The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-01-01


March In Janiveer.
January IN March, fear.
If January caends be symmetry gay,
Twill be winteriy weather till ths calends Of May
OLD JANUS DOTH APPEAL
Such were lew OF the old proverbs regarding this
month, ut the birth of which deity Janus was rep.
resented by the Romans as man with TWO faces, ono
looking backward and The other forward, Implying
thai he stood between the old and the new year. VITA
u regard 10 BOTH To tbs the English poet Cotton
alludes, sayirg:-
I. %rs me cock SGws, and yo9 bright star
lie gilds the ~estcrn hills with light.
th him Old Janus doth appear.
VIII ssRR' sa.a spI look ,sS as seems to say
h SsI p ys %s rise III sg Sss ts 70 se way
Whfn the prophetic fear OF things
more lormenting mischief brings
Than direst niisch ct can osfslL
Better informed by clearer light
Dsccrns sereneness in That brow,
That all contracted seemed but now
His reversed face may show distasse
But that which this way looks is clear,
And smiles upon the new DORA year.
So that January looks forward with blitho and
promising smile, under which rise this morning
shouting from all our beds aud trundes,
'Happy New Year! Happy Now Yearl''
SAINTS DAY.
The first day OF this mouth, Now YEARS. Day, has
long been held in the Roman Catholic Church as the
festival OF Circumcisio Domini, ana Is observed
feast IN the Church OF Engand on the account
In the Roman Church to-day the following SAINTS
hoDored:-St. Fuigentus, bishop and coniessor; St
Udo or Dion, sixtu abbot Of Cuni; st. Almachus,
martyr; ST. Engendus, abbot; ST. Fano or Fanc Gu,
virgin, Of Ireland; 81. Mochua or Moncalu. alias
Cannus, abbot IN IRELAND, and st Mochua, alias
Cronan, OF BaIa, abbot IN ireland. Edmund Burke,
the poet Burger (Scotus version of whose ballad OF
.Lenore" in 1895 so impressed the p0elical mind oil
England turning ~ into new channels Francis, Earl
the notable persons born on this day, when also
Charles ii. WAS crowned at Scone IN 1901, when
III 1901 the union OF Ireland with Great Britain
Effected II was into northern Europe that the
tom crept OF celebrating New Years. Day Q social
festival. Especially dd the custom thrive In Eng.
land, where IN old times
A massy bowl. to deck the joviai day.
Flashed IRON its ample round sun-like ray.
ENGLISH CELEBRATION.
The head OF the house assembled his family around
bowl OF ''ambs' wool" (spiced aie, from which he
drank their health; then passed 1t to tho rest that
them was the ancient Saxon hael-that is, '.ro
your health" The bowl came 10 be recognized as the
"wassaiI' or "wassel BOWL and on New Years bay
the poorer Class Of people used to carry bowl
adorned with ribbons around tho neighbornood, beg
ging Tor the means 10 I'LL that they, too, might
JOY wassail. They begged with songs, as, Tor ex-
ample:-
Wassali wassalI aver the town,
Our toast it is white, our ale it is brown;
Our bowl il Is nado Vi the mapiia tree,
We be good fellows all l drink to thee.
nerosto -. and to his right ear.
a Happy sew Year 40 Ger nc did see :
With my wassaiing bowl drink 20 thee
Be here any maids suppose here be some;
Sing hey, K! maids. come troll the pin,
And The faifest maid house let all
Come butler, bring bowl OF the best:
hope your soul IN heaven may rest;
Then down fall butler. bowl and all.
OLD sCorIA's PLAN.
Gradually this custom aded out IN England, though
unul lew years ago IN Scotland 1t was stiii la com
In scotland u "hot pint' was prepared kettlo or
uagon lull OF stcanlng, spced, sweetened ale with
Infusion of spirts-a beverage lntle oi which sui
iced put the hard-hcaded drinkers OF that day In
good huInor, and much Of which at this day would
overturn cisAtiantic tppIer Ia no time When tho
clock had struck tho Knc OF The departed year. each
member oil the family drank OF this mixture "A good
health and u happy New Year and many OF them" to
ull rest, gen era hand shaking and p.rhaps
o dance around the table, with the addition oil song
to the tune Of "Hey tuttie tatc:"
Weei may we a. be,
Here's to the king
Aud tho -uds companiel
Tho elders Of the family would then most probably
sally out with the hot Kettle, and with buns aud
suortcakc bread anu cheese BESIDES TO visit ther
ncignoors and interchange with them the same cor.
dial greetings II they met by the way another party
similarly bent, whom they knew, they stop aud
give and take sips IRON their respective Kettles.
kuaching trends house they would soon enter with
voccrous good Wishes aud send the Kettle circulating
right and left. Ii theJ were the hrst enter tho
house alter twelve O'Clock they we're deemed
most Important, Tor luck to the family
in tho coming year, that they should make
their entry, not empty handed but with their hands
al OF cakes and bread aud cheese, OF which, tho
other hand, civiity required that each Individual In
custom prevail IN Edinburgh that doubtless many
Scotch readers OF the HERALD still living Will recall
tue streets OF that CITY when they were hronged be-
Day more than they usually were at midday.
"rIRsr FooriSGs"
There was in Scotland LOO, q ''Hrst footingp !nde-
pendent OF the ''hot pint" II the time Tor some
youthful trend OF the family To steal 10 the door IN
The hope meeting the maiden be Ianciod and
obtaining the nrsI New Years kiss. Great was his
ribualiUn aud loud The domestic CLEO II through acct
dent or plan some ancient granddame or hall withered
ms I'm i'm
Tor.
scotland, indeed, used to observe New Years Day
with hcar,lness which has never been quite emu
lated, even IN The United States. II almost appears
n, by sort OF autagonism ~ tue general gravity
OF the people, they were compelled TO break a
hali-nad merriment on this day. Every lace was
bright with smiles, every hand ready win the grasp
OF friendship. All sunness arising from age, profess
sion and rauk gave way Reunions OF relatives very
generally tooa place, and thus muDy little family diI-
icrences we're obiiteraicd. At present the old prac.
ccs somewhat docayed, yet The LIST OF january is
far from beng reduced OF other days, and
many Scot Is snoring somewhat over.loudIy this
morning from last nights pint redoubled.
GIFTS AND PRESENTS.
Present making was once as generally INDUCED In
Great Britain on New Years Day rs II Is
Chrstnas. Tho Saxons kept the festival with gifts.
Inc practice Was continued In the Middle Ages anu
Henry I'LL used tho day extort Contributions from
and the pcriwg nigh and mighty iormaty IN the
presentation OF New Years gIfis They we're suited
=. I SEX rang. situation ana circumstance From
usual gilts OF tenants In the country TO their land
lords was capon, anu Cowiey, addressing the tenant
class, said
When with low legs and In humble guise
lc oiicr M capon sacrifice
Unto his worship ut the New Years tide.
'New Years Git" Is introduced by Ben Jonson In
his ''Masque OF Christmas" IN blue coat serving
man ike, with an orange and sprg oil rosemary on
his head has hat ui Of brooches, auh collar Of gan.
gerorcad, his torch bearer carrying a march,
pane, with bottle Of wine either arm.
during tho reen Of Elizabeth the custom
OF presenting New Years gifts the ,rJvercign was
carried TO sheer extravagancc. The Queen delil hed
In gorgeous dresses, In Jewelry, IN ali Kinds OF
meats Tor her person and palaces and IN purses
bursting with COINS. From the descriptive inventory
10 NchoIs' Progresses oil Queen Eizibetn u
that The presents made 10 her ny the great officers
State, peers and pecrcsses, Dsbops knights their
ladics, gentlemen aud gcntlowomen, physiclans,
apotnecarcs, and others OF lower grade down Her
MaJestys dustman consisted OF sums OF money, costly
articles oil ornament Tor tho Queens person apart
ments, caskets studded with precious Stones valuable
necklaces, bracelets, gowns, embroidered mantics,
smocks, potticoats, looking glasses, aus, silk stock
ngs and great variety OF other articles. In 1861 the
Queen was presented with her FIRST pair OF black silk