uls, and we find from some old account books that the good folk
were very careful to have all their bell-ropes and bells in good
order for All-hallow Even. This ringing was supposed to benefit the
souls of the dead in Purgatory, and was suppressed after the
Reformation.
There were some very homely pastimes for All-hallow Even for the
young folk in the north of England. Apples were placed in a vessel
of water and "dived for"; or they were suspended from the roof and
caught at by several expectant mouths. Sometimes a rod was suspended
with an apple at one end, and at the other a lighted candle. The
youths had their hands tied behind their backs, and caught at the
apple, often causing the candle to swing round and burn their hair.
The cracking of nuts was an important ceremony among the young men
and maidens, who threw nuts into the fire, and from the way in which
they cracked, or burned, foretold all kinds of happiness or misery
for themselves. The nuts that burned brightly prophesied prosperity
to their owners, but those that crackled or burned black denoted
misfortune. In olden times, when people were more superstitious than
they are now, they attached great importance to these omens and
customs, but happily the young people of our times have ceased to
believe in magic and foolish customs, and country girls strive to
attract their swains by other charms than those of nut-cracking on
All-hallow Even.
We have still our bonfires on November 5th, but the event which
happened on that day is very recent as compared with many of the old
customs of which I have been writing. However, it is nearly three
hundred years ago since Guy Fawkes and his companions attempted to
blow up the Houses of Parliament with gunpowder; and yet we still
light our bonfires and burn Guy Fawkes' effigy, with much
accompaniment of squibs and crackers, just as if the event which we
commemorate only occurred last year. Probably very few of our
rustics think much of the origin of the customs observed on November
the Fifth, or remember that it was instituted by the House of
Commons as "a holiday for ever in thankfulness to God for our
deliverance, and detestation of the Papists;" but this ignorance
does not prevent them from keeping up the custom and enjoying the
excitement of the bonfire and fireworks. If you are not acquainted
with the history of the conspiracy, I would advise you to read it in
some good history book, and--
"Pray to remember
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