The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-01

city relatives
IN Scotland, where Christmas day is not
IA 10 any way regarded, because so many
TFesoyteclans look upon lis observance as a
species OF superstition, New Years day is a
Joyous one, according % the idea the natives
have of jollity. The lower and n1iddIs
classes commence ths New Year the very
moment that the hour OF midnight has
chiinad upon the last night Of the year.
called HOgmenaye Nlgbt,n by drinking
ana singing at every house, hosiery. or
puolc place fitted for festiyltv. This they
Keep up until daylight, when they separate.
ana every person VINO is sufficiently sober
starts OF with a bottle Of w1isky to
e slle mouse OF his most intimate
1Tlend to wish him Happy
Ne" Year, by obhging him, almost
notenS Uolsas, to drink a glass Of 'uske-
Daugn." 1t is customary to present, at the
same tlIne, small piece of "short bread
kind OF sugar cake with ''SWeeties1 and
carroWay seeds mixed in the dough. Very
frequently one person receives a number OF
theSe convlvlal callers, which results in a
multiplication of drinks, impossible to de-
cllne without giving grave offsnse. The
person VINO hrSt arrives IS regarded as the
most attentive, and is honored by being
designated as the first foot" This custom
Is so prevalent that even "bairniesn or chill
oren may not infrequently be seen toIdling
along the streets with small bottles OF spirits.
for the purpose Of treating their youthful
companions. The day is generally observed
as a holiday. and nearly all business is sus-
pended
1t may be thought that Scotch New
ears day Is ra-h her e bacchanalian re
Jolclng, in proof Of which a paragraph
appeared once in the Edinburgh Weekly
journal on one Jan. l, to the effect tn It up
10 a late hour of that day, at the moment of
gong to press there was no appearance of
any rioting whatever, and that no unusual
noisy revelry" had, up till tnen, disturbed
the public peace.
In Mexico, the day, which is really our
2Srd of February, is often kept with many
characteristics OF an Old-fashioned English
Mayday. Young women, handsomely
dressed, dance around pole, to which are
affixed number of different colored rib
| oons, and, very much as the ''merry May
ers" Of old did, inJerweave these ribbons
into many-hued patterns, producing charm
ing effects. This is symbolic, when the
dancers are all brought to the center by
their shortening ribbons, of the winding I'D
| OF the seasons, and wnen their dancing
| draws them from near the pole. with their
| lengthening ribbons, the aspect of the
whole Is said to represent the expanding of
| the seasons. All this is accomplished to the
air of a song generally composed for the
| occasion, and the whole exercise is poetic
and graceful.
The Russians at their New Years hold
feast denominated the Feast of the Dead, :"
or in the Russian language, "Raditzli
| Saboln On this day people visit the graves
Of their departed friends and place food
upon them. The priests also attend and
celebrate mass, taking the food left upon
| the graves.
The Persian New Year corresponds to
| our June, the Abyssinians' to our Goth of
August; the Greeks make it Sept. l, the
| Chinese date it our first moon in March. the
| Turks and Arabs from July 16, and our own
red men reckon from the new moon of the
| vernal equinox.
In England the "historic year" has a.
| ways commenced on Jan. l, because
| William the conqueror was crowned on
that day. Historians have always COM
menced the year with Jan. l, though in civil
| affairs the ancient manner of reckoning
| from March % was retained until the year
| 1852, when by statute passed under George
II. il was enacted THAT from and after the
last day of December, 1751, the new year
should commence Jan. l."
The celebration of The day is in some re-
spects similar in England to its observance
in Scotland, minus the fnordinate drinking.
1t is customary to hold festive gatherings
on the last day of the year for the purpose
| of ''seeing the new year in" Balls parties
and family gatherings are the usual forms
of grouping persons in the same social scale,
while dinner parties among persons with
| old-fashloned ideas are not unusual The
| amusements of the assembled guests con-
tinue in the usual manner until the approach
| of the midnight hour q few minutes before
which all festivity is suspended, and an aw-
full attention begOtten by listening for the
first iron Changing of the clocks.
The moment the first stroke falls upon
| the ears of the asSemblage a clasping Of
hands takes place, all glasses are raised, and
mutual good wishes and toasts are rapidly
passed. succeeded very often by a willing,
but not always unsteady skilled singing by
all present Of "Auld Lang Syne" Then
old people look lovingly into the eyes of
those who have grown aged with them, and
turn proudly upon the beaning eyes of their
children, or, maybe, their children'S chill
dren. Fair girls hands are gently pressed
by the ones they have learned to love, and
the pressure is returned. Mated couples,
never parted in thought or feeling, exchange
loving kisses, and scatter klsSas upon the
children heaven has blessed them with or,
with kiss upon their lips, feel sorrow
where no child is there for them to bless.
The memory of friends who have passed
away rests gently with those still left, and
animosties seem less bitter, while ripe
friendships seem ripper and more beautiful
A feeling Of utter peace and content ap-
pears TO fall upon all, as the reverberation
of the last stroke of the midnight hour dies
away, and all the bells from all the steepies
out in the night dash into merry, Ginning
music, swelling singing and dying away,
and anon bursting forth anew upon the
listeners ears. The metal tongues changing
aud echoing through'the frosty air have but
one voice, and that cries out, as if in the
words of ST. Peter: "Above all things have
fervent charity among yourselves; for
charity shall cover the multitude of SINS"
Then the old Ere Oh fashion when king
expires. of proclaiming: "Le Roi est NOR,
Vive lie Roi" can be FLY paraphrasad
1.-THE Old Year is dead Welcome the New
Year"
The Grave Gets Tired yawning,
Seemingly. for certain wretched invalids who