotland and some
other countries for the voting people to
assemble and by magic rites try to pry into
futurity, especially to find out when and
whom they shall marry. Here are few Of
the " tricks of Halloween. They must go
out hand-in-hand, with eyes shut, and pull
with. Its being little, big, straight or
crooked, is prophetic Of the size and shape
of the grand object Of all their spells-the
future husband or wife. II any earth stick
to the root, that is fortune (wealth); and the
taste Of the heart Of the stalk is indicative
Of the natural temper or disposition. Lastly,
the stalks are placed above the door Of the
house, and the Christian names of those
who chance to enter, according to the
order of placing the stalks, are the names in
question.
Burning the nuts is famous charm or
trick" They name the lad or lass to each
particular nut, as they lay them in the fire
side by side, and accordingly as they burn
quietly together, or start from beside one
another, the course and issue Of the court
ship will be.
Here is another. Steal out all alone to
(skein) of blue yarn. Wind it off into a
ball, and towards the end, something will
hold the thread. Demand Wha hauds?''
(Who holds?), and an answer will be re-
turned from the kiln, naming the Christian
name of your future spouse.
in this way. Take a candle, and go alone
to looking.g glass; eat an apple before it,
and comb your hair all the time; and the
face Of your future spouse will be seen in
the glass. as II peeping over your shoulder.
Steal out unperceived, and SOW a hand
full OF hemp-seed, narrowing it with any
thing you can conveniently draw after you
Repeat now and then,
"Hempseed, sawt thee;
You that shall be my true love
Come after me and pouS thee"
Look over your left shoulder, and you will
see the appearance of the person invoked, in
the attitude OF pulling hemp.
This must also be performed unperceived
and alone. Go to the barn, and open both
doors, taking them off the hinges, il pos
sible; for there is danger that the being
about to appear may shut the doors. and dc
you some mischief. Then take that instru-
ment used for winnowing grain, aud &c
| through the motions of winnowing, three
times. The third time an appaIition will
pass through the barn, in at the windy
door, and out OF the other, having the figure
appearance and dress of your future con
| sort.
Take an opportunity OF going out unno
! ticed to bean-stack or stack of corn, and
! fathom IL three times round with out
stretched arms. The last fathoin of the
third time, you will catch in your arms the
! appearance of your future husband or wife
You g out, one or more, to spring ol
brook running south, where three owners
lands meet, and dip your left shirt-seeve
Go TO bed in sight of a tire, and hang youl
wet sleeve before II to dry. Lie awake
and about mi might, an apparition with the
exact figure of the grand object in question
will come and turn the sleeve, as If to dry
the other side OF it.
Take three dishes; put clean water il
one, dirty water in another, and have the
third empty Blindfold person and lea,
him TO the place where the three dishes ar,
ranged; he (or she) dips the left hand; If by
chance in the clean water, The future hus
band or wife will be bachelo or maid; i
in the dirty water, widower or widow; i
in the empty dish, there will be no marriag,
at all. IL must be repeated three times anC
each time the arrangement of the dishes
must be changed
A party OF young ladies tried these an,
other tricks last year at a hospitabl'
mansion on Hubbard street, and merr,
time they had of i'll
WV merry sangs, and friendly cracks,
wat they did ma weary;
An unco tales, an funnie Jokes,
- Their sports were cheap an CHEEKY"
'Cabbage. Sow. SPull. Measure.