The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-10-31
|nALL0NEEN-.ALL SANS Day
roHiuHr rtaB NIGHT Or FArE-irs
cUsTOsss.


Eve. n
While the exact date Of the establish
nent OK the festtval il shroudsd In doubt.
many OF It's pretty customs are still OBJ
served, not 60 much fer the religious sig
nincance or supsrstitious idea that at
tached to the observance In ages passed,
but more in a spirit Of revelry. the weird
superstition OF years ago, giving way to-
the more pleasant diversions OF nut crack
Ing. apple dncking. etc.
Halloween Is delightful combination
Of mystery and mirth; the night most
eagerly anticipated Of the whole year aiiiong
chjldrnn. Small boys go nuttang weeks
beforehand, to gather their harvest for this
occasion. and In The north of England Hal
loween III still known as nut-cracklng
RIGHT. In Scotland Halloween Is a great
holiday, and Burns in his poem on Hal
lowcen rcfsrs TO its love making properties
thus,
The auld g,idewifs's whel hooidit nits
Are round and round divided
And mony lads and 1asses fates
Are THAI night decided.
Some kindle couth.e side by side,
And burn thesither trinity.
Some start ava wi saucy pride
And Jump out over the chimly.
Flu high that night.
Halloween. as we know Il, Is confined
TO tricks, all OF which have for their de-
nouement the discovery OF ones own true
love, or the unravelment OF love affair.
Notwithstanding the fact that Halloween
is the night Of true love, 1t is not con
sidered a propiti0us thing to receive
proposal on that night. One Of the many
traditions of the night is that should a
lover propose on that night he should be
asked 10 tie a blue ribbon on the weiding
ring finger OF his lady love.
A favorte Halloween diversion for young
girls Is the apple trick. performed by sus-
pending an apple In the doorway so that
ii hange five fest from floor and as many
persons as pass under 1t SO many months
will elarse before her marriage. II the
tenth person hits the apple, the girl who
suspended l. will marry ten months from
that da.e, or on the following August.
IL on Halloween a gIrl shakes hands
with q very blonde man she will have u
proposal before the bells shall have runs
in the new year of 1899. II, on the other
hand. she shakes hands with q very dark
man she will not have O proposal within
year II with medium man, she VIII
receive one next June.
1t Is a popular custom In places where
the church bills toll al midnight on Hal
loween not to retire till you have heard the
bells toll. n the tones come loud and
distinct girls are warned by This to get
ready their wedding trnusseau. II dull and
faint, then THEY wait for another year.
r. q girl has two lovers. and il not quite
certain just which TO accept. should she
think of both before gcrg TO sleep on Hal
lowesn she will dream of the one she should
marry.
The nerviast Halloween test is the best.
It Is for girl TO descend into the cellar
at midnight, Just as the bells are tolllus.
In one hand carrying a candle, in the other
q looking glass. On the way down the
shadows throw their fantastic shapes into
the glass; but she must walk on and Oh
rnhl shl reaches the cellar bottom. Then
grope her way on to the furthest cornei.
and there she stands. looking into the
depths OF the glass. A shape Will creep
ever IT until II lies there before her dis
tlnctly. This is the face OF her future
husband. little imagination Is needed to
bring out its features, but, of course
inraginStlon ia in keeping with Halloween
Another lovers fate test incident TO Hal.
loween Is TO build fire in the yard. Take
ball OF cord In your hand and tie the
end of the string around your finger.
Throw the ball az tar as you can. Non
wind the cord around your finger, chanting
In n solemn tone:
SLOWLY wind. wind.
MY true love to find
Before you have finished and drawn tn,
ball TO you. You will sse your true in tn,
fire Either 1t Will lie down. leaving hi.
fs,e in abe embers. or It's shadows vii
ehow him To you.
This apple games are many. The appI,
seen trick oil sticking an apple seed on cact
eyelid - ever new and true. Name earl
seed. and the sect that sticks longest viii
stick to you through life.
Bobbing for apples takes on a fascinat
arg aspect n the bobber knows that sh,
VIII take as many husbands as she catche,
apples IN her teeth. There are many othe
Halloween diversions. but this above arr
among the more Interesting and IT Is quit
likely that many young girl Ia Houston
VIII try tonight some OF the above fat,
tests.
Tomorrow, November T. Will be Al
Saints Day, religious and in some State,
legal holiday IT is day that ptopi
go TO the graves OF their dead ones witt
offerings OF remembrance,
Tho cemeteries tomorrow that surnoum
Houston. particularly Glenwood will be re
dolent with bright aud blooming flowers
Tho flower gardens at this season are pro
life with the beautiful chrysanthcmum
Known as An Saints flower.r AMI wher
natural flowers can not be secured artl
fetal emblams are substituted, and humbl
Va the grave that win not receive q fiowe
ms o tohen of remembrance from the liyin
to the loved dead.
November is called the month of Ia
dead. and wherever Catholicism is know,
tbs. LIST OF November is devoted to n,asss
and prayers for the dead; the day is on
OF holy obligation.
In many Catholic cemeteries on the ey
O All Saints Day, as the sun sinks belo,
vne horizon the parish priest. followed b
the entire Catholic community. wal
through the church yard chanting 4 vespe
hymn blessing the dead. On All Saint,
Day prayers are said in like manner O
the following day. which Is All Souls Ia,
masses ere said for the repose OF the soul
Of The dead :
Another custom Of the hay Is the hlsssin
a. the graves Of the dead
fomorrow IL the one day In all the Yea
that ESSENTIALLY links the living and ID
VOR uHUMMERS, DAY.