The Cecil Whig., 1882-12-30
NEW YEARS DAY.
From Appleton's Cycloppdid.

From Appleton's Cyclopadia
New Years day. the first day of the
year, for many ages aud in various parts
of the world. celebrated as a religious
and social festival. With the post bibi.
cal Jews the new year commenced and
still commences with the autumnal
month, Tisri, the first day being cele-
brated by them with cnnsid .rahle cere-
m"nv. The Romans made an especial
holiday of it. offering sacrifices tn Janus,
whose principal festival occurred on this
day. and taking care that all that they
thought. said, and did should be pure
and favorable, since every thing was
ominous for the ccurreuces of the whole
year. They appeared in the streets in
festive garments, exchanged kindly ed 'u-
tatious. and gave each other presents
called .treaGe. 'tsi-ting at gilt dates
hg- h ~ ""k'S ti! r.'pp i r'i,S .IaN-
l, Z side ~. {! ,ni.'.. II, al IT .I,tu.
AMI "n the HE, i :. ip. Tni> .l,>r"n, g.
otSt''N lig presents - IN ale %. Stbilit-
the emperor au Important souice of ,htl,
personal revenue, until mudiiied by "a
decree of the emperor Claudius. The
early Christian emprrors. however. CON
tinued t. receive them. notwithstanding
they We're condemned by the ecclesi.sti
cal councils on account of the pagan cert-
monies at their presentation. Prlun.
in his - ili>trio- Ma>tix," referring tn I'll.
hostility nf the earl, church to an, im,-
tation among G ,ristians of the Roman
saturnalia. SAYS: The whole Catholicke
church appointed u solemn pnblike fast.
upon this our new years dav, to bewail
these heatheni>h enterlndes. sports. aud
l,wd idulnt Gus practices. which had beeu
used on it; prohibiting all Christians
under pain of excommunicatinn. from
observing the calends or first of Jannar>
(Which wee now call new years das) a.
holy, and from sending abroad new year,
gifts upon it. "a cu>tome now too fre-
quen it being mere reique of pagan
isme and idolatry, derived from the he;.-
then Romans feast of two faced Janus
and practice ST. eXecrable unto CARTS
tians, that not only the whole Catholick.
church, but even the four famous coun
ellis Of (here follows long array OF
authorities) have positively prohibited
the solemnization of new years day, and
the sending abroad of new years gifts
under an anathema and excommunica
TONS The bestowal of gifts upon new
years day was not peculiar to the RI.
mans. The D..uids distributed branches
of the sacred mistletoe, cut with peculia,
ceremonies. as new years gifts among
the people. and the Saxons of the north.
according to Bishop Stillingfeet, observ-
ed the festival with more than ordinar,
iollity and feasting. and by sending gifts
to one another. In spite of the opposi
ton of ecclesiastical councils. the prac.
tice continued throughout the middle
ages; and among kings and their power
full vassals. the interchange of presents
was distinguishing feature of the first
day of the year. Henry III. of E ,gland
and Queen E izabeth's wardrobe and
jewelry were probably almost wholly
supplied from these annual contributions.
1t appears from the Progresses and
Professions OF her majesty. published
by Nichols. that the lords spiritual anG
temporal of the realm. the chief officer
household down TO master cook. ser
geant of the pastry. and dustman. wer
among the contributors to these largesse-
which consisted of money. rich weariu,
apparel, plate. jewels. trinkets, sweet
meats, and an Infinite variety of oth.-,
things D D AXE saws tha a thong,
Vi is. in plate and other articles. sl"
took care that the balance shnnId be il
her own favor As late as 1862 as al.
pears from the .'M"nthly Miscellany
f"l d rember "f that year. the E gli>
n"btii v were accustomed every new
Years tide. to "send to the krg pnrs
with gold in it," Under the Turnr> AL.
Stuarts new Years gifts We're given anr
received with mutual wishes of happe
new year among all conditions OF people.
An orange stuck with clover or gill
nutmeg was popular gift; tenants sen,
their landlords capons. and ladies rec-i,-
ed presents of gloves or pins. or in lieu
thereof composition in money. whenc.
the term glove money" and "pin
money!" Brand. in his Popular Ar
tiquities," ennmerates many ceremonies
and sup 'rStitious practices observed by
the English and Scottish peasantry on
the first day of the year. which. together
with the once almost universal bestowal
of gifts. have ve.y much declined. In
England the ringing in the new year from
the beltries of churches is now the onl,
open demonstration of joy at the recur-
renee of the anniversary. In GERMANY.
many ceremonies derived from old SUPER
stitions are in vogue; but throughout
continental Europe, although the day is
a universal holiday, congratulatory wish
es have been generally substituted for
more substantial expr, s,ion of esteem
formerly inter changed by friends. In
Paris and other large cities almost incred
ible sums are still expended in bonbons
and similar articles for presents. In the
city of New York the day is made the
occasi II of social visits by gentlemen
among the families of their acquaint-
ance-a custom dating back almost to
the settlement of the town by the D itch,
and which has been initiated with more
ar less success in other places in the
[ Cuited States.
FACTS FOR THE CURIOUS.
1t has been ascertained that not one
I,.,