Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-17
OCCASION FOR FRANKS
Only Fifteen Days to Another
Halloween.
ROUGH JOKES OF THE'BoYs
Washington Girls Will Again Try to
Forecast Their Fate.
HISTORIC ORIGIN OF THE DAY
Practices of Old Scotland as De-
scribed by Burns, One Of the
Authorities on the Subject.
HISTORIC ORIGIN OF THE DAY
The chestnut crop is heavy.

| Likewise the persinmon crop.
| And there are apples a-p,enty.
| The foregoing observations were made
| today by a suburbanite, who is looking
ahead with pleasant anticipations to the
gayeties and frolics Of Halloween.
Fifteen days hence-October 31-the day
| Of ''witchcraft," superstition and fun will
| be ushered in, and the boys and girls OF
| Washington will be at their pranks again
Fates will be decided and sweethearts
will watch intently how the chestnuts
| roast in the cracking fire.
| Local grocers will sell to the youth OF
the city many pound packages Of -four
''of the clinging kind and the lads will
endeavor to originate some brand-new
twentieth century brands of mischief to
| perpetrate on the unwary pedestrians in
the candleltght hours. AS on former Hal
| loweens, practical jokes will be the tea
ture.
The girls Of Washington will be less
demonStrative and strenuous in their cele-
bration of the occasion than those of the
opposite sex. and hence they will not
| come under the ban OF Maj. Sylvester S
suppressive orders. They will indulge in
such harmless amuSementS and fate fore
casts as looking in the mirror. while eat
ing an apple, to see if any handsom face
is peering over their shoulders. They will
duck in the Washtubs for pippins or GO
down stairs backward with a lighted can
die in an effort to bump into t.eir affini-
ties.
Origin of Halloween.
Halloween the eve Of All Saints day
1t takes it's origin from the fact that Ii
is the anniversary of the last day on
| which the Roman gods We're allowed ny
law to be worshiped i'll Rome. The day
| also marks the beginning OF the Chris
tan religion as the state religion OF
Rome.
In Scotland. England and some parts
of America ii is regarded as the time
when supernatural influences prevail, and
as the night when grim ghosts of the de-
parted walk the earth.
Many unique parties are given in this
city on All Halloween. These include
ghost parties. 'peeps-into-the- future
entertainments" children's parties, eu-
chres with uncanny prizes, such as NINA
ture black cats. paper mache snakes and
frogs. toy lizards and bats, and what
not.
Described by Burns.
Burns, the poet OF the Scots, is one OF
the authorities of Halloween practices,
and 1t Is to him that the rest Of the world
is indebted for accounts Of many of the
frolics of the Celtic peasants on the night
In question. His poem, Halloween" de-
scribes APPLY the customs of the time in
which he wrote and which still prevail
around the shores of Loeb Lomond
along the banks of the Bonnie Doom. -
and on Cassilas Downons. The latter
are a group Of green hills near the an.
Client seat Of the Earls OF Cassilas. one
OF the most powerful families of the
Highlands. in the days when it was dan
gerous for a man wearing the Cameron
plaid to go near the domains Of the wear
ers of Mcpherson green, black and red
check, or vice versa.
One of the first ceremonies of this night
of feasting was pulling a stock of kali
\ lad and a lassie went out, hand In
hand. with eyes shut. to the kali bed
and pulled the first stock they came upon
Its being big or little, straight or crooked
was prophetic OF the size and shape OF
| the grand object of all their spells the
future husband or wife. II any "yird''
tune. and the taste Of the "heart of the
stem" the custock. was indicative OF the
temper and disposition of the future life S
partner.
Trying Fate With Water.
Another test is TO try fate with three
bowls of water. Put clean water In one,
dirty in the second and leave the third
empty. Blindfold person and lead him
to the hearth where the bowls are set
and let him dip his left hand in one OF
| them. If by chance, he dips his hand
| in the clean water his future wife will
| be a maid: IL In the dirty water. Il widow
| and If In the empty dish, he will not be
married at all.