The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-10-01
NEW YEARS DAY.

In Paris on New Years Day, which is
called lie Jour a. EtrenneS, parents bestow
portions Oh their children, brothers on their
sisters, and husbands make presents to their
wives. Carriages may be seen rolling
through the streets, with cargoes of bonbonS,
souvenirs, and the variety of ct ceterGs with
which little children and grown-up children
are brlbed into good humour; and here and
there pastry cooks are to be met with, carry
ing upon boards enormous temples. pagodas,
churches, and playhouses, made of fine flour
and sugar, and the embellishments which
render French pastry SO inviting. But there
is one street in Paris to which a new years
day is whole years fortune-this is the
Rue DIES Lombards, where the wholesale
confectioners reside; for in Paris every
trade and profession has its peculiar quar-
ter. For several days preceding the Is; of
January, this street is completely blocked
up by carts and wagons laden with cases
of sweetmeats for the provinces. These
are of every form and description which the
most singular fancy could imagine bunch
es of carrots, green peas, boots and shoes,
HOLSTERS and crabs, hats, books, musical in
struments, gridirons, frying pans, and sauce
pans; all made of sugar, and colored to i'm
itate reality, and all made with hollow
within to hold the bon-bon.
The most prevailing device is what is
! called cOronet; that is little cone orna-
mented in different ways, with bag to
draw over the large end, and close it. In
these things, the prices Of which vary from
one frame ten pence) to fifty, the bon-bons
are presented by those who choose to be at
the expense of them, and by those who do
not they arc only wrapped i'll piece of pa
/ per- the bon-bonS in some way or other
must be presented. 1t would not, perhaps,
be an exaggeration to state that the amount
expended for presents on new years day in
/ Paris for sweetmeats alone, exceeds 100000
| francs, or 600 sterling. Jewelry is sold
to very large amount, and the fancy arti-
Giles exported in the first week in the year
to England and other countries, is computed
at one fourth of the sale during the twelve
months.
In Paris it is by no means uncommon for
man of 5000 OF 10000 francs year to
make presents on new years day which
costs a fifteenth part of his income. No
person able TO give must on this day pay a
visit empty handed. Every body accepts,
and every man gives according to the means
WAiNu UC pOSoCocSos uAOhS "a y
excepted from the charge of giving. A
pretty woman respectfully connected, may
reckon her new years presents at some.
thing considerable. Gowns, jewelry, gloves
stockings, and artificial flowers, fill hel
drawing-room for in Paris it is custom
to display all the gifts, in order to excite
admiration, and to obtain as much as posi-
bile. AT the palace the new years day is I
complete jour de tete. Every branch of thu
4 Royal Family is then expected to maxi
handsome presents to the King. For ST.
months preceding January, 1924, the iemal
branches we've busily occupied in preparin!
presents of their own manufacture, whic
would fill at least two common sized wag
CONS.
The Duchess de Berri painted an entir
room of japanned PANELS TO be set up in tn
palace; and the Duchess Of Orleans pre-
pared an elegant screen. An English gen
tleman who was admitted suddenly into tn
presence of the Duchess de Berri tw
months before, found her, and three OF ne
maids Of honor, lying on the carpet, palntln
the legs of set Of chairs, which were II
tended for the King. The day commence
i with the Parisiaps at an early hour, by tn