The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1889-12-28
NEW YEARS.

year-is something that has engaged
the attention of the world since the
dawn of intelligence in the race. Even
at the present time the subject is un-
settled, and New Years Day comes
some twelve days later IN Russia than
in the rest of Christendom-old style,
as it is called, still prevailing there.
Singularly enough, too, this discarded
old style prevails in Great Britain in
financial dolngs 10 some extent, as the
Christmas dividends are not paid there
till Twelfth Day. There too the Chan
cellor of the Exchequer still holds that
New Years belongs to the last week of
March, old style, aud consequently to
the first week in April IN the new style,
and the fiscal year begins there in the
spring season.
But New Years Day itself, let it fall
as it would-at the autumnal equinox
or the winter or the summer solstice-
has been kept immemorially with honor !;
and there are known to have been al
manacs of sort to assist in the keep
ing as tar back as a hundred and fifty
years before the Christian era, and in
default of earlier ones many an event
taking place prior to these almanacs
has been timed by the calculation of
the time on which eclipses noted in ira
dition must have fallen so that the as
tronomer who calculates one of these
long-vanished ecllpses is only supply
ing the deficit of an almanac by which
to tell the time of dead and gone his
tory. When the Roman New Year was
fixed, and bound to a certain date, it
was natural and philosophical to dedi-
cate it to the god Janus, who sat at the
gate of heaven, and guarded the be-
ginning of all things in heaven or earth
either, and who as he sat, looked both
wavs-at the year just gone, with re-
gret, it may be at the year just coming
with hope. Perhaps the custom OF
gift giving arose from the sacrifices
made to Janus as far back as the founda-
ton of the Roman Empire, when cakes
and wine were offered to him on twelve
affairs in time another custom follow
ing this-that of ordering every action
of the day so as to make it an augury
of happiness and good for all the other
| days of the year the offerings to the
god meantime suggesting offerings to
| ones friends, to whom greetings and
invocations Of happiness had been long
in vogue, and these gifts so increasing
in costliness that at last an imperial
edict had to be issued ordering them
to be confined with certain limits.
But long before this edict the Jews
held the custom of New Years gifts,
and ushered in the day with the blow
ing of horns in the synagogue; and the
Chinese made the day the most obli-
gatory and splendid festival while the
people obedient to Druidic forms were
not whit behind. 1t was certainly a
custom that underwent dangerous
growth the English sovereigns, in fact,
used to extort gifts from their subjects,
receiving great revenue thereby; Queen
Elizabeth's magnificent wardrobe was
largely composed of her New Years
gifts-dresses, jewels, purses of gold,
fans, caskets, mantels, mirrors, and all
articles of curiosity and although,
in justice to the great Queen, it is to
Ee SAID that she always returned an ap-
proximate value in gilt plate to each
giver. The custom, however ceased
when the Commonwealth came in, es.
tablishing Justice, but abolishing much
that was picturesque and romantic. In
France, too, this glft-giving custom was
long honored the day had great do
mestic celebration, and it is still pleas
antly observed. Fathers were wont to
name their children's dowries on that
day, and husbands to make settlements
on their wives. To-day, with more
dehcacy and wisdom than was used OF
old, the gift-glving between friends and
acquaintance has become matter OF
bonbons, although even they can be
made so as to flatter the love of prodi-
eality. Among ourselves card of good
wishes is usually considered now an
all-sufficient reminder of the day; this
has come about in consequence of the
fact that the manner in which the day
was spent, with calls on such throng
of acquaintance that none could be en-
joyed, with tables loaded with unwise
and barbarous liberality, created an
evil that had to cure itself. Another
festival had just preceded, absorbing
much of the holiday spirit; and the
celebration OF the day is now gradually
settling into an unobtrusive one, which
does not hinder the expression OF al
sorts of friendly wishes, although, a:
everything is subject to caprices O
fashion, the old hilarity is at any mo-
ment liable to gain the ascendenc,
once more still it is to be hoped that
warned by experience, it will never BIT
with the same quality OF too generous
hospitality whose abuse has been 1t:
destruction.