We were sifting through some old Edmonton newspapers and came across a wonderful article entitled "The Story of Hallowe'en".  It was written in the Edmonton Bulletin on Friday, October 31st, 1930, and tells wonderful stories about Halloween's past.

The Story of Hallowe'en

The Goblins will get you if don't watch out For they have had their nut-brown eyes on people ever since the oldest cat and the wisest owl got together and planned a holiday.

Aerial transportation, world courts, tree-sitting marathons and the thousand-and-one other signs of progress haven't been successful in destroying the witchery of a certain black night in late October when witches fly on broomsticks and small boys play a game with doorbells.

Nobody knows how Halloween started. But years and years ago, long before the beginning of Christianity, Halloween fires were glowing in far corners of the earth.

Close upon the lighting of the fires came the belief in ghosts and witches; queer spectres against the moon flying back from Lapland; broomsticks that walked and owls that used their wisdom once a year.

The Druids, who believed that spirits lived in trees and brooks observed Halloween much as we observe Thanksgiving. They held an autumn festival, when they lighted fires in honour of the sun-god, expressing their gratitude for the harvest.

But back of this was a dark shadow that dimmed the light of the red, red flames.

The Druids believed that on this night, the God of Death called together the wicked souls during the past 12 months had been condemned to inhabit the bodies of animals. Small wonder that we still catch our breath when a black cat turns his lantern-green eyes our way.

The Romans, a little more civilized, followed a somewhat similar custom. On November 1, they held a festival in honour of Pomana, expressing thankfulness for the purple grapes the crimson apples and the golden grains in which their colourful souls delighted.

Apple ducking and the burning of chestnuts began at this time. Another custom, no longer used, originated some place in Wales in the dust-covered years of antiquity.

When the fire had burnt down, stones were collected, named for the members of the group and placed in the embers. Next morning a searcli was made for them.

If a stone belonging to a certain member had disappeared the others shook their heads and started to collect for a funeral wreath. For they believed that he who lost his stone, wouldn't be alive to name another one the next year.

Just where the custom started of walking down the cellar stairs backwards, with a lighted candle in one hand and a mirror in the other, hopefully expecting to meet your future husband's reflection in the looking glass, no books tell. And a girl sees anyone she usually doesn't tell, either.

Once upon a time in the highlands of Scotland, people believed that if a man put a spoonful of salt in his mouth, drank no water, and walking down the road in silence until he came to a place where three crossroads met, and then set very still on a three legged stool at midnight, after a while a voice would mention of a neighbour who was to die during the year.

The man then picked up a three legged stool and went running down the road to tell the news. The doomed man didn't have a chance. The neighbours started to inquire about his health. The minister asked his favourite text and made suggestions about the proper way to die. His wife measured him for his shroud. As a result, very often the prophesy came true.

OVER in Scotland, even now, housewives empty thimbles of salt on every breakfast plate at night on Halloween. If the salt falls out of the shape on any plate, it is taken as a sign that there is going to be a vacant chair at that table before that year passes.

Girls in Scotland often eat salt cakes and go to bed without talking or drinking water, believing that their future husband will appear to them in their sleep.

The Irish make a stew on Halloween, mixing mashed potatoes, parsnips and chopped onions with other vegetables. Then a ring is buried in it. Sometimes a coin is put in, too.

The person who will find ring will be married within a year, or if he is already married will be lucky. The one draws the coin will be wealthy. If a thimble had also entered the pottage, its finder might buy a radio and settle down to get his thrills by way of air, as it is sign of bachelordom or spinsterhood.

HALLOWEEN is observed in Canada in a spirit of revelry today.

But once upon a time it was a serious, sacred occasion. So if a black cat crosses your path, an owl hoots suddenly, or the strange shadow falls on the floor, remember that this is the twentieth century - and be your generation!

For access to the actual newspaper please see this link: The Story of Hallowe'en

Fort Edmonton Park's annual Halloween event, Spooktacular is coming up on October 28th and 29th and preparations are in full swing. I was involved with planning last season as well as a few years ago and am certainly missing the action this year.

My office seems to Spook central, Jasper House on 1885 street. I have been tripping over body parts and bugs and get lost on my way to the washroom as there are black curtains hanging everywhere.

Some of the strangest things that I have seen and heard in the last week?

All of this and more, along with the Ottewell turkeys walking in and amongst all of it gobbling away.

I have also become the guinea pig for many of the tricks and scares that can be expected and end up screaming and jumping at least once a day.

With Edmonton children back to school this past September, and everyone preparing for the long winter ahead, we wanted to introduce you to some early Edmontonian siblings. Meet John and Jo-Anna Smithe - John, born August 1896, came into this world at a time marked with notable world events - the first modern Olympics were held in Athens, and Henry Ford just had made his first automobile. His sister Jo-Anna, was born almost two and a half years later in December 1898, at a time when those Klondiker's who chose to come through Edmonton were starting to giveup. This is a time where computers, calculators and ball point pens were decades away from even being invented, and teacher's tools for instruction included chalk, a blackboard and corporal punishment.

First Day of School

At the age of 7, John made his way to his first day of class at Queen's Avenue School, which was built that very same year on what is now 99th street. At this time, the educational system came under the jurisdiction of the provinces themselves - meaning that there were very few national educational standards at the time. John's classes focused mostly on the Three Rs - reading, writing and arithmetic. By the time John's sister joined him in school in 1906, the Department of Education issued a directive regarding the classroom. All schools were forced to be equipped with a certain size of blackboard, to display the Union Jack, a wall map, and a picture of the reigning monarch (King Edward VII). Desks needed to be of the factory made variety, and schools themselves required windows on the left-side of each classroom so that right-handed students has adequate light to write by. Left-handedness was strongly discouraged.

Class Life

Classes, generally speaking, were held from 9am to 4pm with a 1.5 hour break for lunch, and two 15-minute breaks during the day. When it came to summer vacation, John and Jo-Anna enjoyed the same schedule that many students enjoy today. For rural schools however, many students were kept at home to help with the harvest and planting, and made up this school time during the summer months.

By the age of 10, John was now taking part in other classes including physical education, nature study, manual training, health and even music. His sister on the other hand would have attended classes in domestic science instead of manual training.

By the age of 13, John's classes were becoming increasingly gender divided, and also included such classes as advanced mathematics, which was a requirement for university entrance (perhaps at the University of Alberta, which first held classes a year earlier in 1908). At this age however, he was longer required to attend school.

In the War Era

By the time John's kids started to go to school, he was likely off to war, and school standards were starting to change. In 1921, Edmonton had an attendance officer, George Donnolly, who would seek out children working illegally and return them to school. 93% of youth aged 7-14 were at school full time and at this same time 13% of 15-19 year old youths in Edmonton neither worked nor attended school. Teenaged youth in the work force were made up of 8% male and 26 % female at this time. These low numbers were likely helped by the lack of jobs available for teenagers in the poor economy.  By 1931, 99% of 7-14 year old attended school full time, and teenaged workers dropped to 6% for male and 20% female respectively.¹

Wow, how things have changed. Nowadays, Edmonton offers training and education on nearly any topic one wishes to study… they allow personal computers, smartphones, calculators and most importantly left-handedness!  So, if you find your kids (or better yet you are one) grumbling about being back to school, just be thankful you are attending at a time when nearly everything is at your fingertips.

^Sources:

¹Quoted from Rebecca Coulter's "The Working Young of Edmonton, 1921-1931" found in Childhood and Family in Canadian History published in 1982.

Image - http://www.epl.ca/sites/default/files/images/EdmontonACityCalledHome/images/edmonton_history/COE/ea-10-2500.jpg