Werner's Readings & Recitations: No. 31, Hallowe'en Festivities
More Examples of Entertaining Games and Mysteries
Hiding Ring, Thimble, and Penny:
Hide ring, thimble and penny in room. To one who finds ring speedy marriage is assured; thimble denotes life of single blessedness; penny promises wealth.
Jumping Lighted Candle:
Place lighted candle in middle of floor, not too securely placed; each one jumps over it. Whoever succeeds in clearing candle is guaranteed a happy year, free of trouble or anxiety. He who knocks candle over will have a twelve month woe.
Secret Test:
Float in a tub of water a half walnut shell with tiny sail made of tooth-pick and slip of paper. On paper each one writes his initials and another's, revealing name to no one. Boats are all launched at same time; water is agitated to make miniature waves; those whose boats are overturned will not win their lovers and sweethearts, but owners of boats that override the troubled seas will get their hearts' desires.
College Colors:
Ribbons indicating college colors are hung up; girls of young men are blindfolded, and each picks out a streamer, and so knows what future college husband of wife will have for alma mater.
Cellar Stairs:
Cellar-stairs' test is where girl boldly goes down stairs backward, holding a mirror, and trying to catch in it the features of him who is to be her mate.
Bowls ("Luggies"):
One bowl is filled with clean water, and another with wine, a third with vinegar, a fourth is empty. All are placed in line on table. Testers are blindfolded, turned about three times, and led to table. A hand is put out and prophecy made by bowl touched. Water shows happy, peaceful life; wine promises rich, eventful, noble career; vinegar, misery and poverty; an empty bowl is a symbol of bachelor or spinster life.
Snapdragon:
1. The dragon consists of a half a pint of ignited brandy or alcohol in a dish. As soon as brandy is aflame, all lights are extinguished, and salt is freely sprinkled in dish, imparting a corpse-like pallor to every face. Candies fruits, figs, raisins, sugared almonds, etc., are thrown in, and guests snap for them with their fingers; person securing most prizes from flames will meet his true love within the year.
2. Or, slips of paper on which verses are written are wrapped tightly in tin-foil and placed in dish. Brandy is poured on and ignited. The verse each person gets is supposed to tell his fortune.
Place burning dish in middle of bare table, for drops of burning spirits are often splashed about.
Needle Game:
Each person floats greased needle in basin of water. Impelled by attraction of gravitation, needles will act very curiously; some cling together, others rush to margin and remain. The manner in which one person's needle behaves towards another's causes amusement, and is supposed to be suggestive and prophetic.
Candle and Apple:
At one end of stick 18 inches long fasten an apple; at other end, a short piece of lighted candle. Suspend stick from ceiling by stout cord fastened in its middle so that stick will balance horizontally; while stick revolves players try to catch apple with their teeth. A prize may be in center of apple.
Apple Seeds:
Name two wet apple seeds and stick them on forehead. First seed to fall indicates that the person for whom the seed is named is not a true lover.
Excerpt Taken From:
Schell, Stanley. Werner's Readings & Recitations: No. 31, Hallowe'en Festivities. New York, NY: Edgar S. Werner & Co., 1903.
Games and Mysteries
Witches Dance
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