Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-01-01
NEW YEAR DAH.

And some at eve repose.
NEW HEAR DAY.
Why does the year begin ten days
after the Winter solstice! This is q
question which puzzles great many
People. and by which no one need
be ashamed to confess that he Is
puzzled. OF course, this Is a very
different question from why does the
year begin on the first of January.
II is evident that the year might be-
gin ten days after tbeWinter solstice,
and yet the first day of the year be
called the first of July. To combine
he two questions into one. we may
ask, how does it happen that the
first of January is the first day OF the
year and always falls on the eleventh
day after the Winter solstice? Ev-
cry person Of general Information
knows that this order of things is an
inheritance from the ancient Ro-
| mans, by whom this order was ap-
pointed, and from whom it has been
| transmitted century after century to
the year 1882. But why the ancient
Romans thus fixed the matter is the
puzzle. That they must have had
reasons which they deemed good for
making such arrangements is certain.
And 1t may interest some readers to
explain what those reasons were. 1t
will. perhaps, make the explanation
clearer if We resolve our compound
question into two, and consider
first
WHY Is THE 1sT OF JANUARY NEW
YEAR DAY?
The query is satisfactorily answered
by Theodor Mommsen, now of the
University of Berlin, the highest au-
thority in all the world on the facts
of Roman history. The publication
| of the first two volumes of his History
Of Rome, 10 1854, marks an epoch in
that field of inquiry, and gained him
the great German prize for the most
important historical contribution of
the time. We may mention for the
benefit of those who may like to YER
ify what We are about to say, that
Mommsen's completed work was
translated into English by Rev. DR..
Dickson, aud this English transla-
ton has been republished in this
country by Scribner, Armstrong Il
Co. Mommsen describes the rising
of the inhabitants of what is now
known as Spain and Portugal against
the tyranny of their Romaa masters,
and tells us how those Spaniards and
Lusitanians were at first completely
successful. The historian, In the
English translation to which we bave
referred, thereupon proceeds to
say:
1.-The Romans at home took the
matter so seriously as to resolve on
sending a consul to Spain, step
which bad not been taken since 1876
B. c., and in order 10 accelerate the
dispatch of aid they even made the
new consuls enter on office two
months and half before the legal
time. For this reason the day for
the consuls entering on Office was
shifted from the 10Th of March to the
LIST of January, and thus was estab-
lished the beginning of the year which
We still make use Of at the present
| time"
This, we presume, will settle the
matter for all reasonable men. No
one will question the authority of
Mommsen, VINO, we may add. still
lives at venerable age, to receive at
Berlin New Year greeting and the
homage of all who delight to honor
talent combined with profound learn
ing. We may rely upon Mommsen
when he says that the sole reason
why our New Year Day is the lst of
January is that more than nineteen
hundred years ago Spanish and Por-
iuguese barbarians took it into their
heads to revolt against their Roman
masters, and SO far succeeded that
the masters in their alarm put the
clock Of the year ahead two months
and a half. and in that year fixed
New Year Day tor all. the centuries
thereafter To our time.
| This question being thus settled,
there remains the other question:
WHY DOES JANUARY 1sT FALL WHEN
1T DOES!
Why does il fan on the eleventh
day after the Winter solstice! Why
not on the twelfth, or fifteenth, or
twenty -firs,y Why does it not fall
ON the Winter solstice! For that
there would be good reason The
Winter solsiice is an important mai.
ur a event. 1t Is the shortest day in
the year. Then there Is change in
nature. The sun begins to mount
higher in the sky and the days begin
To lengthen.
To answer this second question is
necessary to recall some elementary
knowledge. II is needful To remind
readers that originally the Roman
year was composed OF ten months,
each month lasting from new moon
90 new moon. December was the
last month Of this old Roman year,
rs the name shows or course the
Romans Ut those early times found
uut that their year OF ten months
was altogether too short, and they
added to II two months, which they
called aud February. and which
were the eleventh aud twelfth months
ot the ancient Roman year.
But even after they had made the
year twelve months long. II was. we
need hardly say. still too short. The
actual time frum oue Winter solstice
In another is 365 days and some
hours. and the ancient Roman year
twelve months had but 3J4 days.
IL was therefore provided that every
osher year there should be an sa-
sii'ienal month. OF a length sufficient
10 hrirg the year right. But as 10
the precise length OF this additional.
manth u discretion Was given to the
pon,itex Nsximus, 50 that he coule
shsr en- il cor ieng'hen !; as The cpurse
I time might require. This discrr-
on. "a naiyh, have been expected.
she p,ntisfs did not fail 10 abuse.
they were very high and mighiy
perssgases. and they were not Ia he
tied siswnia = few days more or less.
san. raaos. and stars 10 the contrar,
asgswitiss sailing. They did NOT hes
tate te lenssh-n or shTidge the sddi
iianaf m'snsn. in order so prolung III.
fssrlss az a IA ksfsssr.5Nx- 80 tass.a ~.