Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-30
HALLOWEEN DIVERSIONS
The 0ld-Time Parties and Their Ancient
Ceremonials.
The Modern ChaanE Dish 81 ~ GreBt
Help Ia the Fun-Fortune Tell
ing md Tricks.

Away back IN the middle ages Pope Rom
iface ~ piously set aside the first day ~
November to celebrate the conversion -
the great Pantheon at Rome. one ~ the
wonders Of the seven hills, into a Chris
tian place of worship. ON thar day hc de-
clared all saints. who had not 9th rwisr =
special day set aside for them were t. b.,
h"nored. and 50 IN" day began by being
All Haiow day The evening before was
called All Hallow even But could III,
good pope have forcsceu the hearhrniSh
superstitions and rites that day was 10 to-
responsible FOR. he would doubtless have
consecrat'd it to prayer and fasting and
pcnancc instead Of to the fcastiug and r.
JOGGING that he did
The supcTStitiGns that cluster ah1tif fhN
day are, most of them. relics of old heather
holidays Get bratcd about the same dime
The old Romans about this date ana with
many similar traditions. kept tn. feast ~
Pomona. Stores apprupriated Cor ,Is,. dur
Ing the winter We're freely offered TO the
goddess and were partaheu of by those
celebrating hence the use of Halloween
apples and nuts and pumpkins is explained
The SaNons had feast about the same
time. so the missionaries found q easy a.
transform the heather harvest feast into
the Christian day Of All Saints
I he revival Of interest I'm IN celebrating
Of Halloween may be ascribed e. the "a
newal Of interest I'm England. whore Tn.
queen IL n AIRY always Al TINS time EUsUl-
ing some weeks at Balmoral Castle In tho
highlands. She makes n special point Z
observing II in accordance with the ira
ditions Of the sturdy Scots about her. Tho
queen always has som Of her Young
grandchildren about her. and they enter
into the merry games with as much zest as
do American children.
Country House GATHERINGS
The most delightful place Ia celebrate
Halloween Is in n country house Town
people never get half the fun out Of tn.
day that rural folks do. For instance. "A
great old-fashioned kitchen fire f. the best
for roasting nuts. apples and ears OF q. m
making taffy and other ceremonlaIs prcti-
liar 20 the day and hour To be sure. tho
modern chatting dish has come IN as q great
auxiliary to the keeping 81 tn evening ia
proper style. even though ono may live i'm
tiny box of a fiat, be compelled %
keep 1t. like the college maiden IN an.
seclusion Of her dormi'ory bed room. with
the keyh9le stuffed and blankets pinned
over windows and transoms Ia rlud, ih..
vigilance Of the authorities. who consl lrr
Greek roots and comic sections much more
Wholesome for their cha ~epS than midnight
feasts Tafy may be made upon m chat
ing dish AM ch"stDu'S MAY there hc roas--
ed or BOILED delightfully."- MarshmalIsNs
| may be reduced to a beautiful BROWNIES
and toothsrme crispness and other culinary
delights accomplished that appeal more
| strongly to the boarding school appracia-
ton than either Greek verse or the higher
| mathematics.
| In some fortunate centers Of education
| the students are permitted ia rpyel openly.
| a masquerade party being probably The
widest form of dissipation. but one THAI
permits the Introduction Of "A great deal q
| leVity not down on the official prpEraI-
| particularly If the Institution is cocducs-
! tional one.
Colonial Dress and Dances
| The fortunate folks who have homes {
| their own wherein to entertain Halloween
! guests have A great variety Of anus, nerts
| from which to select. The fashionable
| ones may have a Halloween dance in which
the guests are requested to appear In old
| fashioned powder. patches and the cloth
! ing Of their colonial ancestors. They may
| dance the Virginia reel. the minuet Sir
| Roger de Coycrley. quadrilles and other
| stately. dances Of the long ago.
| To add to the effectiveness Of such an
| evening the hostess may present some ai,-
| pIopriate tableau before the dancing 80,
gins, a merry lttie play In which some
Of the guests take part.
| If the ootillon is danced the figures shout
| be arranged 50 as to have some reference
| to Halloween. the favors being miniature
! pumpkins and chesinuts or great red APP
pies. nothing expensive. but all appropriate.
In one corner Of the room should he a Hal
| loween pie. made Of sawdust and filled with
| gifts for each
There should be brought in at snr1e time
by a couple Of servants a great tray N
| which Is a bo~l Tor the snap dragon Inc
| snap dragon is made very easily. The bowl
| Is filled with water the surface II which
some alcohol has been poured. Care must
be taken that not a drop Of alcohol falls
on anything infammablc. When all are
| ready the lights are turned out and a
match IS applied to the alco1el in The
! bowl. The guests are expected to 'zra5
for slips of paper incloscd in waterproof
| tinsel and reposing at the bottom Il N"
bowl Of snap dragon. These slips each con-
tain some oracular reference to the fufur"
and those who get the slips are supposed
to have therein the future laid clear.
Sometimes an old woman dressed to 'uok
like a witch fortune teller, and with a
black cat beside her. sits in mysterious
looking nook The buffers naHtry or he
space under the stairs may be used for this
purpose, black draperies being hung about
ard cabalistic designs inscribed upon them
with phosphorus. A candle should be the
only light. lest the old ladv's cork inscribed
wrinkles and other artificial symbols Il
/ age be discovered by those who consult her.
II the witch is a palmist fortune teller. n
pretends to read the future with cards.
! she will need to have her candl" kept well
| trimmed and burning. A black shawl
draped over her head. gray. stragSling
| wig. burnt umher powered upon the Il %
| and then covered with burned cork wTlU-
/. | kles. will make up very striking witch.
| II the teeth are covered with black court
| plaster 80 that a single tooth seems trem-
bling alone in the aged gums. the effect
will be a good deal more weird and awful.
. / For q Jolly
For mere informal Halloween dance 'he
= guests may wear ordir airy evening dress
l but they should be wise enough not 10 wear
their best.
The guests may be invited to help make
| the taffv. 10 their own nut cracking POI
corn over the kitchen fire and perform til
other holiday tasks peculiar TO the feast OF
! All Halloween. If refre shments are served
In the dining room there should be plenty
= Of candy notices. gingerbread cut Into
queer. fantastic shapes, for everything mas
at Halloween a mystic significance. JA'b
O. lanterns may illuminate the dining room
these being made by scraping out the Inter
| Tor Of a pumpkin, cutting out eyes ana nos'
| and mouth and placing candle inside I'm
socket and letting It's light illuminate thS
| face dozen Of these hanging about th'
| room or set on brackets VIII make ths
| scene highly entertaining.
There may be a Halloween pie or cake
! lighted by tiny lanterns. each lantern being
! named for q guest. Every lady then make:
! | a wish which each one must write and
r drop into a bowl before the candles a-'
| he uhgSp candles btlTn for