Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-28
Written for The EVENING STAR:
A HAPPY NEW YEAR.
How the Day Has Been Observed In
All Times.


CUSTOMS NOW PREVAILING THAT HAVE DESCENDED
FROM THE PAGANs-THE CHRISTIAN VIEW OF
NEW YEAR DAY-aIFrs EXPORTED By ROMAN
EMpERoRs AND ENGLISH KINGS.
New Year day has been regarded as an occa-
sion of peculiar significance among all peoples
from very early ages. The fact that it marked
the closing OF an cid account with time and
the opening of a new one caused it to be re-
garded by the ancient Romans as a peculiarly
hitting day for the reconciliation of differences,
the making of good resolutions, the exchanging
OF visits and the giving of .'strenae'' or pres
ents to relatives and friends. All Of these
things may be found described at length in the
pages of the Ovid and other Latin writer's, who
also tell us of masquerades, feasts, smoking al
tars and white-robed professions to the
Capitol. The Roman young man of fashion
arrayed himself in his best and went forth to
visit his lady friends to partake of the cup
which both cheers and inebriates and to impart
hue Of carmin to the seven hills OF Rome, just
Ike his fellow of today in any of our modern
cities. Not only were the .'strenae" or pres
ents exchanged between relatives and friends,
but the emperors exacted them from their
subjects. The casars made these New Years
gifts such source of profit to themselves and
SO onerous a burden to the people that Ciaudius
at length issued decree limiting their cost
Like the ancient Romans. the early Saxons OBJ
served the festival of New Year day with feasts
and gifts. Among The Persians these New
Year presents took the form Of eggs. while the
New Year gifts distributed by the ancient
Druids among the early Britons consisted of
branches OF mistletoe cut with peculiarly solemn
ceremonies
THE DAWN OF CHRISTIANITY
When christianity began 10 make its way
among the Romans the church vigorously OPP
posed the participation of its converts in the
| festival observancos of New Year day. which
were OF heather character, the occasion
being Dedicated. was the whole ensuing
month, to the God Janus from whom it was
| called january, and whom they represented as
man with two faces, one looking backward,
The other forward, thus implying that he stood
between the new and the old Year with re-
gard to both. Sacrifices to Janus were offered
upon twelve affairs not only during New Year
day but also throughout the entire month
OF January. 1t was, therefore, very natural
that the church should oppose the festive cere-
monies of this occasion.
But about the NTH century the LIST Of Janu-
airy or New Year day assumed a specially sacred
character as the anniversary of the Saviour's
CIRCUMCISION and as the octave of Christmas
which lad then become fixed festival OH De-
cember 70 as commemorative Of our Lords
nativity. Thus January / still holds place in
the church calendar. Many of the obseryances
OF New Year, which once enjoyed the greatest
popularity are now nearly or wholly obsolete
THIS is most notably the case with the giving
or presents. which though once universal
custom Is now almost entirely superseded by
tne giving OF Christmas gifts. Many of the old
Engllsh soverelgns, like the Roman emperors,
derived no uncomfortable portion of their in
come from the New Year gifts of their subjects.
QUEEN BEss' NEW YEAR GIFTS.
In his quaint History of the World" Howell
states that the wardrobe of Queen Elizabeth
was almost wholly supplied by New Year pres
ents. Among other things, he remarks, that
Queen Elizabeth in ljGl was presented with
pair of black silk knit stockings by her silk
woman, Mrs. Montague and uienceforth she
never wore cloth hose any more" In return
for the elaborate New Year presents which she
received from every one attached in any Ca
pacity to her court, good Queen Bess made
gifts OF gold and silver plate to the men and of
necklaces, bracelets. gowns, mantles, petit
coats and fans to the women. Under the Henrys
the extortlon OF New Year gifts was practiced
just as under the old Roman emperors, and the
custom Of voluntarily making them to the
reigning English sovereign continued until
Oliver Cromwell. on becoming lord protector,
put stop to it.
.Apropos of this custom of giving New Year
James l. who, being sent by his royal master
with bag containing fine lap dog New
Year present to female favorite, was per-
suaded by some ways OF the court to refresh
himself en- route at a tavern where they ex-
changed the lap dog for pig. The dismay of
the jester on tumbling out her sowship at the
feet of the lady was so great that he rushed
precipitately from the house of the favorite and
into the presence of the king, shouting all the
way that he had been bewitched by some fiend
-hnl nA, L.. -.
into a pig, statement which received ready
credence from the king, who was devout be-
iiever in witches and witchcraft and who had
written and published a voluminous work on
those subjects.
MAsQUERADING.
Every one is familiar with the customs of
masqueradng on New Year eve and day, of
watching the old year out and the new one in
and of firing off guns, blowing horns, singing
and partaking of good cheer on New Year eve,
but probably few are aware that these are
among the Oldest OF all our social usages and
have been practlced in variously modified
forms in nearly all civilized countries ever
since the Roman Emperor Julian reformed the
calendar and made the ''calends' or first day
of January the beginning of the year. In many
parts of rural England and Scotland it is Gus
tomary for large parties of men and women to
go about on New Year eve bearing. from house
to house. an abundant supply OF cakes, bread
and cheese, together with great bowl of what
is called wassail or lambs wool" a drink
composed OF hot ale, spices, sugar. toast and
apples. In the households they visit all the
members of the family are awaiting their COM
ing and are prepared to welcome them with a
plentiful supply of good cheer. The first house
which is visited by these wassail carriers after
midnight is regarded as highly favored, it be-
ing popular belief that good fortune through
out the entire year is then sure to follow all its
inmates. Great care is taken, however, that
the first member of the wassail party crossing
the threshold shall be man, for were woman
to be the first to enter misery and misfortune
would infalibly ensue.
Upon the calends or first day of January the
ancient Romans were especially careful to so
regulate their conduct that their every word
and act should be happy augury for all the
ensuing days OF the year. and they believed
that as they were fortunate or the reverse, glad
or sorrowful, happy or miserable upon that
day 80 would they continue to be throughout
the following twelve months This old SUPER
stltion still exists in the minds of many per-
sons, especially in many of the northern coun-
ties of England, where both old and young are
particularly careful in their behavior on New
Year day.
SCOTCH CUSTOMS.
In many Of the rural districts Of Scotland it
is still customary, as it has been from time i'm
memorial, for all horses and cattle to receive
an extra feeding on New Year day. that they as
well as their masters may have cause to COM
mn thsr x.r,xl IT,