The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-10-27
The Woman's Page of The imes-Dispatch
For Halloween

Not everybody who gaily ducks fer
apples on the last night Of October Or
Toasts chestnuts in the ashes or gces
down cellar eating an apple and. kold-
ing a handglass is aware that he Or
she 10 perpetuatinx customs hundnsAs
and hundreds Of years old. On Novem-
her the ancient Druids. clad In white.
built bondfres to propitiate Saman. IN
| important god among the Celts. ana
, later torches from the common IRE
were carried to light the domestic 6res
on the hearths. As long as the nre
! was kept burning good luck was sup
posed to attend the house. As late ~
our own revolutionary time the custom
Of carrying torches fro ma bonfire TO
the home hearth prevailed among the
rustics In the north of England.
In Wales q bonfire is kindled by each
| family on the eve Of November !. ana
white stones marked with individual
| initials, are tossed into the embArs- In
the morning a search II made through
| the ashes for the marked stones, and
woe to the members of the family
whose stone - not to be found The
rites connected with fires are Of Celtic
origin; those pertaining to nuts. apples
or other fruits are EJou,an. The blach
cats and witches are borrowed from
| old Irish approximations. As time went
| on the old religious and superstitious
. sentiments about the eve OF November
| 1, or Halloween. lost their Significance
until to-day the festival is one OF fun
| and frolic only.
The more ghost and ghostly decora-
| tions at the Halloween party the bet
| ter. The ghost should be q terrifying
sepulchral figure. and may stand in the
centre of the supper table or peer out
i - kA o.
hall. All lights but ghostly lights must
be dispensed with: that 10 an essenttas
part Of the fun. and II actual skull
lanterns are not obtainable pumpkin
lanterns OF yellow paper lanterns WITH
| black splashes for eyes. nose and mouth
will give a very mellow and mysterious
Halloween glimmer.
To make a properly sepulchral phan-
tom for the entrance kall take tbs
| tallest plano lamp In the house and
drape IT gracefully with sheets 70
simulate ghostly garments. FIRST tie
/, q cross-piece of wood broom handle
will do nicely-aeross the top Of the
lamp standard just beneath tie globe
This will represent the outstretchsl
arms. On the ends Of these wooden
arms fasten old white kid gloves STUFF
fed with bran. Two sheets will make
"a correctly ghostly drapery. and TIE
ghost should be made to look AZ tall
and slim as possible. even II the lamp
has to be mounted on a high stool
From the ghosts head pale ana
: luminous glow should radiate- The
glass globe must be entirely hidden
under a ghost head made Of white
or yellow crepe paper gathered over =
wire frame. On the paper head. Tea
lures, cut from untransparent paper.
4 &AHv~
eyes with black eyeballs. two round
lnostrils and . wide mouth turned mp
or down ut the corners
The apple-paring rite Is favortte
Halloween diversion. Each guest u
given a large red apple and sharp
knife. and the object is to pare around
and around the apple 20 that the skin
is removed In one piece. The Ions
strip OF pairing is tossed then over the
shoulder, while this Incarnation -
chanted:
apple, apple. tell to me
What my true loves name Will be-
It is always easy to guess some SORT
| of initial from the position Of the apple
pairing on the floor. Three throws WIN
determine sthe three initials Of tie 1u-
ture beloved one
| The misunderstanding rite II alwaya
1 R0O0 Iun Wuen SSVcIAS PCOVAC 8A0 80
ting around an open 6re. One Of IL
company places two chestnuts ON tAe
Goals, one chestnu, being named for =
young man or girl and the other for
the individual making the test II ths
nuts burn evenly and remain togetheE
the future married pair win live -
contented and happy as Darby 80
Joan, but IL one or both Of the nutn
dance about jump away or perhao1
| leap into the fire. II will be an ome4
that such . marriage could not poss1b1y
be happy. end another partner had BIT
ter be selected
Whatever else is omitted, the HeS-
Ilowe'en cake should be . feature q tAo
entertainment In the big cake are h14-
den the customary ring. thimble, pon.
pencil. coin. button. etc Thsoe aFu
supposed to promise to the reedptentn
10 happy marriage. spinstsrhooA Z
Literary career, IN artistic one. wealth.
bachelorhood and % on TIE ho0eooq
may add other symbols - her thDey
and her knowledge Of bsr yo00
tguests dictate.
For the Halloween luncheon q
bridge party there are .multieu1eo -
new favors. Each year the col1eceeon
seems to grow more interesting 81
more khostly and symbolical One 60
+, the familiar witch. black cat. puDpehM
lantern. vegetable man and ghost -
and there are many new fevStS
The gourd figures seem particularly -
d propriate and seasonable. One - Z
. gourd lantern with transparent go
: and teeth with this lantern 10 . 80
black velvet pussy with . most so0ngs
ling expression Of eountenance 49,
n vide open. red mouth Pussy's 49,
a comes on ana inside - . recepencAe
81 for candy. Three Halloween boHoe
favors are clown and brownie 49,
vi ana IN. funny cornauck maiden waeA
Iei q small tomato head Funniest % .
.sI the favcrs. however. are Herr 0oose
| ara hts bride. whose anatomy -
idrapery suggest a grape vine. tEeNBA
l. her head in q pale green shade SvsT
wire lantern frame
rall,es Of the Halloween briege -
be made OF water color paper u -
-