The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-10-18
HALLOWEEN'S SIGNIFICANCE,
Origin and History Of the Day When
Lovers May See Their FianCeS.
TIE OBSERVANCE IN VIRGINIA.
In Modern Tunes the Day is Devoted TO
sports and Practical JOl>es-IiOw IL
isObscrved in other Parts OF
the Country,

IlHNlNetu, OF All 4falioNa l.F'f iit'
night OF DCtoD,! alat, which This year
fais on d Saturday. b. tAe eve OF All
Saints or All HaloWs-Day which ia
the FIRST Of November. The word nal
low is the Anaio-SaNon "haiis,. ana
i.e German 'hciA-, holy, sacred, etc.,
nearly equivalent 10 the Latin sanctus,
from whence comes the English wotn
saint All Salnts-Day takes Us origin
from tho conversion ia the seventh cen
! fury OF tie Pantheon. az Rome. into
Christian place OF worship ana rs oedi-
cation 10 thc Virgin and all the martyrs
First celebrated Oh May LIST, the date
Was subsequently changed 10 November
lst. and under The designation or Feast
Of All Saints. set apart 1858 a. general com
mcmnOratiOu ia their honor ana as tuch
retained by the Anglican and American
! Episcopal Churches. The collect Tor that
| day suppllCates COD Tor grace 50 TO fol-
| low Thy blessed saints in ail vrtuous and
| cody living etc. ON that day IL Dis
| custom of Roman Catholic C0untries-stiIl
practiCed im lOuisiaua--tO visit the Gene
! tcries Tor doyotions or for layins noiu
! tributes on the graves Of relatives.
| But the Halloween mas nOthlns
| churchly about IL, and seems 10 De rene
| Of Pagan times, o.. perhaps. of mediaeVal
| superstitions. ID WAS regarded AS the
J time OF all others when supernatural in
| nucnces prevail. and as night which
| was set apart for universal walking
| abroad OF spirits both ci the visible ana
| invisible world. for on this mystic even
1 ing 10 WAS believed that even the human
! spirit might dctaCn Itself from the uOu4
| and wander abroad. Halloween seems
clearly allied TO the "Walpureis Nacht'
| Of the Germans tho witch festival or
assembling of evil spirits on the summit
/ of the Broken in the fiariE mountains,
on the eve of May 1st. the day originally
| dedicated TO The Christian martyrs or
I saints. The Walpurcis legend being az
| most cocval and early associated WIN
tho latter day 81 IS probable that in Eng
a. II=fI.f
| 10 November lst. carried with II the SUI
| pcrsutions attributed 10 It's preceding
night.
VIRGINIA CUSTOMS.
| Practically. so far as IN h. recognized ai
| an. as il is still i'm Great Britain and ~
! the United States iu localities Nheie
Church usaces and traditions survive, as
| in Maryland and Virginia. D. O. devoted 10
! sports and practical jokes. Nuts ana APP
| pies are in rcQuisition. The former sly
| ing the namc "Nitoracl Night 10 Hal
| lONccn I'm the south Oi Enslani. Ihcy
| are not only cracked ana eaten, tut aye
| made the means of Niucnaiion IT. love
| afairs But the especial sport OF fialio-
| Wcen is that ol "duckine or "bobbins
! for apples set ahOat iu "a tub OF water
| Though sometimes neglected in mouti I'D
! practice. the most essential part OF hal-
| lOWoen's ritual seems to consist pm lht
! Nrhfiug bv each household OF lOnirc
| at night-fall This points TO me very "n-
| cieut and widely dinused practice of KIND
| ling sacred fires at certain seasons on
| the year. While the GCrinamc nations
| had their Ostcrfeuer and Johannlslo uei'
| the Celtic had their Bealiine, OF beliiine,
| and Samhthcine. the former on tH' eve
! of May lst, and the latter ON 'hr eve on
| November lst. Probably lh' Mih''i "n
| well as the summer festival Was from the
| beginning regarded as season al Whlch
| the fairies were both unusually aclNe
| and unusually prOpiuous, hhi thrIc ~ io
| evidence to show that the meiho's o. "i-
| NinatiOn at present usually ieSoi'tu TO-
| although Of great antiquity, We're ollAl-
nallv regarded as limited in their efficacy
| TO any one day.
| The Observance Of the day. or Of the
| eve rather. in the past. was quite more
| notable than IL is in these days ana quite
| "a number oil particular ObscrNances OF
| the occasion have been preserved by an
| cicnt visitors. -.
| ono of them was. Sowing hemp seed,
| which was boy no means common 10 So
| land. This Observance had 20 be carried
| out i'm the following manner: steal out
! unperceiNed. and SOW handful OF htmp
! seed. narrowing it with anything you
| can conveniently draw after YOU Repeat
now and then. Hemp seed l. SOW tlr,'
| hemp seed / SOW thee. and MIN 'of h.il,
| that is TO bee my true love come "ll
| me and pau thee Look over your leil
| shoulder and YOU viii see the appear
| ance of the person invoked I'D lnS 4,t-..l l-
| tudc of pulling hemp. some idulilols
| saw. Come after me and snow thee'
that is. show thysef, I'm which case u
OTHER OBsERVANCEs
| Another onsel ah'r W. 80 " .,,' r,i,.f
| wechts O, naethlhE- JUS . i.", 'ii ..,1
| likewise be ptilol i-'i -"i',' ' irfi,
alone. You go TO 'he " 49,. ~ 90
doors t"Mns rem on l'', ~, I've hhe-
| slDle. Tor lhtit II "'iil-'I tl'-t ,.
| lna' about 10 appear may shul "e u .'.1.
and do you some mischief. Ihen lane
| that instrument used in Nihh""t"@ WV
| corn, which is called we, ~. any ~
through an tho attitudes oi leilns uoWi
| corn against the wind. Repeal ll thitr
| times. and the third time. an appariuoh
| Will pass through the barn. I'm 40 ihe WlhuF
door and ont a. the other. having noih
the figure DO question ana ne ADJ. ar
ance or rctnuc marking tAe ehpo9
meut on station in life.
Another Observance was ito i3thOm tho
stack three times. Take am opportunity
oi going uuuouCod TO bear STACK
'nalley slachl ana lathom j 'A,,. III IN
| YOU Will catch in your arms Tie appear
| ancc of your future conIueM yokticioW
= Another-"to dip your leit sh.rt ZEE t'
m burn where infee La4ioa ianu'
s | meet You 20 out. one or more ior iii'
| d. social spell. &C. 90 south running HlI il-
or fivulct where three iairds lands meet
| and dip your LEFT shirt sleeve. Go 10 Dec
. | in SIGHT OF ire ard navilg your wei
- einav. Cfort IL 10 dry. Lie awake, aut
Il | some tirno near midnight. an apuarit0n
having Tie cyact fcure on the grand Oh
iCct I'M question viii come ana turn th'
Sleeve nc ia O. dry the other side OF IL.
Another einctlf.r snecias OF diyinatioI
W. .vith .hree lrrcics or dishes. TAX
[ three dishes. nut cleau water ,n one. fou
u | ...4..- 90, .r,fF4r and flryD tile rlifl