HALLOW-E'EN

Flags Of All Nations
Drape the red, white and blue bunting from tree to tree and nail to the trees flags of sixteen different countries; the flags to be numbered. Provide each guest with a card containing as many numbers as there are f...

Hallow-e'en
Hallow-e'en or Hallow-Even is the last night of October, being the eve or vigil of All-Hallow's or All Saint's Day, and no holiday in all the year is so informal or so marked by fun both for grown-ups as well as ...

Apple Seeds Forehead
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. ...

Apple Paring
Each guest, receiving apple and knife, is requested to peel apple without breaking; then swing paring around head, and let it drop to floor. The letter formed is initial of future mate's name. Or, you may hang your...

Apple-seed Test
Cut an apple open and pick out seeds from core. If only two seeds are found, they portend early marriage; three, legacy; four, great wealth; five, sea voyage; six, great fame as orator or singer; seven, possession ...

Blind Nut Seekers
Let several guests be blindfolded. Then hide nuts or apples in various parts of room or house. One finding most nuts or apples wins prize. ...

Barrel-hoop
Suspend horizontally from ceiling a barrel-hoop on which are fastened alternately at regular intervals apples, cakes, candies, candle-ends. Players gather in circle and, as it revolves, each in turn tries to bite o...

Raisin Race
A raisin is strung in middle of thread a yard long, and two persons take each an end of string in mouth; whoever, by chewing string, reaches raisin first has raisin and will be first wedded. ...

Hallow-e'en Souvenir Game
Suspend apples by means of strings in doorway or from ceiling at proper height to be caught between the teeth. First successful player receives prize. These prizes should be Hallow-e'en souvenirs, such as emery cus...

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 ...

True-lover Test
Two hazel-nuts are thrown into hot coals by maiden, who secretly gives a lover's name to each. If one nut bursts, then that lover is unfaithful; but if it burns with steady glow until it becomes ashes, she knows tha...

Ring And Goblet
Tie wedding-ring or key to silken thread or horsehair, and hold it suspended within a glass; then say the alphabet slowly; whenever ring strikes glass, begin over again and in this way spell name of future mate. ...

Threading A Needle
Sit on round bottle laid lengthwise on floor, and try to thread a needle. First to succeed will be first married. ...

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

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 n...

Apples And Flour
Suspend horizontally from ceiling a stick three feet long. On one end stick an apple, upon other tie small bag of flour. Set stick whirling. Each guest takes turn in trying to bite apple-end of stick. It is amusing...

Cyniver
Each girl and boy seeks an even-leaved sprig of ash; first of either sex that finds one calls out cyniver, and is answered by first of opposite sex that succeeds; and these two, if omen fails not, will be joined in ...

Walnut Boats
Open English walnuts, remove meat, and in each half shell fasten short pieces of differently colored Christmas candles, each of which is to be named for a member of party and, after lighting, set afloat in large pan...

Winding Yarn
Throw a ball of yarn out of window but hold fast to one end and begin to wind. As you wind say, "I wind, who holds?" over and over again; before end of yarn is reached, face of future partner will appear in window, ...

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 ...

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 ...

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...

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. ...

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 t...

Jumping Lighted Candle
Place a 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 ...

Dumb Cake
Each one places handful of wheat flour on sheet of white paper and sprinkles it over with a pinch of salt. Some one makes it into dough, being careful not to use spring water. Each rolls up a piece of dough, spread...

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. ...

Pulling Kale
All are blindfolded and go out singly or hand-in-hand to garden. Groping about they pull up first stalk of kale or head of cabbage. If stalk comes up easily the sweetheart will be easy to win; if the reverse, hard ...

Perplexing Hunt
In this game the seeker for a prize is guided from place to place by doggerels as the following, and is started on his hunt with this rhyme: "Perhaps you'll find it in the air; If not, look underneath your ch...

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 tw...

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 ...

Mirror And Apple
Stand in front of mirror in dimly lighted room and eat an apple. If your lover reciprocates your love he will appear behind you and look over your right shoulder and ask for a piece of apple. ...

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. ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 sa...

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 h...

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 ...

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...

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 intentl...

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 sp...

The Loaf Cake
A loaf cake is often made, and in it are placed a ring and a key. The former signifies marriage, and the latter a journey, and the person who cuts the slice containing either must accept the inevitable. ...

To Try One's Luck
In a dish of mashed potatoes place a ring, a dime, and a thimble. Each guest is provided with a spoon with which to eat the potatoes; whoever gets the ring is to be married within a year; the thimble signifies sing...

Melting Lead
Each person melts some lead and pours it through a wedding-ring or key into a dish of water. The lead will cool in various shapes, supposed to be prophetic. Any ingenious person will interpret the shapes, and furni...

Naming Chestnuts
Roast three chestnuts before the fire, one of which is named for some lady (or gentleman); the other two, for gentlemen (or ladies). If they separate, so will those for whom they are named; those jumping toward the...

The Mirror
Walk backward several feet out of doors in moonlight with mirror in your hand, or within doors with candle in one hand and mirror in the other, repeating following rhyme, and face of your future companion will appe...

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 ha...

Lover's Test
A maid and youth each places a chestnut to roast on fire, side by side. If one hisses and steams, it indicates a fretful temper in owner of chestnut; if both chestnuts equally misbehave it augurs strife. If one or ...

Flour Test
A bowl is filled tightly with flour. During the process of filling, a wedding ring is inserted vertically in some part of it. The bowl, when full, is inverted upon a dish and withdrawn, leaving the mound of flour o...