The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-10-29
Halloween is the Next
Holiday For the Youngsters

It will not be many more days. on
Tuesday, October 81, to be exact, the
young people will have their first
real holiday since Labor day, which
came, as everybody knows, on the
first monday in September. OF course
there was kind of holiday on O.
tober II, the anniversary of the dis
covery Of America, but it created
hardly a ripple on the smooth sur
face Of holidayism. The only effect
it had in Richmond was to close the
very susceptible to holidays, failed to
observe Columbus day.
But the next holiday to come, the
one mentioned above, is the real event
OF the year for the mischievous
youngsters, who have had no special
degree Of latitude since July Fourth.
1t is the evening before All-Saints
cen. Everybody who has ever been
boy or girl knows all about it. 1t
is the time when Mr.. Grump Is COM
PEELED to wire up his front gate, to
set watch dogs and spring guns in his
orchard and to sit up all night
watching the windows and the front
steps.
Halloween is also the occasion
when witches and sprites are sup
posed to run at large. And in COM
memoration OF this event it is the
custom of young people in Richmond
to mask for the occasion, using all
kinds Of outlandish costumes and pa
rading the streets until late at night.
A few years ago the custom of hold
ing sort Of carnival on Halloween
was carried out in this city and peo-
pie came from miles around to watch
or participate in the event. The car
nival habit, however, has been grow
ing less perceptible during the last
year or so, but nevertheless there
will probably be a good crowd of
revelers on the streets when the date
comes around.
The way OF observing Halloween
has changed greatly during the his
tory Of the holidays. 1t was first
great festival day for Druids in Brit
ain and continental Europe, way be-
fore the coming of the Christian re-
ligion. Later ON. when the legend of
the walking abroad of ghosts and
elves on Halloween became popular
in England, big bonfires were burned
at night to keep away spooks, and
the custom Of bobbing for apples and
roasting nuts began to be followed.
with fortune telling and the divina-
ton of future husbands and wives for
all the young people.
In our country, not so many years
ago, Halloween came to be the occa-
sion for mischief and sometimes for
the destruction of property. Gates
were taken away and carried long dis
tances. outhouses were tumbled over.
windows were thoroughly soaped and
the throwing of corn and cabbage was
great sport for the youngsters. And
probably there are few men in Rich
mond who cannot recall in the days
OF their youth. how they used to go
out on Halloween and frighten some
timid maiden lady by applying
"tic-tac" to her window.
the evening of October 81, because it
precedes All-Saints day, which falls
on the first Of November.
The even is now generally known
as the eve of Christian festival, but
its ceremonies, as formerly observed
long ante-date the Christian religion.
Our forefathers, centuries ago, light
ed great bonfires in the belief that on
this night Of all the year ghosts and
witches walked abroad in the land.
On or about November first, the
Druids held a great autumn festival
and lighted fires in honor Of the sun
god for bountiful harvests The
Druids believed also that on the eve