Games for Hallow-e'en — Part Two

SNAPDRAGON

1. The dragon consists of 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.

Candied 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.

PUMPKIN ALPHABET

Carve all the letters of the alphabet on a medium sized pumpkin.

Put it on a dish and set on a stand or table.

Each guest in turn is blindfolded and given a hat-pin, then led to pumpkin, where he (she) is expected to stick pin into one of the letters on the pumpkin, thus indicating the initial of future life-partner.

DOUGH TEST

Take water and meal and make dough.

Write on slips of paper names of several of opposite sex friends; roll papers into balls of dough and drop them into water.

First name to appear will be future husband or wife.

WATER EXPERIMENT

A laughable experiment consists in filling mouth with water and walking around house or block without swallowing or spilling a drop.

First person of opposite sex you meet is your fate.

A clever hostess will send two unsuspecting lovers by different doors; they are sure to meet, and not unfrequently settle matters then and there.

THE DREAMER

If a maid wishes to know whom she is to marry, if a man of wealth, tradesman, or traveler, let her, on All-Hallow-e'en, take a walnut, hazelnut, and nutmeg; grate and mix them with butter and sugar into pills, and take when she goes to bed; and then, if her fortune be to marry a rich man, her sleep will be filled with gold dreams; if a tradesman, she will dream of odd noises and tumults; if a traveler, there will be thunder and lightning to disturb her.

CELLAR STAIRS

Cellar-stairs' test is where girl boldly goes downstairs backward, holding a mirror, and trying to catch in it the features of him who is to be her mate.

AROUND THE WALNUT TREE

Of all Hallow-e'en spells and charms associated with nuts, the following is one of the oldest: If a young man or woman goes at midnight on Hallow-e'en to a walnut tree and walks around three times, crying out each time, "Let him (her) that is to be my true love bring me some walnuts," future wife or husband will be seen in tree gathering nuts.

DUCKING FOR APPLES

Into one tub half filled with water are placed apples to the stems of which are tied bits of paper containing the names of the boys present at the party, while across the room is a similar tub in which the names of the girls are placed.

With hands tied behind them the young folks endeavor to extricate the apples with their teeth, and it is alleged that the name appearing upon the slip fastened to the apple is the patronymic of the future helpmeet of the one securing the fruit from the receptacle.

GAME OF FATE

Guests take part, seated in a circle.

Three Fates are chosen, one of whom whispers to each person in turn name of his (her) future sweetheart.

Second Fate follows, whispering to each where he (she) will next meet his (her) sweetheart; as, "You will meet on a load of hay," or, "at a picnic," or, "at church," or, "on the river," etc. The third Fate reveals the future; as, "You will marry him (her) next Christmas," or, "You will be separated many years by a quarrel, but will finally marry," or, "Neither of you will ever marry," etc. Each guest must remember what is said by the Fates; then each in turn repeats aloud what has been told him (her).

For example, "My future sweetheart's name is Obednego; I shall meet him next Wednesday on the Moonlight Excursion, and we shall be married in a week."

CANDLE AND APPLE

At one end of stick 18 inches long fasten an apple; at the 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.

WHERE DWELLS MY LOVER?

Steal out unobserved at midnight; plucking a small lock of hair from your head, cast it to breeze.

Whatever direction it is blown is believed to be location of future matrimonial partner.

"I pluck this lock of hair off my head To tell whence comes the one I shall wed.

Fly, silken hair, fly all the world around Until you reach the spot where my true love is found."

COMBING HAIR BEFORE MIRROR

Stand alone before mirror, and by light of candle comb your hair; face of your future partner will appear in glass, peeping over your shoulder.

THE FOUR SAUCERS

Place four saucers on table in line.

Into first put dirt; into second, water; into third, a ring; into fourth, a rag.

Guests are blindfolded and led around table twice; then told to go alone and put fingers into saucer.

If they put into dirt, it means divorce; into water, a trip across ocean; where ring is, to marry; where rag is, never to marry.

FEATHER TESTS

To foretell complexion of future mate, select three soft, fluffy feathers.

(If none is handy, ask for a pillow and rip open and take out feathers.

) On bottom end of each feather fasten a small piece of paper; a drop of paste or mucilage will hold all three in place.

Write "blonde" on one paper; "brunette," on another, and "medium" on the third.

Label papers before gluing them on feathers.

Hold up feather by its top and send it flying with a puff of breath.

Do same with the other two; the feather landing nearest you denotes complexion of your true love.

To make test sure, try three times, not using too much force in blowing feathers, which should land on table, not on floor.

BOWLS

One bowl is filled with clear water, another with wine, a third with vinegar, a fourth is empty.

All are placed in line on table.

Each person in turn is 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.

ROSE TEST

Take two roses with long stems.

Name one for yourself and one for your lover.

Go to your room without speaking to any one; kneel beside bed;

twine stems of roses together, and repeat following lines, gazing intently on lover's rose: "Twine, twine, and intertwine, Let my love be wholly thine.

If his heart be kind and true, Deeper grow his rose's hue."

If your swain is faithful, color of rose will grow darker.

NECKLACE

Make barrel-hoop into necklace of bread, candies, red peppers and candle-ends, and hang horizontally from ceiling.

Set hoop whirling and try to grasp its freight with your teeth.

Accordingly as you like your first bite will you enjoy married life.

WINNOWING CORN

Steal out into barn or garden alone and go three times through motions of throwing corn against the wind.

The third time an apparition of future spouse will pass you; in some mysterious manner, also, you may obtain an idea of his (her) employment and station in life.

CONSEQUENCES

One of the most popular games at a party is certainly "Consequences";

it is a very old favorite, but has lost none of its charms with age.

The players sit in a circle; each person is provided with a half sheet of notepaper and a pencil, and is asked to write on the top--(i) one or more adjectives, then to fold the paper over, so that what has been written cannot be seen.

Every player has to pass his or her paper on to the right-hand neighbor, and all have then to write on the top of the paper which has been passed by the left-hand neighbor (2) "the name of the gentleman"; after having done this the paper must again be folded and passed on as before; this time must be written (3) one or more adjectives; then (4) a lady's name; next (5), where they met;

next (6), what he gave her; next (7), what he said to her; next (8), what she said to him; next (9), the consequence; and lastly (10), what the world said about it.

Be careful that every time anything has been written the paper is folded down and passed on to the player on your right.

When every one has written what the world says, the papers are collected and one of the company proceeds to read out the various papers, and the result may be somewhat like this:-- (1) The horrifying and delightful (2) Mr. Brown (3) met the charming (4) Miss Phillips (5) in Westminster Abbey; (6) he gave her a flower (7) and said to her: "How's your mother?"

(8) She said to him: "Not for Joseph;" (9) the consequence was they danced the hornpipe, and the world said: (10) "Just what we expected."

DRY BREAD

Dreams mean much on Hallow-e'en, but certain ceremonies must be carefully followed in order to insure the spell.

Before going to sleep for the night have some one bring a small piece of dry bread.

No word can be spoken after this; silence must prevail.

Eat bread slowly, at same time making a wish and thinking the pleasantest thing imaginable.

Then drop off to sleep, and your dreams will be sweet and peaceful, and your wish will come true, if the charm works.

MAGIC STAIRS

Walk downstairs backward, holding lighted candle over your head.

Upon reaching bottom, turn suddenly and before you will stand your wished- for one.

ACTING RHYMES

For this game, half the players go outside the door, whilst those who stay in the room choose a word of one syllable, which should not be too difficult.

For instance, suppose the word chosen be "Flat," those who are out of the room are informed that a word has been thought of that rhymes with "Cat," and they then have to act, without speaking, all the words they can think of that rhyme with "Cat."

Supposing their first idea be "Bat," they come into the room and play an imaginary game of cricket.

This not being correct, they would be hissed for their pains, and they must then hurry outside again.

They might next try "Rat," most of them going into the room on their hands and feet, whilst the others might pretend to be frightened.

Again they would be hissed.

At last the boys go in and fall flat on their faces, while the girls pretend to use flat-irons upon their backs.

The loud clapping that follows tells them that they are right at last.

They then change places with the audience, who, in turn, become the actors.

ALPHABET GAME

Cut alphabet from newspaper and sprinkle on surface of water; letters floating may spell or suggest name of future husband or wife.

SHADOW BUFF

A splendid game, and one specially suitable for a large party.

A sheet or white tablecloth is first of all stretched right across the room, and on a table behind it is placed a bright lamp.

All the other lights in the room are then extinguished, and one of the players takes a seat upon a low stool midway between the lamp and the sheet.

The other players endeavor to disguise themselves as much as possible, by distorting their features, rumpling their hair, wearing wigs, false noses, etc. , and pass one by one behind the player seated on the stool.

Their shadows are thus thrown upon the sheet.

The aim of the seated player is to guess the identity of the shadows as they pass before him; and the aim of the others is to endeavor by every means in their power to keep him from recognizing them.

As may be imagined, the task of the single player is not an easy one, the distorted shadows being vastly different from the originals as seen before the lights were extinguished.

APPLE SEEDS

Name two wet apple seeds and stick them on forehead.

First seed to fall indicates that the person for whom seed is named is not a true lover.

PARTNERS

The players divide themselves into ladies and gentlemen, if the ladies predominate some must personate gentlemen, and vice versa.

The gentlemen then proceed to choose lady partners.

One of the players next undertakes to question the couples.

The fun consists of the questions being put to the lady and the gentleman answering for her.

"Do you like your partner?"

the lady is asked, and the gentleman may reply, "Yes, I adore him."

Whatever the reply the lady is forbidden to deny it; if she does, or if she answers for herself, she must pay a forfeit.

But retaliation comes, for when all the ladies have been questioned the gentlemen's turn arrives, and the ladies answer for their partners.

"What is your favorite occupation?"

the question may be, and the lady may answer "Dressing dolls," or "Making mud pies," or anything ridiculous that occurs to her.