The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-01-01
NEW YEARS DAY.
How IL was Celebrated in Olden Time
Curious Customs OF Various Countries
New Years Gifts, De-, Sc.

How IL was Celebrated in Olden Time
Curious Customs OF Various Countries
New Years Gifts, &c., Sc.
Ringing the old and ringing lin the year. with
"A merry New Year happy New Year TO you |" on
New Years day. sounds and greetings that in for
mer times moved sceptred pride and humble labor TO
smiles and kindly feelings and this cheerful Of
Old World has lost of its pleasantuess in M trans
portation TO the city New York "The birth Of new
year, writes Charles Lamb his charming 0Essays Of
Ella " is Of interest too wide 70 be pretermltted by
king cobber. No one regarded the LIST Of Janu
AIRY with Indifference. II Is that from which all date
their tme and count upon what left II Is the natiyi
ty OF our common Adam"
soT all sound Of all bells he continues most solemn
and touching the peal which rings out the old year
It without gathering up Of my mind TO
centrstion Of all the images that have been dsed over
the past twelvcmon,h all have done suffered, per
formed or neglected, in that regretted time
Who too let remark, can a new year open upon
him without being better FOR the prospect-without
making sundry wise reflections the steps he proposes
to take in the future9 Every lt of January that
rive at Is imaginary milestone the turnpike track
OF human Ee-at once rcsting place for thought and
meditation and starting point for fresh exert.on IN the
performance Of our journey. The who doe al
propose himself be better this year than he
last either be very good or very bad indeed
There is a superstition in parts OF England that II
you do not article Of attire on New Years
day You viii not gain much during the year. We fancy
that there many In the world who would more
likely TO derive benefit IN the twelyemonshs BY on
this day DOMINIC a conscience instead Of 4 new
coat.
Tic Let Of January marked in the calendars OF the
Romsh Epscopaan churches the Festival Of the
Circumcision which festival said 10 have been ast
tpted about the year 4sT art appeared in the re
formed Englisb liturgy in 1850
THE wAssAL BOWL.
In former times the wassa bowl was a. regular 40 at
tendant New Years the yue log the eve OF
Chrisnnssday. This was bowl or spicei ale, which
carried about by young women who went from door
door IN their villages singing the waasa song
a carol composed FOR the OCCASION aui presenting the
liquor TO the inhabitants Of the houses where they called
II Is unnecessary TO observe, with The expectation Of
oeiying presents from those they thus congratulated
The scmlqud composition thus offered consisted Of ale
nutmeg sugar, toast and roasted apples the poetci
composition was generally Of a css spirited nature
The wassal Is said TO have originated from the words
Of RoweDs, The daughter Of Hensist who, presenting
bowl OF wine TO vortgern, the King Of the Britons
sad, "wacs hael" "hcalh to you, my lord. the
King" II this derivation of the, custom be thought
doubtful, certainly has the authority Of antiquity
lie side. Thomas de Ia Moore old Havillan state
that posho,5e and drinched were the usual ancient
phrases OF quaflng among the English and synonymous
with the "come, here's 10 you," "youf health sur,
of the present day,
"1he wassa bowl" says Warrior il shakspcre's gos
sips bowl in the Midsummer Nights Dream Bon
Jonson perRoniacs IL thus;-'E Enter Wasse like
semster and songster, her page bearing brown bowl
dres with ribbsnds and rosemary before her" scden
aludes TO the custom in the following comparison The
Pope in sending Relcks TO Princes does wenohes d.
their wassails at New Years tide; they present you
with cup, and you must drink Of sabey stuff but
the meaning is you must give them money ten times
more than u v WORTH
"fambs.wcoi'' IL another name given TO the same
compound as wasss. This name s thus etymologized-
"1he let day % November was dedicated 70 the ange
presiding over fruits, seeds, &c, and was therefore
named La Mas Uthol-tha is, the day Of the apple fruit
and being pronounced amasool the English have cor
rupted the name TO lambs wool
Though the custom of "wassal" Is now obsolete, a
fragment Of remains in the usage Of the festivals held
by the various corporate bodies Of the city OF London
The person presiding stands tho close OF dinner and
drinks from fagon, usually Of silver having handle