Evening journal., 1906-10-31
HALLOWEEN
IS WITH US
The Mystic Night When Lads
AMI LasSeS Seek TO Find
Out Their Partners
MANY QUAINT CUSTOMS

Halloween or All Hallow Even as it
is sometimes called is supposed to be
the night in the year of all others that
supernatural and mystic influences
most prevail. From time immemorial
it has been believed by many that their
future husband or wife will be revealed
to them if they perform certain rites.
A popular custom is for a girl at
midnight to walk backward into a
darkened room, carrying a candle in her
hand. She then must look into mir
ror and viii there behold the counten-
ance of her future husband.
BY jumping over candle a girl is
supposed to be able to tell in what
month she will be married. Twelve
candles are lighted and each named
different month. The maiden then
leaps over them separately and the
one that goes out is the fateful month.
/ II girls wish to find out whether their
life partner is to be rich or poor the
following test is said to be infallible;
Take three dishes, one of Indian meal,
one salt and the third empty. Dip your
hand in them when blindfolded. The
Indian meal signifies gold, the salt sill
lver. and the empty dish poverty.
Another favorite Is for a girl to throw
two nuts INTO a fire giving an admirers
name to each. If one of them bursts
that lover is unfaithful. but # it burns
! with a steady glow until it becomes
ashes she then knows that her sweet
hearts faith is true. To find out the
! first letter of the name Of your loved
( one peel an apple, take the pairing by
one end IN your fingers. twirl it three
times about your head and then let
it drop. The apple pairing will surely
/ It is declared fall in the shape Of the
initial of the name that is ever in your
thoughts.
The old-fashioned sport Of bobbing
for apples still retains a large measure
OF its popularity and is one Of the fav-
orite sports at the parties which are
always a feature of Halloween. A
large tub is filled with water, IN which
apples are foated. They must be
caught with the teeth and usually be-
fore this is accomplished the person
trying it gets soaked Two cut apple
seeds stuck on the lids Of the eyes help
one immensely in determining which of
two lovers is the more desirable All
that is necessary is TO name the apple
seeds after the lovers, and that which
first drops to the ground is regarded
as being the one whose love is not
trustworthy.
The hemp-seed divination is also
known both in England and this coun-
try The person practicing this rite
must go out alone and unperceived with
a handful of hemp-seed, which he or
she must SOW on the ground. They
must then repeat the following: Hemp
seed, I sow thee; and hinl.or her that
is to be my true love come after me
land pou thee" II they then look over
their left shoulder they ought to see a
likeness Of their future sweetheart pull
ing the seed which they have sown. II
| nobody is seen it is a sign that they
will never marry.
Another good way for a maid to find
} her lover is before retiring to place a
tumbler Of water with a small piece OF
, wood in it by her bedside. In the nighi
? she win dream of falling from a bridge
into the river; but hardly will she
touch the water when her future hus-
band, whose face she can plainly see
VIII jump I'm and rescue her.
Halloween is Of very ancient origin
being considered by the best authori-
ties to have descended to us from the
Druids In the. middle ages it was the
custom to ring all the church bells. tC
, pray for departed souls. particularly
those Of friends. but this has been Ions
abandoned, and the night given up tS
all sorts Of frlvolities. The small boy
delights in ringing doorbells, taking of
gates and any other kind Of mischief
] that his ingenious mind can devise.