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Show 1W YFARS JOY The theme of New Year's Day always al-ways has been one of joy. Regardless Regard-less of the country or the people, or of the date on which it waa celebrated, cele-brated, joy marked the spirit in which it was observed. New Year's Day of the Mohammedans Moham-medans is given as October 17; of the Hebrews as September, and of the Chinese as early February. The ancient Egyptians, Phoenicians Phoeni-cians and Persians began their year at the autumnal equinox, September Septem-ber 21, and the Greeks until the fifth century B. C. at the winter solstice, sol-stice, December 21. In 432 B. C. the latter altered the New Year's Day to June 21. The ancient Romans celebrated December 21, but this was altered to January 1 by Caesar in adopting the Julian calendar. March 25 was the date observed among most Christian peoples in medieval days. In Anglo-Saxon England, Eng-land, however December 25 was New Year's Day until it was changed to January 1 at the Norman Nor-man conquest, but later it was changed to March 25 and so remained re-mained until the English adopted the Gregorian calendar. |