The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-10-29
Random, Sketches
halloween.

halloween.
All Saints Day II festival OF the
churches otherwise called All Haliow
Day. The evening Of the 31st Of o.
tober is called All Hallow even, or
Hallow Fen Is being the vigil or eve
OF All Hallow day. Hallowtide is =
comprehensive name for both days.
The Roman Catholic church designed
this day to be held In honor Of all
those saints who had not particular
days appointed for them.
II does not appear, says an old
writer. that All Saints day or it, eve.
was ever marked by very particular
service in the Catholic church. Never.
the-less there II scarcely any time
more distinguished by the. common
people throughout the British islands.
or even in our own land, the United
States, than Halloween.
Rather moro IL It suspected that the
inspiration for its celebration In the
manner now adopted, instead Of
being taken from church rites, was
adopted from the customs OF our pagan
ancestors, who 1t will be remembered
had four notable festival days. No
vember I. February /, May I. and
August /. Tho ancient names OF these
two latter was Beltane and LAmmas.
These four days were celebrated by
the kindling Of fires In conspicuous
places, and performing certain cere-
monies. Fires were very generally
kindled In Wales. Ireland and the
Scottish Highlands and even In Eng.
land on the frst OF November mp to
half century ago, and the custom
may still be kept up In some remote
places Of those lands.
It is stated by Pennant that sin the
north of Wales there is custom upon
All Saints eve Of making great f1re
called Coel Coeth. Every family, about
an hour in the night, make great
bonfire in the most conspicuous place
near the house. and when it Is almost
extinguished, everyone throws q white
stone into the ashes. having first
marked it, then having said their pray
ers turning round the fre, they go to
bed. In the morning % soon rs they
are up, they come to search out the
stones. and Il. any of them are found
wanting. they have notion that the
person who threw It in will die before
he sees another Hallow Eve" 1t Is
mentioned by another writer that they
dance round and jump through the
bonfires, and at the conclusion always
run away ito escape the black. short
tailed SOW"
It is also written that both In
Perthshire and in Ireland that many
years ago that the day was properly
regarded as tho proper time for ven
turing thanks for the realized fruits
of the earth. The Irish, In this regard
called 1t ia Mas Ubhal," that ID, the
day Of the apple fruit. and celebrated
It with drink or mess composed Of
bruised roasted apples among ale or
milk. This drink in time acquired the
strange appellation Of lambs wool, =
corruption, apparently. OF the name OF
the day in the Celtic language.
Ringing OF bells was one Of the
modes Of celebrating Hallowmas in
Eu6A0uu ia Su0 0o4 N0y0.
In celebration Of the day, nuts were
cracked and eaten. Apples were also
extensively eaten; and hence In the
north OF England, All Halloween Is
often called Nut-crack Might There
were other fortune telling Customs be-
sides those described by Robert Burns
which you have NO doubt all read IS
they are SO quantity described in his
poem on the subject The more dar-
ing rites OF the celebration have in
later years been omitted by polite
people as to course for practice.
At meetings OF young persons on
the day, q plentiful supply Of nuts and
apples were provided and q few
simple amusements pfacticed. Tho
experiment OF the burning nuts, 20
test the durdeon Of love or friendship
was favorite pastime. Duching for
apples was another. A tub being pro-
vided, nearly full Of water, and the
fruit thrown in. the young people en-
deavored to seize q floating apple In
their teeth task much more DIM
cult than might be supposed, and
which generally puts the dresses and
tresses OF the fair girls entering the
contest into considerable disorder.
The baffled efforts Of the various par
ties, raise shouts Of laughter.
Or cross stick IL suspended by .
string from the ceiling, with short
burning candle on ono end and an
apple on the other While It swings
rapidly round. lads and lasses, with
their hands tied, attempt to catch the
apple with their teeth, but generally
suffer good deal from the burning
candle before they succeed In their
object. Here also failure brought
about much merrfment. It has been
thought rather remarkable that Burns
did not introduce into his poem any
notice Of these sports, which like the
others, were prevalent In his day over
the whole OF his majestys domains.
From these came the custom Of