Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1902-10-24
HALL LOWE'EN NIGHT
TIME OF FR0Llc
Some Old Customs Still in Prac-
tice.

Some Old Customs Still! in Prac-
tice.
THE Autumn's fairy gold turns pale,
And twilight closes fast and chill.
And dirse-nke winds, with lengthening
wall,
| Moan low, or rise with whistle shrill;
In winters night the year declines,
Yet gaily we that night receive
For thick with happy stars it shines,
It's Hesper, Hallow-eve
Fresh-dawning Hallow-eve
sweet, new-old Hallow-eve
For that thou vert, for what thou art,
! Thrice welcome, Halow-evei''
-Allingham.
1t has been believed through many
centuries that child born on HallOw
cen, or during the festival between
sundown on Oct 31st and sundown on
November 1st would possess mystical
| faculties, and be able to receive and
/ hold converse with the spirits who have
j passed from the earth life.
| If the moon shine on HallOwe 'en the
young girls of many European nations
go forth at midnight to the bank of q
river or pool-a well, if full of water,
will answer-and, closing the eyes un-
til the face is directly over the water,
they murmur wish that the water
will reveal the future face of the fu-
ture life partner, then suddenly open
their eyes and look into the water. If
No face appears it is bad omen; if a
male face is seen then that will be the
face of the future husband, but tfadi-
tion also says that should the water
reflect the maids own face it means
that she will have life of ineffable
happiness through love.
Those who have not the courage to
sally forth at midnight invoke the aid
of the spirits, or fairies, by other
Z means. They will take candle and
go alone to their room, stand before
the mirror, and comb or braid the hair
all the time. expecting to see the face
of their conjugal companion peepiDg
over their shoulder into the glass. If
the maiden can eat an apple while she
is braiding or unbraidipg her hair, the
effect is surer.
In ancient times, the priests, who
claimed phophetic powers through the
reading of auguries, used to place nuts
lin the sacrlfcial fire and read the fu-
| in which thaV
burned or cracked. Even to this day
burning the nut is favorite charm.
Brand, in his Popular Antiquities, u
Isays: 1T is custom in Ireland, when
lyoung women would know if their
lovers are faithful, to put nuts upon the
bars of the CRATE, naming the nuts az
ter the lovers. If a nut jumps or cracks
the lover will prove unfaithful; if it
begins to burn or blaze, he has regard
lfOr the girl making the test. LII the
nuts named after the girl and her
Hover burn together they will be mar
ried." Chestnuts or hazel nuts were
the ones which one shall receive the
preference, she will take as many nuts
as she has admirers and place them or
the stove, or the bars of an open CRATE
1.-The one that burns the clearest with
out popping is the faithful one,
It used to be famous diversion a
Hallowe 7en parties to bob for apples
This was done in different ways. Th
most general way was to fill large tu'
with water and put into it numbe
Iof apples. Each persons would knee
beside the tub, place the hands behin'
the back, and bob the head into tn
water to get an apple with the teeth
1t Was often necessary to bob the hea
to the bottom of the tub and imprlso
the apple there until the teeth coul
lclose upon it. Another way was
lhave stick about six feet long. sus
pended horizontally by string in tn
middle from the ceiling; an apple woul
be secured at one end and lighte
Icandle at the other. The players stoo
in circle just large enough to alo
the stick to twirl around. While
was revolving each person made gra
with his or her mouth, at the apple
it passed. In most cases the playe
became creased with the candle, muS
: to the amusement of those who we
y most fortunate.
q The belief that the spirits OF the de
y are free to roam about on this night
q universal In the rural districts OF ma
% countries, and there used to be pc
u ular superstition that evil spirits wo'
a fasten doors and gates in such W
% that those inside could not open the
u To prevent this calamity farmers h
q householders would unhinge the gal
- omen barn doors and be careful not
u Hasten the house door on that mig
q From this old superstition we have
"a foolish boyish pranks of to day, WI
u Imany boys, and girls. too, will
q round and unhinge gates, much TO
u annoyance of their owners.
al There are many scores OF super
V tions in Scotland associated with 1
q llowe'e some of the most prevalent
u Iimmortalized by Burns IN his p'
q ot"Hallowe'en.' THE Designer.
& Americas Famous Beauties