This old 1914 article found in a newspaper includes some interesting games that used to be played at Halloween parties. Some of the activities can be dangerous. With that in mind, I am placing this article up for research purposes only. I do not recommend that anyone hide objects in the food because it is a choking hazard.
Ideas For A Halloween Party
Halloween is a time of rejoicing and festivity, and many delightful parties are given to celebrate it fittingly. The problem of entertaining the guests harasses many a hostess, and for her assistance the following time honored games are recorded:
First in the list comes snapdragon. This game is a great favorite with the younger folks, and even the elders will enjoy it. About half a pint of brandy should be put into a dish and a match applied to it. The moment it catches fire the light in the room should be put out, so that the sole illumination comes from the blazing brandy.
Handfuls of candied fruits, raisins, sugared almonds are then flung in, and the guests must try to snatch them out of the flames. This causes great excitement and much laughter, and is sure to make the party a success. The girl or man who manages to obtain the highest amount of fruit, etc., from the flames will meet her, or his, future mate within a year!
Another delightful game is played with a mirror. The moon should be shining brightly, and the guest must walk several paces backward in the moonlight, holding a looking glass in one hand and gazing all the time into the looking glass. If the following verse is repeated, the face of the guest’s future husband or wife, as the case may be, will appear in the glass:
“Round and round, O stars so fair!
Ye travel and search out everywhere;
I pray you, sweet stars, now show to me
This night who my future husband (or wife) will be!”
The Shadow Game
This is a splendid game for Halloween. A sheet or tablecloth should be stretched across the center of the room and a lamp placed behind it on a table. The lights in the room are then put out, and one player sits at the side between the lamp and the sheet. The other players must then pass in turn behind the one sitting on the stool, their shadows being thrown upon the sheet. They make all sorts of contortions and grimaces, wear false noses and beards, etc., and the man on the stool must try to guess their identity. This is a rather difficult proposition, as the shadows seem strangely distorted and twisted.
An Old English Halloween Custom
The girl or man who is anxious to know who her or his future companion for life will be, will steal out on the night of Halloween quite alone, and will pluck a hair out of the head and cast it away, watching carefully in which direction the breeze may blow it. The future partner will live in the direction in which the hair blows. To make the charm work, the following verse should be recited aloud:
“I pluck this lock of hair off my head
To tell whence comes the one I shall wed.
Fly, silken hair, fly al the world around
Until you reach the spot where my true love is found.”
The Three Dishes
Another game that will cause great interest among the guests is played in this fashion: Take three dishes, fill one with clear water, the second with water into which some black ink has been poured, and leave the third dish empty. One of the guests is then blindfolded and led to the table where the three dishes are laid. The guest then dips his (or her) left forefinger into one of the dishes. If it is the empty dish, he is fated to be a bachelor all his life – or, if the player be a lady, she will be an old maid. If the finger is dipped into the inky water the player will marry a widow or a widower, but if the finger is dipped into the clear water, then the future partner for life will be young, charming, and handsome.
Mashed Potato Game
A very amusing game is played with mashed potatoes. Into the midst of the mashed potatoes a dime, a ring and a thimble should be placed. The potatoes are then eaten by the guests, and great is the excitement as to who will get the articles buried in the mashed potatoes.
The one who gets the ring will soon be married. The one who gets the thimble will live alone all his or her life. The discovery of the dime betokens the reception of a legacy or the gaining of riches.
Hidden Nuts
A splendid way of entertaining the guests is the hiding of nuts or apples in different places in the room. Several people should then be blindfolded, and they must hunt around for the hidden articles. Hostesses who value their furniture and ornaments, etc. will start this boisterous game at their own risk.
Trial By Water
An amusing game is the trial by water. The guest must fill his mouth with water and walk around the house without swallowing or losing a drop of it. The first person met of the opposite sex will be his fate. The idea is to send two young people out by different doors. If the young people selected are at all friendly, the fun will wax fast and furious, and as they are sure to meet, this simple game may bring matters to a crisis.
Apple Paring Test
A third and most popular Halloween game is played with apple skins. The apple should be pared, care being taken to do so in one long, unbroken piece. The paring should then be swung around the head, flung over the left shoulder and allowed to drop on the floor. The letter thus formed will show the initial of the thrower’s future mate for life.
The Fun of Forfeits
No Halloween party is complete without the forfeit toll. When a player is fined for the breach of some rule or for some mistakes in a game, or for being defeated in some test, he must at once surrender a piece of his private property, such as a stud, or, in the case of a girl, a bracelet or brooch or something of the sort.
A ready witted person is then chosen to play the part of the Justice. There is also a collector, who holds out the article forfeited, crying, “Who is the owner of this pretty thing?” The owner then comes forward, kneels down at the feet of Justice and it told what he must do to redeem the goods. The penalties are varied and amusing:
“Leave the room with two legs and come back with six.” The way to do this is to go out of the room and return carrying a chair.
“Place one hand where the other cannot get at it.” The way to do this is to grasp the elbow.
The quick witted Justice will invent many amusing penalties, and the game of forfeits will proceed in a very lively manner.
Fortune Telling On Halloween
One of the party should dress up as a witch or gypsy and tell the fortunes of the rest of the company.
Another method is to write the fortunes on small pieces of white paper, using milk instead of ink, and when dry, place the slips in empty walnut shells. The shells can then be sealed up, all placed in a large receptacle, and each guest now selects one. On opening the walnut shells, the paper should be taken out and heated a little, then the milk will turn slightly brown and the writing will be clearly revealed. Great surprise will be caused at thus seeing the fortune literally grow into view.
Source: Evening Public Ledger. Newspaper. October 31, 1914.
