The Savannah morning news., 1904-11-02

Yesterday was All Saints Day a
festival that was observed with APP
propriate services in the Roman Cath
Ollie and Episcopal churches. To-day
is All Souls Day and will be observed
by special masses in the Roman Cath
Ollie churches.
An Saints Day is known under
many different names. In the old
English it was called All Hallows, All
Hallowmas. or simply Hallowmas. 1t
is distinctly church festival and was
introduced because OF the impossi-
bility of observing a separate day for
each of the saints. 1t came into general
observance early in the history of the
Christian Church, appearing first in
the Greek Church.
In this division of the church the
observance of the festival appears as
early as the fourth century, imme-
diately after the cessation of the per-
secution. AT that time the first Sun
day after Easter was appointed by
the Greek Church for reVering the
memories of the martyrs generally. In
the Church of Rome a similar festival
was introduced in 610 AT that time
the old NEUROLOGICAL Pantheon (the
present Rotunda or Santa Maria del
MarirD, was consecrated, the ceremo-
MES taking place on March Is.
Instituted by Gregory Nv.
The real festival of All Saints Day,
however, was first regularly institu-
ted by Pope Gregory Nv on Nov. /,
$50. The exact reasons for fixing upon
that day is not known, but it was
doubtless due to the fact that Nov. /,
or rather, the eve preceding il, was one
OF the four great festivals of the heath
en- nations of the north These festi-
walls were held on the first day of No
vember, February, May and August.
curious commlngling of the old
myths. with all their beauties, and the
teachings of the Christian Church has
resulted. Popular fancy among the
nations of the north. which were lust
then becoming Christianized thorough
ly mingled with the teachings of the
priests. To-day the quaint and Curl
GUS customs are still carried out in
pleasant gatherings on the eve pre-
ceding the feast. the well known and
popular Halloween.
Superstitions springing from the old
Teutons are practiced to-day in a
spirit OF fun. The maiden walks slow
the while into a mirror which she is
carrying in her hands. on the top
step she is to be greeted by the face of
her future husband. and timid lovers
have made much of the story
If an apple is carefully peeled and
the long, slender peeling twirled three
times around the head and then flung
across the room. Fates hand will
cause 1t to shape itself in the form of
the initial letter of the true lovers
name. Myriad other customs have
grown up around the day, and the
younger generation look upon it now
as somewhat of a holiday and night
for participating.
In its church Significance 1t is
beautiful custom. Its the time when
those who have beens enjoying the ben
etits which Christianity has bestowed
upon them with our accord. unite in
paying honor to the memory of those
who won the fight. against the pagan
emperors of imperial Rome.
All sOuIsYnsy; To-day.
Following All Saints Day is All
Souls Day. a festival of the Roman
Catholic Church. sThis festival was
first instituted in 9gss in the monastery
Of Clugny. The object of the day is.
that by prayers and almsgiving to al
leviate the sufferings of the souls in