The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-01-01
New Years Day.

New Years Day.
And borough town. the steaming aagon, borne
house 5 to house s sstss s tho mas 19
The aged and the young. nan. woman child.
Meeting with bristling back. lay aside
snas1ipg aspect and in sRorve chase
The old English poet here gives in . few lines a
very lively picture of the New Years holiday, as
observed in the olden time. There always has
been moro or less festivity connected with the
celebration of tho New Year, both with Jew and
Christian, Pagan and Mahommedan. The transit
ton from the old year to tho new is naturally
suggestive of feelings both Of sorrow and Of Joy.
ALI feel the solemnity of the occasion; sorrow and
regret at the departing year, joy and welcome to
the new, that carries in its bosom so much of hope
and happiness. Of all periods this is the most
usual, it is the most fitting, for looking inward
for self-e1amnaton, for forming resolutions to do
botter, for turning over new leaf, for taking q
fresh start, etc. An old writer has the following
dprop0s remarks #.sr
Every first Of January that we arrive at is IN I'M
.aginary milestone on the turnpike track of human
h1e; at once resting place for thought md medi-
ttation, and starting point for fresh exertion in
does not at least propose to himself to be better
TINS year than he was last, must be either very
Be better, is something if nothing else, 4 is an
acknowledgement Of our need to be so, which is the
hrst step toward amendment. But, in fact, to pro-
we'll, positively for there is no such thing as q
stationary point in human endoavors he who is
not worse to-day than he was Yesterday, is better;
and he who is not BETTER is worse saI NJ M
Merry-makings on New Years Eve and New
Years Day are Of very ancient date in England.
Their proximity to Christmas doubtless gives them
somewhat Of q ,Yule coloring. The head Of the
house assembled his family around bowl Of
spiced ale, usually called s1ambs WOOL from
which he drank their healths, then passed it to the
rest that they might drink too, saying Wdss haet!
Ito your healthy. Hence this came to be reooc-
nized as tho WassaA bowl The poorer class of
people carried bowl adorned with ribbops round
the neighborhood, begging for something where
with to obtain the means OF filing it, .hat they
might enjoy wassail as well as the rich. In their
computations they had songs suitable to the occa-
sion doggerel many Of them, but brimful Of rus-
tic innocence and good fellowship.
In Scotland the wassan bowl was held in sacred
reverence up to q very recent period On the ap-
proach Of twelve o'clock, hot pint was prepared
that is kettle or faeon OF warm, spiced and
sweetened ale, with an infusion Of spirits. Whom
the clock had struck the knen OF tho departed
year, each member of the family drank of this
mixture "A good health and happy New Year, and
many Of them to all the rest, with general hand
ellaking, and perhaps dance round the table,
with the addition Of song to the tune Of Rey
tuttie tdtze: IA sg 7s3 E& q
Weel may q be,
g III may see,
ra- su Here's TO the king E5t 3.aE - 5@.es a.%
And the gude companicl &c.
The elders Of the family would then most probably
sally out with the hot kettle, and bearing also
competent provision Of buns and short-bread, or
Cho
neighbors, and interchanging with them the same
cordial greetings. II they met by the way an
other party similarly bent, whom they knew, they
would stop and give and tako sips from their res
pective kettles. Reaching the friends house, they
would enter with vociferous good wishes, and soon
send the kettle circulating. II they were the
first to enter the house since twelve o'clock, they
wore deemed 40 the fret foot and as SUCH it WAS
most Important, for luck to the family in the com
ing year, that they should make their entry, not
enpty-handed, but with their hands full OF cakes
and bread and cheese, OF which, on the other hand
cvihty demanded that each individual in the house
should partake.
4 In Holland, the New Year is made much more Of
than either in England or in other parts OF the
Continent, and the Gothamitea, to this day, faith
fully observe this cheerful institution, handed
down to them from their Knickerbocker ancestors
The giving Of gifts, presents to friends, and sub
stantial assistance to the INDECENT is an old and
.tme-honored. custom. When pins were fret in
vented and brought into use about the beginning
Of the sixteenth century, they were New Yenr's
gift very acceptable to Indies, and money given for
the purchase of them was called 'spin-monoy," an
expression which has been extended to sum Of
money secured by husband on his marriage for
the private expenses Of his wife. Pins made OF
metal, in their present form, must have been in
use some time previous to 1543, in which year
statute WAS passed (95 Hen. VIII c. 6), entitled
'sAn Acte for the true making Of Pynnes !" in which
1t was enacted that the price charged should not
exceed 6s. 3D. a thousand. Pins were previously
made Of boxwood, bone, and silver, for the
richer classes those used By the poor were Of com
mon wood-in fact skewers.
The custom Of giving of presents among rela-
tives and friends has much declined in England,
but is stin kept up with surprising vigor in Paris,
where the day is especially recognized from this
circumstance LIE Jour d E1rennes. Parents then
bestow portions on their children, brothers on
their sisters, and husbands make settlements on
their wives. The mere externals ofrthe day, as
observed in Paris, are Of striking character; they
were described as follows in an English Journal as
observed in the year 1924, while yet the restored
Bourbon rsigned in France: Carriages says
this writer, ttmay be seen rolling through the
streets with cargoes Of bon-bons, souvenirs, and
the variety Of etceteras which little children
and grown up children ara bribed into coed humor;
and here and there pashycooks are to be met with.
carrying upon boards enormous temples, pagodas,
churches, and playhouses, made OF fine -four and
sugar, and the Embellishments which render
French pastry SO inviting. But there is one street
in Paris to which New Years Day is whole
years fortune-this is tho Rne des I Lonabards,
whore the wholesale conSectioners reside; for in
Paris every trade and profession has its peculiar
quarter. For. several days preceding the 1st OF
January, the street Is completely blocked up by
the carte and wagons ladsn vita cases Of sweet
and description which the most singular fancy
could imagine; .bunehes Of esrrots, greer, peas,
musical Instruments, gridirons, trying pans, and
sance-psns; all made Of sugar, and eoored to i'm i
hold the bon-bons. The most prevailing device is
what 1s called coret; that IS, q little cone ora-
the large end, and close it up. In these things,
the prices OF which vary from franc go cenfsj
80 AkY RNSHHH hSNNN~ .l>X