Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-10-22
terized this important celebration are
a few fortune telling games.

Shaw, in his history of the province
of Moray, seems to consider the fes-
tivities of this night as a sort Of har-
vest home rejoicing. He tells that a
solemnity was kept on the eve Of Mo-
vember as a thanksgiving for the safe
ingathering. of the produce of the
fields. On the Isle of Lewes a sacri-
flee was made to sea god called
Shony, to invoke his blessing upon the
next seasons crops. The inhabitants
around the island came to the little
church Of Saint Mulvay, having each
man his provisions with him. Every
family furnished a peck Of malt, and
this was brewed into ale.
One Of their number was selected to
wade into the sea up to his middle,
and. carry a cup Of ale in his hand.
standing still in this position, cried out
with a loud voice, "Shony, 1 give you
this cup of ale, hoping that you will
be so kind as to send us plenty Of sea
ware for enriching our ground the
coming year," Thereupon he threw
the ale into the sea and returned to
land. Next, all present proceeded to
the church, where a candle burned up
on the altar. Standing silent for a
short time, one of them gave a signal,
at which the candle was blown out.
and then all went to the fields. drank
ale. and spent the remainder of the
night in dancing and singing.
Some Strange Drinks.
In Ireland. the celebration Of Hal
lowe'en was always the occasion for
a day of great feasting, and many
strange concoctions were partaken Of.
One, called Lambs Wool" was made
by bruising apples and mixing with
ale, milk, or wine. That the name
is appropriate Is scarcely apparent,
unless perchance 1t has reference to
the condition Of ones tongue on the
morning Of Nov. 1. The children of
Ireland gathered ANGRY weed" at this
season to protect themselves against
the wrath Of their parents, and babies
born in that country on October 81
were supposed to be possessed Of evil
spirits, to have the gift Of second
sight, and to retain it during all their
lives.
In the Isle of Man the whole meal
on Halloween, or Hollandtide, as they
styled 1t, was made Of mixture Of
potatoes, parsnips, and fish, pounded
together and moistened with butter.
Nuts have been 80 thoroughly asso-
ciated with this festival that 1t has
been sometimes called Nut Crack
Night" and one Of the tests Of the
Fates, a custom universal in all old
time Halloween celebrations, was the
burning of nuts which were named
and placed upon a long handled SHOW
ell in the fire. AS they burned brightly,
burned black, or bursted with loud
report. prosperity, misfortune, or ear
ly death was indicated. Burns says
that the passion of prying into futurity
forms a striking part Of the history Of
human nature.
In the reign Of Charles I. Of England
the gentlemen Of the Middle Temple"
were accustomed to consider this sea-
son as the beginning OF Christmas. and
among the Romanists' 1t was really
only the beginning Of All Saints Day
November -. day set apart for SOL
emn services for the repose Of the
dead. With other sects, 1t was the day
dedicated to the angel presiding over
fruits, seeds, and the like. All Saints
Day was originally May 13, but some
how, somewhere, in the dim and misty
past, 1t was changed to November 1,
although no reason seems to have been
assigned for 1t. In Germany, Wal
purgis Night, which corresponds In
significance to All Hallow's Eve, Is
still celebrated on the eve Of May l..
The world. however, grown old and
wise, has ceased to believe in many Of
it's superstitions. Halloween, once a
fine old festival has waned in popular
ity, and fairy solicitation has been
overshadowed by modern progress.
Albeit this Is true, these old time OBJ
servances form a bridge which spans
a wide past between us and the gen.
erations that have gone before.-John
Wilkes.