WHISPERS OF EVE

NZ Truth, Issue 1197, 8 November 1928, Page 18

WHISPERS OF EVE

Hallpw'een. pJOW many people observed, the *i* sacred rites arid traditions of All Hallows' Eve, from our good old friend the turnip lantern to the agile sport of apple-bobbing-., " ■ '!'" r' • A great deal of fun can be had from Hallowe'en parties. : November Eve (as it is called), is recognized as orie. of the two big days which , fairies, goblins, banshees, - elves ,'and "ghosts can consider their own 'private property; so naturally, most parties are costume affairs at -which skeletons gibber .with much effect and do a lot of brandishing, broomsticks. ; The old customs can be very amus■ing; there are the' telling of ghost stories by candlelight, devouring -of Irish Hallowe'en pudding (really mashed "praties" with salt and-but-ter thrown m and a few charms stirred into the mixture), and many other old ideas which seem very novel and charming when taken up : by gay young folk.- , . But as Hallowe'en was a wild,, wet night, probably very few Wellington girls observed . the oldest custom— which is to sit. at midnight, scantily arrayed, before a looking-glass, and eat an apple by the blue light of three candles. ;■ Whoever follows these- instructions is 'supposed to see -her future husband —or . husbands — looking over her shoulder m the glass. .'.. - Advertising Europe / '•:• THE New Zealand climate has both i champions, and ; critics, but it has rarely performed- an ■ unkinder trick than the one whic.h sent Miss Winifred Guy four- days of tempest and rain of the good : : old cat-and-dog variety for the opening of her -poster exhibition.. ■■ ■ After waiting nearly, three ..'mouths for" the \ise of "the Wellington Art Gallery, Miss Guy Is" confronted with weather which would make short— and •wet— wor.k."of " any umbrrlla. And, as ,she someAvhat mournfully says: "Idon't see why they call it 'Brighter Britain." . The posters are really worths. seeing, both from an artistic and an educational point of view. They are reprints from the work of some of the most notable artists of our day— William Orpen, Griffenhagen, Norman Wilkinson arid many others being well represented. .■■•'.•■■ We of New Zealand have had little opportunity to know just how far the quality and standing of publicity work has advanced m the Old World, but it is comforting to hear that England h,as not only far • out-distanced her Con-; tinental conipeti tors, but has also left America, well behind. . The posters are distinctly tantalizins, when one looks from them to the Avild. wet weather, outside. Old castles of Normandy, blue lakes m Switzerland, Alpine railways climbing up and up kt the most -incredible 'angles, warm corners of London,' ltalian sea resorts with scarlet roses swarming over them, are all massed together on the walla m. a glow of color and cheeriness. ' # . Curiously enough, New Zealand was really the starting point of: Miss Guy's poster scheme. Whilst sehool-marmirig m - Brighton; she. was smitten by the idea that an. exhibition 'of New Zealand publicity matte'r-^-iihjotosraplis and so on— would mahe our small oonntry "stay put" m the heads of her pupils. "And," she said, "when exams, came round, I found that my children simply couldn't get away from New Zealand. -They said the. most frightful things about all the other countries — gave tne names 1 of riyers for capitals and so on — but they knew New Zealand as 3f they'd lived there!" - Then, being patriotic, Miss Guy carried her scheme to the other Dominions and began to realize the true, size of their educational importance. When ,travelling m Europe, on vacation, she picked up the best posters she could see and thus laid the foundation of her collection, which numbers between three and four thousand samples'.