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Show New Year's Day. "Ring out the old, ring in the new," seems to express the spirit of the world as time marks another year past. Those laden with sorrow welcome the new year, hoping that for them blessings bless-ings are in store; those who have enjoyed en-joyed fortune's favors hail the new year, trusting that there will be a continuance of the pleasures of the old year. The young in eager anticipation antici-pation look forward, while the old who have seen many New Year's days go by, turn longing eyes toward the coming of the great New Year, which shall be without end. Hope and rejoicing re-joicing reign throughout the world. Though the spirit is the same everywhere, every-where, customs, as well as the time of celebrating the New Year, differ in different countries. Social festivities festivi-ties and gift-making are common to most peoples, as is the practice of exchanging ex-changing greetings and expressions of good will. In Mexico, New Year's corresponds cor-responds to our February 23; the Persians Per-sians to our June; the Greeks to our September; the CTfonese celebrate the opening of the year in M:rch; the Turks and Arabs In July, the Jews in September. A pretty custom obtains among the Chinese; their celebration lasts a week and their decorations are especially significant, crimson draperies draper-ies indicating that no death saddened the house during the year. In Thessaly it is said Chat no one misses Mass or forgets to take with him a pomegranate pomegran-ate to be blessed, which is supposed to bring good luck on the whole year. However, the coming of another year should bring serious thoughts, for no one knows what is in store for him. Petition should be made to Him who governs time that He may grant a blessed as well as a happy New Year, and to the line "Ring out the old, ring in the new," each one should add, "Ring out the false, ring in the true." Florence Spitz. |