Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-10-29

ON THURSDAY.

Next Thursday ia Halloween. II was
not deemed necessary 70 make this an
nouncement In order TO let the small
boy know, for II Is generally grantee
that he never forgets this red letter day
OF the Juvenile year. But II was thought
some OF the older minds had lost track
OF the exact date and charity requires
that they should be warned, for 70
paraphrase Mark Anthony little.
Those who have gates prepare to shea
them now"
IT'S on the nicht o. Halloween
When a the witches MIGHT be seen,
And lads and lasses on the green
Bespeak their favor kindly.
The ove-bren steams upo' the IRE.
Each names again the hearts desire,
And drinks the potion blindly
II Is not unlikely that the maturer
citizens Of Salt Lake have gathered a
sort Of confused idea that Halloween
was Invented for tic-tocs. wandering
front gates. and vanishing front doors,
spectre like figures Sinking In the
gloom and stealing upon one una'Pares.
This combination has caused the staid
clement OF the population TO put a ban
upon Halloween but II still remains q
icl'ght to the heart OF the small boy.
Time was when Halloween was some
thing different from the combination
above referred to- But like everything
else II Is IN the march OF evolution.
r5~'iowa'or had Sc origin In the SUI
perstltlous and imaginative minds OF
lie pagai3 ana was Observed With such
weird ceremonies that the modern In
divldual would not recognize II. In all
countries where superstition has formed
the most potent part Of the
religion Of the people has Halloween
enjoyed its palmlest days. Therefore
IN Ireland, Wales and Scotland the oc-
casion is observed with quaint and
mysterious ceremonies In a manner as
solemn as funeral. While some OF
the superstitlous practices are INDUCED
IN In this country II Is In the spirit OF
fun and frolic and In the case OF the
small boy Is matter of mischief.
Halloween revels in the dark, where
hobgohlins and spoolss can fit noise-
lessly about with red lights burning
low.
In Druid days there were stretches
of green" where the simple villagers
assembled around huge bonfires short
" after dusk, where the witches could
have full play, and mischievous elves
prank In the shadows and smoke Of the
big fires. There was also o god, Baal.
who took II upon himself TO liherate,
for this one night In the year. all the
wicked spirits that had been con-
demned to inhabit the bodies of ami
mails.
The bonfres were precaution
against undue familiarity on the part OF
these malicious spirits. II man were
pursued by green-eyed. fiery-tongued
demon, or II black ape OF sprite
chung to his shoulders. hugging about
his neck with strangling claws, he had
only TO race through the friendly
flames roll over and over on the
ground, and lol the venomous creature
had disappeared.
An our Halloween customs had their
origin In some sort OF pagan supersti-
ton. Rarely have they mingled with
church observances; the spiritual
element being the reverse of sanity.
and the conjuring quite outside the
pale. But on the Isle Of Iewes, of the
coast Of Scotland. they used to have a
pretty practice. combining religion and
superstition with a beautiful Impair
TALLY
At Hallowtide the sea-god shorty
was the first TO be propitiated, because
all the necessaries OF life came to the
islands from the sea.
Each family took peck of malt 10
the kirk where II was brewed into ale.
Then with solemn procession into the
dusky night. the entire village moved
down TO the shore of the inscrutabic
sea. the strong man Of the parish wad-
ed into the water waist deep. holding
aloft burning cup of the fresh brewed
ale. Chanting an invocation. a charm,
a petition 20 Shorty. the all-powerful.
the ale was poured into the man OF the
restless waters.
In deep silence the procession wend-
ed its way back to the kirk, said its
prayers before the one candle burning
at the altar-and then went out on
the village green, drank ale. played
tricks and danced till daylight.
In ireland and North Wales the bon
FIRE served as a sooth-sayer. Every
household built its own fire. and each
member Of the family had smooth
| white "hallow stone" marked for the
| occasion. just before going 10 bed the
| prayers were said turning around the
fire, the stones we're cast into the CEN
| ter OF the blaze one by one, and the
witches left to do their worst. II on
the morrow q stone were missing the
owner was fated TO die before the end
Of the year Of fright. II not otherwise.
Pomona, the Roman goddess OF fruits
| and seeds, had fete day November l.
| They had somehow heard OF her In the
Celtic isle, and added one more obser-
vance 20 the Halloween feast. The
| more the merrier-especially when II
took the form OF a famous brew-"Le