Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1919-12-11
YULETIDE BUSY
time FOR CUPID
Some Christmas Love SuperSti-
tons, Customs and Practices
in the Old World
PURSES FOR POOR BRIDES
Money Collected and Presented In
Way So as Not to Offend Girls
Flowers Used in Proposals by
Shy Young Natives of Alps.

Good st. Thomas. serve me right
and send me my true love tonight,
That may gaze upon his face,
Then him in my fond arms embrace.
After placing a piece of holly under
her pillow, nrany girl, in the north OF
England especially, repeats these lines
to herself before retiring to rest on
Christmas eve, according to writer
In London Tit-Bits.
Cupid plays an important part in
many of the superstitions and customs
that are still extant at this season.
Another queer custom in the north,
although it is not now so prevalent as
it was, is that of gathering maidenS'
purses. The money for these purses is
collected some weeks before Christmas
from the inhabitants of the mining
towns, and they are given as marriage
portions to the poorest among those
girls who are soon to be married. On
Christmas eve a full purse is quietly
thrown in at the girls window, so that
her feelings shall not be wounded by
an o9tentatious distribution.
A Christmas practice among super
stitiOus girls who wish to dream about
their future lovers is that of abstain
ing from food or drink or speech dur
ing the whole of Christmas eve. Then,
after all the family have retired, they
make a cake of flour, salt and water,
called "dumb cake" This they eat
just before retiring to bed, in the be-
lief that their somewhat indigestible
supper will cause them to dream of
their future husbands.
In the Alps there exist several
charming Yuletide customs of prOpOs-
ing marriage by the language of flow
ers. If a girl accepts a bouquet of
edelweiSs from man during the
period from Christmas day to New
Years eve the action denotes that she
accepts him as her future husband.
Another Christmas custom in Swift
erland is for the young man to place
flower pot containing a single rose, and
note on the window sill of the girls
room when she is absent from home.
He then waits for reply. If the maid
accepts the flower before New Years
eve, then the young man boldly enters
the house to TASK papa" If, on the
other hand, the rose is not touched,
but is allowed to fade away the pro-
posal is rejected without a single word
of love having been exchanged be-
tween the couple. This is a useful
custom for bashful bachelors
In Sardinia Christmas wooing is far
more complicated. If Sandman fa-
ther has n manageable daughter, the
would-be suitor applies to him for per-
mission to speak to her by means of a
species of telephone that has been in
use for the purpose for centuries of
Christmases.
1t is a long string with a wooden
knob at each end. The girl drops one
knob out of her window and, the shut
tiers being closed, places the other knob
to her ear. Down below her would-be
lover pours words cf Jndying devotion
into his knob!
On every New Years day in Rouma-
MIA a fair of manageable girls is
held. The girls are all drawn up in
one line and the men In another, with
the parents of both behind them. If a
young man likes the look of any par
ticular girl he steps out of his line,
goes up to her and enters into cenver-
sation. If he is favorably received by
the girl, his parents and her. parents
compare notes as to the marriage set
Element and similar practical matters
Many quaint superstltions are asso-
ciated with the festive season in vari-
GUS parts Of Britain. In Hertfordshire
the wearing Of new shoes on Christ
mas day is considered to be very I'M
lucky; while in other parts it Is
thought to be inviting Ill luck to allow
any new. leather in the house during