Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-10-30
It Is a Universal Holiday in the
Anlp0deS.
CUSTOM OVER IN MANILA
Carnival Lasts For Three Days and
Nights Of Hilarity and
Mischief

Halloween, ever popular in the rural
districts as a time for ~candypulls, gate
stealings and what not, with the habit
city folk have recently assumed of keep
ing their country houses open until the
Christmas holidays, has become as fash
iOnable a fete in the United States as it
is in many of the Latin countries. The
hostess of a large country house must
needs be we'll un in traditions and folk
lore, SO as to provide suitable amuse-
ments other thai ducking for apples or
roasting nuts.
In the United States the superstitiOnS
Of Halloween that are still in vogue are
of the matchmaking variety, although in
the smaller towns, the spirit of rowdyism
has, in a measure, superseded the kindly
old customs. In towns and villages
bands of hoodlums throng the streets.
ringing the door bells or wrenching the
handles from their sockets and taking
gates off their hinges.
In Washington boys carry flour in
bags. Care is taken to have the web of
the bags so worn that a slight blow will
release a generous supply of the white
powder. The bags are long and narrow
Nv are handled as if they were slung-
shots. These the boys use upon one an
other as, we'll as upon acknowledgement
passers-by.
To the thousands of Americans in the
Philippines, however. Halloween this
year will show many strange sights. The
whole population of Manila begins to
feast, frolic. rejoice and make merry on
that night of mystery and mischief. and
never leaves off until three lays and
nights have passed, during which they
attend church every morning and de-
voutly listen to the mass. The days re-
ligiOus duties attended to, the remainder
of the "a hours is spent in dancing, drink
ing. laughing, singing, making love and
making mischief.
If you would see Manila and it's people
at the very highest Of the carnival time
you must fancy yourself at 7 o'clock on
"HallOw Eve mingled with q crowd Of
merry, gayly dressed people :hronging
the principal streets and pouring into the
plazas, where military bands are filling
the air with music
Thu plaZas present a most beautiful
sight. crowded as they are with innunl-
cradle temporary booths and bright with
the light of thousands of tallow candles.
The common people are busy devouring
hot sausages, tortillas, tamales, candles,
nuts. %raisiEs, oranges, figs, bananas, and
countless other dainties with which the
booths are fairly grooming. Among the
black-haired, dark-eyed "manolas' and
their escorts the most popular delicacy is
a circle of flour paste fried in oil these cir
cles being hung over long laths carried
across the shoulders of young gamins,
who go pushing their way through the
crowd, vociferously proclaiming the merit
of their doughty wares.
More interesting to the stranger, how
ever, are the numerous quaint mementos
of the occasion for sale on every hand.
The booths display soul Cakes" consist
ing of three layers of cake so placed as TO
form three steps, covered with white
icing, and leading up to a chocolate cross
at the extremity of the topmost layer or
step. Upon each of the other layers there
is some design in chocolate intended to
remind the purchaser of the solemn occa-
sion the cake was meant to commemorate,
such as skulls, bones and collins.
.Catafalques made of wood and painted
black, from six inches to two and a half
feet in height and from three inches to
two feet square, are also a highly
lar article of merchandise. Some of them
consist Of several platforms rising above
the other, deliberately draped with black
cloth n emblazoned in gilt with crosses,
skulls, bones and collins. There are slHi-
etOns of every imaginable size and mater
ial upon the counter of every booth, some
of them poor, cheap affairs of paper,
nan VI CdIuy ait OllVIS cliDOI Alcly
constructed of wood and jointed SO that
the pulling of a string causes them to
dance and caper in a weirdly comical
way.
Everybody buys these souvenirs Of the
time. h poor poems elbow richly dress
ed men and women, accompanied by mer-
-ry children, whose hands are filled with
candy skulls, skeletons, catafalques and
soul cakes. 1t is a fast and joyous car
nival without masks-a period Of univer-
sal merriment and rejoicing.
The 1..|Tc Of Al Saints Day finds all
Manila crowded with devout worshippers.
Yet the fun grows fast and furious again
the Yoment the mass j, concluded. The
...e:es a1re In full blast. There are
numerous bullf fights and countless other
diversions.
Yet greater even than the festivities
of All Saints Day are those following All
Souls Day. Very similar to our ma
tional Memorial Day is it's observation.
The Filipinos place flowers, wreaths and
all kinds of elaborate floral designs upon
the laft resting places Of their loved ones
morn until dusk on Al! s.o::.s' Day cm the
ceme!eues IN and around Manila are
SrQWeed with people visiting and decor
ating the graves of their dead. Many
of these earth mounds are wholly con-
cea!ed by flowers. and the entire ipclos-
ures present the appearance Of one vast
flower bed, whose delicious perfumes
have completely filled the air.
S2o sets Of teeth SO. DR.. Wiz.