The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-01-02
History OF New YEAR's DAY.-ln

of tokens of friendship were accoin-
panied by hearty expressions OF good
will generally couchedin the still popu.
lar form of wishing "A Happy New
Year" 1t was sometimes the custom
to pay these compliments at the door
of the recipient, in the form Of a song;
but it was more usual for the house TO
be entered early in the morning by the
younger of the neighbors, bearing the
spiced-bowl, and addressing their hosts
with the salutations of the season. The
gifts were not necessarily Of much In
trinsic value. In the sixteenth century,
it seems that the New Years gift Of a
tenant to his landlord was usually In
the shape of capon. Another com
mon present in those days was that OF
an orange stuck full Of cloves. One OF
the most valuable presents was in the
form of gloves, which were then much
more costly than at present, Some
times money wherewith TO purchase
them was given in stead, and this was
called glove-noney. Occasionally the
money and the gloves were both sent
In the beginning of the sixteenth cen
tury metallic pins we're first brought
into general use; and so novel and con-
venient were they that they soon came
to be in great demand as New Years
gifts for ladies. Sometimes money for
their purchase was presented instead OF
pins. This was called 'pin-moncy,
term which has $ nee passed into gen.
eral acceptation. In Scotland 1t was
the custom in old times for persons to
send presents to their friends on New
Years eve; but on the following day,
when the doners called upon the recipi-
ents to wish them "A Happy New
Year." they would ask for gifts in re-
turn.
Among the peculiar customs Of the
New Year season in the olden time was
the assembling of the family around
bowl of spiced ale, which was termed
lambs wool" From this the master OF
the house would drink the healths Of
the others, and then pass it to them in
turn. The expression "Wacs haef'-
which signifies "To your health'-was
uttered at each potation; and from this
| circumstance the vessel containing the
LIQUOR came to be known as the lEaSsaH
or HdSsel Bowl.
New Years Eve in Scotland is known
as Hoymanay a term which has puzzled
antiquarians and philologists not lit
tie. 1t is still the custom in the country
districts and in the more retired towns
for the children of the poor TO have
themselves arrayed in a monstrous
sheet, arranged in front in the form Of
deep pocket. Thus attired, they 60
forth on the morning of Hogmanay to
gather up the cakes which, as they well
know, the housewives have been pre-
pairing for several days in expectation
of their coming Arriving at the door
they cry out, "IIogmanay," and receive
their gifts. New Year eve is also the
lavorite night for operations of the
q'iSers or gui-ardS, as the "mummers
are called in Scotland
The Methodists and some other de-
nominations, are accustomed TO hold
watch meetings on the eve of the new
year The services commence at late
hour. and on the near approach OF mid
night the worshippers wait for the strIk-
ing Of the clock with bowed heads and
silent PRAYER. The Moraviaus conduct
their watch meetings in peculiar man
ner The pastor as the hour Of twelve
draws near, in the dimly-lighted and
evergrecn-drcssed building, is engaged
in eyhorting the people to renewed ac-
III Z ana good works for the year to
come. Axt&e clock strikes he is sud
denly interrupted by by an organ peal
and blast of trombones, when the
building is brilliantly illuminated. The
choral "Nun Danket Ale Colt is
PLAYED by the instruments and sung by
the people. The pastor then announces
the stated text for the new year, which
closes the services.
New Years day is observed in the
Episcopal and. Roman Catholic churches
as the festival Of the circumcision. In
the calendar OF the Roman Catholic
Church the first day of January is cele-
brated as the feast of the "Circumclsio
Domini," or the Circumcision Of our
Lord: which, according to the customs
of the Jews, must have taken place on
the eighth day after His birth. This
festival is said to have been instituted
about the year 4S7. The Church OF
England has retained it, first giving it
place in the Liturgy in the year 1850.
LADIES White Kid and Turkey Mo-
rocco Broadway Walking Slippers, just
received at L. V. Blond's