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 needle behaves towards another's causes amus.e.m.e.nt, and is supposed to be suggestive and prophetic.

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 to see guests receive dabs of flour on face. Guest who first succeeds in biting apple gets prize.

CYNIVER

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

WALNUT BOATS

Open English walnuts, remove meat, and in each half sh.e.l.l 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 or tub of water. The behavior of these tiny boats reveals future of those for whom they are named. If two glide on together, their owners have a similar destiny; if they glide apart, so will their owners.

Sometimes candles will huddle together as if talking to one another, while perchance one will be left alone, out in the cold, as it were.

Again, two will start off and all the rest will closely follow. The one whose candle first goes out is destined to be old bachelor or maid.

These nut-sh.e.l.l boats may also be made by pouring melted wax into halves of walnut-sh.e.l.ls in which are short strings for wicks.

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, or name of sweetheart will be whispered in ear.

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.

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 pa.s.s you; in some mysterious manner, also, you may obtain an idea of his (her) employment and station in life.

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 to stick pin into one of the letters on the pumpkin, thus indicating the initial of future life-partner.

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 have a twelve-month of woe.

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, spreads it out thin and flat, and marks initials on it with a new pin.

The cakes are placed before fire, and all take seats as far from it as possible. This is done before eleven p. m., and between that time and midnight each one must turn cake once. When clock strikes twelve future wife or husband of one who is to be married first will enter and lay hand on cake marked with name. Throughout whole proceeding not a word is spoken. Hence the name "dumb cake." (If supper is served before 11:30, "Dumb Cake" should be reserved for one of the After-Supper Tests.)

HIDING RING, THIMBLE AND PENNY

Hide ring, thimble and penny in room. To one who finds ring, speedy marriage is a.s.sured; 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 to win. The shape of the stump will hint at figure of prospective wife or husband. Its length will suggest age. If much soil clings to it, life-partner will be rich; if not, poor. Finally, the stump is carried home and hung over door, first person outside of family who pa.s.ses under it will bear a name whose initial is same as that of sweetheart.

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 chair."

Beneath his chair he finds the following:

"No, you will not find it here; Search the clock and have no fear."

Under the clock he finds:

"You will have to try once more; Look behind the parlor door."