In Ireland and Scotland it is still the custom to prepare a bowl of mashed potatoes, parsnips and chopped onions on Halloween Into this mixture, named "call-cannon" for a reason not known, a gold ring is concealed. At dinner each guest helps himself to a generous portion from a deep bowl, and the one receiving the ring will be married within the year; or, if already married, will have further good luck. A loaf cake is sometimes substituted for the call-cannon, and.a key and ring hidden in it. The key signifies a journey; the ring marriage or good. luck.
In Belgium, Germany and parts of France, Hallowe'en is called by various names and observed by carnivals and masquerades, but it lacks the supernatural background that it has in Britain, which was due to the fusion of the Christian festival with the older spirit worship of the Druids.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.