And all pretended gravity of those
That seek to banish hence these harmless sports,
Have thrust away much ancient honesty."--IRVING'S _Sketch Book_.

All-hallow Eve--"Soul Cakes"--Diving for Apples--The Fifth of
November--Martinmas--_Demands Joyous_--Indoor Games.


The first of November is All Saints' Day, and the eve of that day,
called All-hallow Even, was the occasion of some very ancient and
curious customs. It seems to have been observed more by the
descendants of the Celts than by the Saxons; and Wales, Scotland,
and Ireland were the homes of many of the popular superstitions
connected with this festival. In Scotland the bonfires were set up
in every village, and each member of a family would throw in a white
stone marked with his name; and if that stone could not be found
next morning, it was supposed that that person would die before the
following All Saints' Day. This foolish superstition may be classed
with the other well-known superstition with regard to the sitting of
thirteen people at one table, in which some are still foolish enough
to believe.

All-hallow Even was supposed to be a great night for witches:
possibly it was with the intention of guarding against their spells
that the farmers used to carry blazing straw around their cornfields
and stacks. It was the custom for the farmer to regale his men with
seed cake on this night; and there were cakes called "Soul Mass
Cakes," or "Soul Cakes," which were given to the poor. These were of
triangular shape, and poor people in Staffordshire used to go
_a-souling_, i.e. collecting these soul cakes, or anything else they