How it is Celebrated by the Boys and Young Girls.
TRICKS PLAYED UPON HOUSEHOLDERS AND PEDESTRIANS – HOW TO
ASCERTAIN ONES FUTURE HUSBAND OR WIFE – HOW A MAIDEN CAN HAVE HER FORTUNE
REVEALED TO FOR IN A STREAM.
Tomorrow
is All Saints' day and tonight being All Halloween the young folks will no
doubt do their celebrating as usual.
All Halloween is the evening
preceding All Hallow day – – properly called All Saints' day. Hallow–tide is a
comprehensive name for both days. There is scarcely any time more distinguished
than this by the common people throughout the British Files. This is probably
owing to the fact of November 1 having been one of the four great festivals of
their pagan ancestors. It was formally celebrated by the immense bonfires in
Wales, Ireland, the Scotch Highlands and even in England; in the latter place
up to a very recent. And occasionally at the present time. The custom also
prevails at present among the Welsh people who still practice superstitious
rites for defining the future.
In
Ireland particularly st1 November is regarded as the proper time to offer
thanks for the realize fruits of the earth. The Irish in this regard call it La
Mas Ubhal - that is, the day of the Apple fruit, and celebrated with seat of
roasted apples mixed in – AL or milk. Chas. Graydon, the Irish poet, very aptly
describes one favorite practice thus:
These glowing nuts are emblems true
Of what in human life review:
The mismatched couple fret and fume,
And thus in strife themselves costume.
Or see the happy, happy pair.
Of generous love and truth sincere.
With mutual fondness whole they burn,
Still to each other totally turn:
Till life fears or deal being passed,
Their mingled ashes rest at last.
Halloween
has always been the occasion of an enjoyable time in Christian countries. The
performance of spells by young people to discover their future partners for
life has been one of the most popular usages, as well as fireside reveries,
such as cracking nuts, dunking for apples and other enjoyments. It is the night
when witches, evil spirits and other mischief making been our abroad on their
midnight journeys, and when the fairies are supposed to hold their grand anniversary.
The custom of celebrating Halloween's night is still kept up and the evil-spirited
boys, as well as the fair maidens, take part in the celebration.
THE SMALL BOYS FUN
Whether
witches, devils in other evil spirits go about on their baneful errands or not
is probably a question of belief for those who study such things; but certainly
if they do not the small boys take their place on earth, while the maidens take
the places of the fairies and give parties and social gatherings for their
friends. The mischievous boys were among the foremost of the merrymakers, but
as boys will they generally carried [sic] their amusement so far as to make
them objectionable. Bonfires was [six] the general order of the occasion when
the city streets were not concreted and when large vacant lots were more
numerous than they are now. When their material became exhausted and the fires
could no longer be kept up the little demons turned their attention to their
favorite pastime of the occasion, which was to annoy their neighbors in various
ways, such as to tie the dead bodies of small animals on front doors, or ring
doorbells and help persons answering the Bell with cabbages or some other
objectionable article. Sometimes live animals were used, when dead ones were
scarce, and it was not an unusual happening to be awakened after midnight by
the helping dog that the boys had tied to the door bell.
THE SHOWER OF FLOUR
In
these days the boys consider themselves as boys no longer, and they turned
their attention to the social gatherings, while some of the older young men
have gone back to some of the pranks that were formerly played by young
America. Particularly does this apply to the throwing of flour about the
street. During the past few years in the city this form of amusement has them
lighted many parties of young men and cause merriment to persons on the street
other than those who happen to fall victims [sic].
In
the first place some preparation is made as a security against the police, and
that is often done by turning the coat inside out and wearing a slouch hat
turned in the same manner. There are some who do not care to risk this, and
they used burnt cork on their faces. When once disguised in this manner each of
the party takes a bag of flour and they start out to turn black into white, and
before the night is over they generally succeed, even if they also succeed in
getting in the lock-up. Colored persons are generally the victims selected, because
the flower shows more plainly and with better affect on their faces, while a
well-dressed white man would not get slighted should he in his travels meet the
crowd that is out for a night's enjoyment.
SERENADING PEDESTRIANS.
Some
of the smaller boys seem to find enjoyment in serenading pedestrians with dead
animals or soft vegetable matter, such as decayed apples, tomatoes and
potatoes. The changing of signs from one place of business to another was also
indulged in to a great extent, and on the morning of All Saints' day many
persons, from outward appearances were unable to tell whether they were keeping
a drugstore, a barbershop or a liquor saloon.
Another,
and one of the most annoying, pranks of the boys was to take a shutter from a
house and put it against the front door of the same house, or of one of the
neighboring dwellings, and then ring the bell, so that the person who opened
the door would either get the weight of that section of the house upon them or
would be put to the trouble of removing the obstacles in order to close the
door.
BOPPING FOR APPLES
is
probably one of the oldest customs in connection with the celebration and it
still plays a part in the day festivities attending and All Halloween party.
The apples, placed in a time of water, must all have stems, as it is by the
stem alone that the apple is permitted to be taken from the water,
A
trick, amusing to all except one of the party, is played with two plates and
the peculiar in doing requires it to be performed in a dark room. A basin of
water, a piece of soap and a towel are also required at the ending. Two rooms
are also needed. In one there must be no light, while in the other a dim light
is all that is required. The fortuneteller takes his or her position in the
room where the light is dimmed and the person who is anxious to learn something
of their future partner goes into the other room. A plate is on a table in
either room, the one in the dark room being black and over a gas jet or smeared
with such from the stove pipe. The maneuvering of the fortuneteller has to be
followed by the one who is endeavoring to peer into the future. The result is
shown by a glance in the looking glass.
NAMING CHESTNUTS
chestnuts
are named and roasted, and the one that "pops" first is the name of
the lucky or unlucky one, as the case may be.
At
such gatherings it is customary for the host to bake a cake and have a gold
ring placed in it. When refreshments are served the person doing the honors cup
the cake and passes and about the table. The ring has to be in one of the
slices, and the one who gets it, tradition has it, be the first in the party to
wed.
WHAT THE GIRLS DO.
There
are many other interesting method of telling Fortune on such occasions and the
final scene is done when the male members of the party have gone to their homes
and the and the maidens prepare to their rooms. When the light is extinguished
they are supposed to fold one of their garments and repeat the following:
"Hallee'n night
I go to bed,
I put my
petticoat under my head,
To dream of the
living and not of the dead,
And dream of the
one who I am to wed."
Sunday
is All Souls' day, which, is a day set aside to commemorate all the faithful
departed. It is a holiday that is observed in the Roman Catholic churches in
this country, while in some other countries it is observed by other
denominations, who remember the dead by strewing flowers on their grades. This
service follows All Saints day, when festivities are held in honor of the
saints and angels in heaven.[1]
Transcribed by John Peter Thompson, October 31,
2014.
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