Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-24
ORIGIN OF HALLOWEEN CUSTOMS
Mystery and Mischief Have Held Sway on This
One Night From Time of Ancient Romans
Masquerade Parties in Manayunk

THE end Of October is a time Of action
L for the dwellers in the woods. About
october 20 the winter birds are here Oc-
tober Fl to 23 the bluebrds collect in
hoclts often with the orioles and kingbirds.
before starting southwark. They leave the
woods to the fairies, gnomes, elves and
witches and all misunderstanding beings
who hold their grand anniversary on Oc-
tober 81. 1t has been an immemorial GUS
tom to designate this eve of All Saints Day
as the night upon which supernatural in
luences most prevail. Children born on
this day are supposed to nave the power 10
converse with the fairies and elves until
they grow up and lose their faith in the
little people of the underworld. But even
the wise Erownup people like to believe
that on this one night Of the year the
little dancing fairies with their unerring
instinct in affairs of the heart may reveal
to them their future life partner.
Halloween Is a combination of various
beliefs and superstitons. on November
the ancient Romans held feast of dedica
ton to Pomona the goddess af fruits and
seeds. This was long before the Christian
era. The Druids, about the same time, Cele-
brated their autumn festival of thanks
giving to the sun, and believed that the
Lord Of Death, who called the lost souls OF
the last year to sentence them anew on
the eve Of this great anniversary, might be
induced by gifts and prayers to deal gen
tly with the lost ones. This was the origin
OF the eve of All Hallows Day.
The passion of prying into futurltE
makes a striking part Of the history OF
human nature in its rude state IN all ages
and nations What the young people DO
TODAY to discover their future Is done IN
lest. and many of the tricks tried nave
come down to us from England and scot
land where for long time Halloween was
given to freside gatherings with many
ceremonies by which to discover future
sweetheart These ceremonies include the
scatterine of seed. from the bag of hemp ;
the paring of the pippin round ah' rouhu
and throwing the uRbroken pairing over
the head to the ground; the burning OF
hazelnuts each bearing sweetheart
name, and according as they Durn quiet!
together or start from one another lhe
course and issue of the courtship VIII De ;
and going alone to the looking glass WIN
a candle and eating an apple before II 10
eae the face of your Conjugal companion
to-be neering over your shoulder YES an
these done in Jest, not believing the cohse-
ouences they are told will surely follow
but after all, hoping just little because
they are young enough TO have taith III
tho good offices of the sympathetic fairies.
The residents of the Twenty-tirst Ward
will give several masquerade entertain
ments around the Halloween season
hoDing the kind fairies may increase the
rrpds of The various good enterprises for
which the affairs are being arranged MI
A. Flanagan, editor, and Mr. A. X
Flanagan, business manager OF tne Epeh-
ezer Usher, the periodical of the Eoenezer
Methodist Episcopal Church, Gay street.
Manayunk. will give a merry witches en-
tertainment on Tuesday evening, october
AZ IN the church banquet hall to add to the
usher fund The hall will be decorated with
autumn leaves, corn stalks, pumpkin IAN