The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1903-10-24
MYSTERY AND MIRTH.

Strange Charms, Spells and Incantation:
Peculiar 70 the Occasion in the Older
Time-Nuts and Apples Play Prominent
Part in the Fun.
From Philadelphia Ledger.
There are not many among younger
readers who do not look forward with
pleasureable anticipations of nuts and ap-
Piles, mystery and mischief, to the 3lst of
October, or "Hallow Eve," but very few
could give any accurate account of its
origin and true significance. All Hallow
Even, or Hallow Eve, is so-called because
it is the night preceding All Hallowman,
or All Saints Day, which is the 1st of
November, and is observed by the Roman
Catholic, Protestant Episcopal and Luth-
eran Churches in honor of all the saints
In the ancient calendar of the Church of
Rome is found the following observation on
the 1st of November ''The feast of old
fools is removed to this day" Perhaps
this setting apart of November l as sacred
to old fools, as we'll as to all the saints, is
due to the many strange customs, charms,
spells, incantations divinations, ETC.. which
have long been practiced on the preceding
night, or All Hallow Even, contracted by
the Scotch to Hallow r en- and commonly
known to the junenile mind Of young
America as ''Hallow Eve
A CHANCE FOR IMAGINATION.
There is no night in the year which has
been invested by popular imagination with
more peculiar character than October 81,
or Hallow Eve. There is nothing i'll
the church observance of the ensuing day
of All Saints calculated to give rise to such
remarkable ideas as are associated with the
night or to such singular sports and Gus
toms as are practiced upon its annual re-
currence. That supernatural influences
then prevail is a generally accepted super
stition. Glendower asserts that all who
wish may then call up spirits from the
"vasty deep 1t is said that all spirits,
both of the visible and invisible world, then
walk the earth, and it is believed that on
this mystic evening the immaterial princi-
pie existing in all things human can detach
itself from all corporal restraint and wander
at will, or be made to wander against its
will through space. All devils and witch
es are believed to be abroad, and the fair
les are said to hold high carnival. There
is no date in the whole twelve months around
which cluster so many popular supersti-
tions.
MUST ALWAYS HAVE NUTS.
Nuts have always borne most promi-
nent part, as they still continue to do, in
the festivities of Hallow + en-. Among
the English, Scotch and Irish peasantry a
SYNONYM for it is nut crack night, from
the custom of cracking nuts with the teeth,
with hammers, or by throwing them into
the fire. At Ripon, in Yorkshire, another
synonym for Hallow Eve is Cake Night,
because on that occasion the mother of
every household makes cake for every
member of her family. Goldsmith, in his
"Vicar of Wakefield" describing the
manners of some rustics, tells us that,
among other customs observed by them,
they "religiously crack nuts on All Hallow
Even. Hutchison, in his 'History OF
Northumberland, compares Hallow Eve
to the ancient Roman festival Of Pomona; !;
and saws that the divinations and consult
ing of omens, still practiced on the former
occasion, were a part of the ceremonies of
the latter. ''Hence," he proceeds, Gin
the rural sacrifice of nuts propitious omens
are sought touching matrimony. Two or
three nuts are placed in the fire by young
man or woman and named for two or three
of his or her sweethearts. If they lie still
and burn together it prognosticates happy
marriage or hopeful love, but if the nuts
bounces and fly asunder it is unpropitious.
The English poet, Gay, in his poem OF
''The SPELL" thus alludes to this custom :;
"Two hazel nuts 1 threw into the flame,
And to each nut, give a sweetheart name;
That in fame of brightest color blazed;
AS blazed thy nut, so may thy passion grow.
For twas thy nut that did so brightly glow.
ON NUT BURNING.
In quaint old volume of poems, by
Charles Graydon, published in Dublin in
1901, there is one called "On Nuts Burn.
Ing All Hallows Eve" which also alludes
to this custom, as follows
':These glowing nuts are emblems true
OF what in human life we view.
The il. Unmatched couple fret and fume,
And thus in strife themselves consume;
Or from each other widely start,
And with a noise forever part,
But see the happy, happy pair,
In genuine love and truth sincere;
With natural fondness while they burn,
Still to each other kindly turn;
And as the vital sparks decay,
Together gently sink away,
Till life's fierce ordeal being past,
Their mingled ashes rest at last"
Another custom, somewhat similar t.
this, is practiced in Ireland. Young wo
men, anxious to know if their lovers ar
faithful, put three nuts upon the bars o
the CRATE, naming each nut for a lover
IF nut cracks or jumps, the lover TO
whom it is named will prove unfaithfui
but if it quietly burns or blazes he love
and is true to the girl who is making the