People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 November 1893 — Halloween. [ARTICLE]

Halloween.

We donbt h’ there are but few persons who know the ancient oriain of this peculiar event, and often are we. asked as to where it takes its name. From what we can learn Halloween, or Hallow Even, is the name properly given to the eve or vigil of All Hallows, or festival of All Saints, which being the Ist of November; Halloween is the 31st of October. In England it was long customary to crack nuts, duck for apples in a tub of water, or perform other harmless fireside revelries. While the same thing can be said of Scotland, the Halloween ceremonies of that country partook more of a superstitious character; taking, among rustics, the form of a charm 1,0 discover who should be his or her part ner for life*. Of these now exploded customs the best summary is that contained in Burns’ well known poem “Halloween.” Thingstake quite a different as pect in this country. In former years practical Jokes predominated and some of them were simply outrageous. Fences were built across roads and streets, signs pulled down and removed to other parts of town, gates stolen, vehicles run into mill ponds and streams of water, and numerous other foolish practices. But in former years the custom heretofore is dying out and it is only the younger boys that do any devilment, which is usually of a minor character.