The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-01-29
NEW YEARS DAY.
How the First of January Came to be Cen
ally Adopted.

How the First Of January Came to be Gen
ally Adopted.
q. e. Rarpham, in the Young Mems Era.
Bright, frosty first Of January has had
the honor of being ''New Years Day"
only about three hundred years. In the
selection Of the day which should mark
the beginning of each year, and in the
length of the year itself, serious Difficult
ties were encountered. 1t was ressona.
BILE enough to suppose that complete
revolution Of the seasons, during which
the sun appeared to travel round whole
circle of the heavens, should mark the
length of the year, but the puzzling part
of it was to decide just when the revolu-
ton began. The ancients undertook to
settle the matter by selecting a certain
etar in the SUMS course which should be
considered as the starting point of his
journey. When the sun came round to
this star again, the year was past and a
new one began. This worked very we'll
until the advance of astronomical knowl.
edge revealed the fact that the star itself
had motion of its own. Having no
stationary starting point, then, it was
difficult to establish the exact number of
days and fraction offs day which should
determine the length of the year. Most
of US are familiar with the devices by
which the wise men Of various ages en-.
deavored to solve the difficulty until the
calendar made by Julius Caesar, about
the time of Christ, virtually settled the
matter. Our calendar as it now stands
is the calendar of Caesar with few i'm
proyemeuts.
But after having established the length
of the year, there vas still freedom Of
choice as to which particular day of the
three hundred and sixty five should have
the honor of being the first day of the
year. As no one seemed to have author.
ity to decide, each nation settled for
itself as to whether that day should be
when the sun stood highest in the heav-
ems or was lowest; when at the nearest
approach to the earth, or his greatest
distance from it; when the days we're
longest, or when they we're the shortest;
or when the days and nights we're equal
all over the globe. From the record of
the ancients it was impossible to tell
when their year began, as frequently in
two nations side by side, the length Of
the year would be different.
But when Christianity began its pro.
gress over European countries: it seemed
appropriate that the year should begin
upon some church festival day. The
choice was narrowed principally to two
-Christmas and Easter Day. The Jew
ish nation, not looking with favor upon
either of these two dates, refused to
change its New Years day, claiming that
theirs was based upon scientific knowl.
edge, since they celebrated their New
Year upon the first new moon after the
autumnal equinox. Among the others,
from the seventh to the thirteenth cen
turies, the first Of the year was upon
Christmas day. From the thirteenth to
the middle of the eighteenth centuries,
March IS was selected for the beginning
of the ecclesiastical and legal year, but
long before this historians and the COM
mon people dated their year from the
first of January.
France was the first nation to realize
the Importance of an international first
day of the year, and accordingly in 1860,
King Charles TX established New Years.
day upon the first of January by royal
decree. In his intelligent appreciation
of this fact, he surpassed in wisdom
another king Charles (Chsrles W of the
same country. 1t is related of the latter
that the inventor of the watch, having
presented one to his majesty for inspec-
ton, asked him if he could criticise any
part of it. Unwilling to admit its per-
fection, Charles replied that he had but
one fault to find with 1.-THE fourth fig
ure of the dial plate should be iii in
stead of Nv, as the inventor had it. All
reasoning failed to convince the monarch
that he himself was in the wrong, the
royal decree was given and to this day
the faces of clocks and watches are per
petual reminder of Stupid Charles v"
Germany established the New Year
upon January first, three years after
France, and the other nations followed
The most confusion was caused in Eng.
land where the year 1851 lost nearly
three months by the change. Indeed
Lord Chesterfield, who was mainly in
strumental in bringing about the change
nearly fell victim to the fury of moi
who followed him through the streets
calling upol him to give them back thei
months. England was almost the last tt
adopt the first of January as the begin
ming of the year, except Russia, VIII
still clings to her own system of dates.
"New Years Day" is celebrated il
almost every civilized country of th'
/ globe. 1t was observed as holiday b!
the Romans, and nations of moderr
times celebrate the occasion with grea
joy and festivity. In households of the
early English monarchs, New Years
items OF expense for gifts we're consider
able; Kings both received and gave
The eve and morning of the new yea
we're observed with peculiar honor an1
ceremony. Scotland celebrates the day