Show u. u Halloween f HALLOWEEN the vigil of All Saints' Saints Dom Day which is on the first day of N November November Novem Novem- ber originated in the Church of Rome It is celebrated in Great Britain and Ireland more than in any other countries It was considered a night on which devils witches and all such beings were abroad on their mischief-making mischief errands and on this night fairies were also said to have held a grand anniversary On this night it was a custom among the Welsh for every family to make a great bonfire called Coel Cod and when almost out every everyone one would throw in a white stone having first marked it and then go to bed The next morning they would search for their stones and should one be missing the person who threw threw it in would die before he saw another Halloween r In some parts of Yorkshire Halloween is called Cake Night because on that night every woman bakes a cake for each one in her family Goldsmith in his Vicar of Wakefield mentions nuts in connection with All- All hallow Eve This is probably known to all of us The game of burning nuts is that if the nuts lie still still- 2nd nd burn to together together together to- to gether it signifies a happy marriage etc if however they bounce and fly apart it signifies quite the contrary The following lines by Charles Graydon Graydon Graydon Gray- Gray don illustrate perfectly the burning of j nuts These glowing nuts are emblems true Of what in human life we view The ill couple fret and fume J And thus themselves in strife consume Or from each other wildly start And with a noise forever part But see the happy happy pair Of genuine love and truth sincere With mutual fondness while they burn Still to each r kindly turn And as the vital sparks decay Together gently sink away Till lifes life's fierce ordeal being past Their mingled ashes rest at last rl Burns Burn in his poem on Halloween mentions several games which are played on that night Sowing seed hemp-seed is isone isone isone one with which almost every everyone one is acquainted Another is to take three dishes put clean water in one dirty water in another and leave the third empty Blindfold a girl and lead her herto herto herto to the dishes If she dips her left hand handin in the clean water she will marry a ayoung ayoung young man if in the dirty water a bachelor and if in the empty dish she will not marry at all This is repeated three times and each time the position of the dishes is changed r I W We e at the present time do not look i r upon these games as true We merely play them as they are games which are 3 suitable for Halloween Nor do we think this a night on which fairies f witches devils etc go abroad on their theirY Y midnight errands With th us it is a at j. j f f t ti d r t 1 LOW 0 o. o I. I night of fun and frolic with no superstition superstition superstition super super- attached We merely play the games to mix a little folly with our wisdom A. A G. G K |