Middletown transcript., 1904-10-29

Ak La IL AZ " W II H ~ ~
CUSTOMS
/ What 10 Do and How to Dress
the Parts of This
QUAINT ENGLISH HOLIDAY
/ Halloween, or All. Halloween, which
occurs on the night of October 3lst, is
the eve of vigil of All Saints, or All Hal
lows day. November lst. 1t was formerly
believed that Of all nights of the year,
this is the one npon which supernatural
influence most prevails. The spirits of
the dead wander abroad, together with
witches, devils and misunderstanding elves
and III some ca-es, the spirits OF the living
persons were believed to have the tenn
! porary power to leave their bodies and
| join the gllostly crew. Children born on
this day were believed to preserve through
| their youth tie power to converse with
these airy vistants. Hence it is the night
of all nights for di,ination. Impartially
weighed against others, it is perhaps the
best time in the Whole year to ascertain
just what sort of husband or wife one is
to be blessed with. Halloween is cur
| ious lecrudescence Of classic mythology,
Druidc belief: and Christian supersti-
tions On November lst, the Romans
| had feast to Pomona, the goddess of
fruits and seeds, and it was then that the
stores laid up iii summer for use in the
winter were opened. Hence the appro-
priateness of the use Of nuts and apples at
this time. November lst, or thereabouts,
was also the great autumn festival to the
sun, which the Druids celebrated in
| Thanksgiving for their harvest. There
are many Halloween obseryances to prove
it to be Of Druidic origin, the chief of
| which is that in many parts of Ireland,
October 3lst was known as 0idche Shamh-
ma, or Vigil of Saman. We are told that
on this night the peasants in Ireland
assembled with sticks and clubs, and
went from house to house collecting
money, breadcake, butter, cheese, etc.,
for the feast. A curious little book called
"The FestyvalI" Q5llO mentions GUS
tom obsolete even at that date. owe
rede," it says Sin olde TYNE good people
wolde on All Halloween daye brake brade
and dele it for all crysten soules." But
what was once ceremony of belief has
now become thing of sport, SO that now
its observances are all jest which young
people play upon.
''Tilis is the nghs OF Halloween,
When a. the nitchtie might be seen,
Some o them black, some O. them green,
Some O them like turkey bean."
This is what Robert Burns sang of the
Halloween festival which comes on Oc-
tober 3lst, and for years he has been the
authority on the charms and mystic signs
which must be employed on that even-
ing.
Here are some Of the ancient customs
which are part of Halloween frolics now
adals;
If girl wants to see the face of her
future husband she must take at the
witching hour of midnight lighted
candle and mirror, and walk upstairs
back ward, counting the strands of her
hair as she goes, At the top OF the stair
she must peer into mirror, and over her
left shoulder will appear the face of her
fate. Or she may take two roses with
long stems, and after going TO her room
she must name the two, one for herself.
| the other for him kneeling beside her
| bed she must twine the stems together.
| If he be faithful the rose named for him
will grow deeper in hue. If he be untrue
the stems will quickly unwind and the
| roses fall.
Swapping apples is another old custom.
| A beam is suspended from the ceiling
horizontally. A candle having been
placed OH nail at one end and an apple
on the other, the beam is set i'll motion
while the merrymakers
Catch the elusive apple with bound
As with its taper it flies whizzing
round"
Apples and all fruits of harvest time
have CONSPICUOUS part in Halloween
celebrations, due probably to the season
of the year during which the day falls.
"Naining apples" is another old custom.
An apple is selected and named for the
best loved ones. the seeds are saved and
| counted and the state of the loved ones
| feelings are discovered after the following
formula:
One | love, two | love,
| Three / love, say,
-Four love with all my heart,
| And five | cast away.
| Six she loves, seven he loves,
| Eight both love;
| Nine he comes, ten he tarries,
| Eleven engaged, and twelve he mar
fries" !"
Bobing for apples is universal custom
among young people, and it is well to
make this means OF divining the future
by arranging two tubs, one for the lads
| and one for the lasses. and filling them
with fl ,ating apples into which names OF
the members of the opposite sex have been
| inserted on little slips OF paper. The
name contained III the apple secured by a
participant in the sport will be that OF the
future vile or husband.
And the custom OF burning nuts which
have previously been named is as old
and universal AS that Of bobbing for ap.