| Show sm WE nsf 5 45 Q 9 2 W r 22 k NEW YEAR CUSTOMS new year s day has been a day ot veremond ver emony and rejoicing for a grea many centuries in the world s history its origin is traced back to the roann festival of janus after the establish meat of the empire the old romans divided the year into tw months only numa added january and february and dedicated the former to janus he the two faced janus comes in view wild hyacinths his robe adorn and un drops of the morn he burns the goal a de but miles pon tl e new emerging year with pride and now unlocks with agate key the ruby gates of orient day on this day the roman consuls fol lowed by the court went to ahn cap ital all gorgeously appareled where the sacrificed two white bulls never ol 01 ed to jupiter the romans had two new it ears the sacred one which was the 1st 0 march and the civil of which we have just apol en the 1st of januar the jews had a sacred and a civil year the former began in march or april the latter in er or oc tober varying with the lunar period the early greel s had no settled year when one was finally adopted commenced it at tl e vernal equinox 1 door to door with loud singing and merriment the word Is derived from was halle the saxon for here s to you an expression still in use by men in pledging each other at sup pera the present loving cup takes the place of the ancient wassail bowl in some of the country districts of angland old customs are still observe ed on new years eve at midnight the last of the christmas carols a sung outside of the house by the young people then there is a rush tor the nearest springe and the first one who fills his or her glass gets what they call the cream of the well and will be the most fortunate during the coming year in the earl hours of the morning a funeral is held at borne public houses over old tom as the old ear is called when the boys parade the streets asking tor presents and sing ing I 1 wish ou a happy new year A pocket full of money and a cellar full of beer and a greit tat ply 10 ou all the ear I 1 adies and gentlemen pent lemen sitting b be f re pity we poor bois out in e ml f the french make a great beni of nov year in charles IX of and mulled elder every house was a temple of the merry god and many a provident vagabond was intoxicated out ot pure economy drinking liquor enough to serve mm the remainder of the year irving dwells especially upon the great ball given at the governor old peter stuyvesant new years night when the good peter devoutly observant of the pious rite of kissler ill the for a hippy new year on this day the governor also distributed tri buted fiddles to the old negroes who fiddled all night while the young people danced under peter was in quilting bees busking bees and other rural assemblages where under tha aspiring influence of the fiddles toll was enlivened by gayety and foli oBed by a dance the governor did not approve ot the short shirts worn by the ladles and ordered a ruffle put at the bottom of them he likewise disapproved ot some ot their steps dancing and ordered it at ca other step should be taken but the shuffle and turn I 1 and the double trouble the custom of new year s calling |
