Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-31
FOR NEW YEAR DAY
Modern Customs Call for
Other Celebrations.
CHASTITY AND GHOSTLY
A CHICAGO PARTY AND ITS
SPECIAL FEATURES.
The Game of '1Creeps" and How to
Garry It out-other
Hints.
CHASTITY AND GHOSTLY


best. called to extend good wishes for the
new year. But now by general accord it
| is regarded as bad form to pay visits on the
| first day of January.
| New Year has none of the religious at
mosphere which pervaded the Christmas;
! 1t Is merely a holiday which happens to be
the beginning of an artificial period of time
fixed by man. The formal calling was a
pleasant and, it must be admitted an ap-
propriate recognition of the significance of
the holiday. But now that this has been
done away with and there has been offered
| no satisfactory substitute hostesses are
casting about for some pleasant way in
which to spend the day. The decadence of
New Year as calling day has had the
excellent effect of causing families to regard
it as an appropriate time for reunions, and
intimate friends frequently hold informal
gatherings. Trips to the city are INDUCED
In by many persons living in rural commu-
mites, and nearly every household cele-
brates the advent of the new year with
games and simple home amusements as adj
Juncts to the stereotyped Happy New
Year"
In the straining after appropriate enter
tainments for New Year a great many
more or less freakish efforts have been
made One of the most unique of last sea-
called a ghost party. Only intimate friends
were invited, and the invitations were not
sent out until the morning of New Year
day The beauty of this entertainment is
the things mentioned as having been en-
ployed are not to be had others equally ap-
propriate will readily suggest themselves
All Hair-Raisers.
At the Chicago ghost party all the deco
rations were of the hair raising variety.
The invitations were sent out on square
cards having a deep border of black, the
regular thing used by persons in first
mourning. They read, "You are asked to
meet the departing spirits Of the year at
wrath reunion These cards for obvious
reasons We're Snclosed in white envelopes
The decorations for the ghostly party were
a trifle troublesome and required lot of
thinking along rather gruesome lines but
| they were not at all expensive
The astrologers tell US we are made up
| OF three parts, one of spirit, one of earth
and one of imagination; so all one had
| to do when evolving party of this kind
was to draw big check upon the imagi-
nation which Is easily honored everywhere.
The hostess upon entering the home of this
hostess on New Year eve found the hall
draped in black and lighted very sparingly
with candles, AT the entrance to the draw
| ing room were hung curtains of black
any kind of cheap, dull finished material.
Over the door on mount of silver paper
| in black was 1.-The announcement, 1.-The
| Home of the Wraiths." Above this pla-
of the spirits.
Stygian Gloom.
Upon parting the curtains a scene OF
stygian gloom was disclosed. Walls were
| hung with black, and to tighten up the
| surrounding horrors there were a weird
moon and few sickly stars cut from stiff
paper. Behind them were bicycle candles.
This semilight broke the gloom in the
region of the ceiling. About the room was
hung southern moss-the long, gray kind.
From the chandelier swung an artificial
| spider. Over the floor, making anything
but a bed of roses for the unwary foot
tread were artificial toads, spiders and I'M
| comfortable specimens of this character.
To add to the horrors, in one corner OF
the room was table on which was an
enormous snake made by coiling an old
yellow and black drop light tube and add
ing a snakes head formed of paper. 1t
sounds quite inoffensive, but when seen
in the gloom of its surroundings and pla-
carded Beware of the Python the effect
is quite alarming.
The real shivers of the evening began
upon greeting the hostess, who was gowned
in ghoStly gray flowing draperieS. AS
each guest greeted her series of shrieks
| was heard, for her hand came off in the
friendly grasp No one stopped to con-
slider that wet glove filled with sawdust
had been drawn up into the sleeve with
the good hand.
Uncanny Gowns.
The games of the evening were as I'M
canny as the rest of the proceedings. In
one part of the room was witches cal
dron presided over by the three witches
who predicted the rise and fall of Mac
beth. The caldron was nothing more than
| a large preserving kettle, under which
were fagots. The light was obtained by
| burning alcohol sprinkled with salt The
witches stirred the boiling liquid In the
,,,ao ,f1tfo
| bobbed up feretold what the new year had
| in store. These witches were selected with
care, as much depended upon their thrilling
prophecies.
Another game of "creeps' was carried
| out in the following fashion: The company
| gathered about large round table, and
some one appointed for the task handed
| all kinds of shaky, shivery objects under
| meath 1t. These were passed from one
| guest to another Objects that were used
with good effect were a small piece of ice
covered with sheepskin, small fur muff,
| a wet sponge and a toy mouse just wound
| up.
Ghost story telling was part of the pro-
| gram, and each member of the party was
/ asked to tell a story. When the second
| tale was about to begin the story telling
was interrupted by visit from super
| natural guests Clothed in yards of float
| ing gray stuff, these visitants fioated about
until discovered by some of the party. They
then Disappeared as suddenly as they came
| upon the scene.
AT about l1.30 the guests were invited
| out to supper. In corner Of the darkened
dining room WAS spread a rather small
table in the most shuddery manner.
Baked Funeral Meats.
| Worms and spiders worked by springs
wandered about over the cloth, which was
pail of funeral black, and large dishes
bore the inscription. Baked funeral
| meats"
Just as things were getting rather too
| intense and the spookiness too spooky
| peal of bells broke the spell. Light Hooded
| the room and disclosed a beautiful supper
| table gay and bright in its appointments.
! The hostess them announced truce to the
| old war of spirits and a goodby to her
| guests.
| The second table was as attractive and
| as optimistic in treatmeD,. as the other
| was depressing.
The decorations We're carried out with
| New Year bells arranged on rustic arched
| centerpieces made of twigs trimmed with
| holly and mistletoe, which should appear
! as IL growing from bank of scarlet eu-
/ phorbia, scarlet carnations and lilies o.
| the valley. All of these things can be
| made from the Christmas left overs"
| The large English lantern shown in the
| illustration was fastened at the entrance
| of the room In some conspicuous position
Il E~- n Ix> sa..l