The Bossier banner., 1893-12-28
BENTON, La,
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 893.
The Gateway of the Year.

To all civilized people, both of an
csent and modern times, the begin
ming of the year has been an occa-
sion to be marked by solemn observ-
ances and ceremonies. Egypt, the
eldest child of civilization, made Ibis
of Thoth, the presiding genius OF the
New Year, which always began, as
was the case in later times, with the
Phenicians and Persians, at the au-
tumnal equinox, September %. The
Roman, casting aside his sword and
armor, arrayed himself in snowy
white on the first day of the year,
and joined a joyful procession which
went to the temple, where the altars
smoked with sacrifice. The Romans
very appropriately dedicated the New
Year to Janus, the two-faced god,
who looked backward into the past
and forward into the future. He was
a peaceful and benefcent old deity,
and from presiding over the open
ing of, the New Year, he gave an ele-
ment of congratulation and good
will to the day. Hence arose the
practice of congratulatory saluta-
tions, friendly visits, and the exchange
of gifts or strenG-as the Romans
called them-delightful customs
which have come down to our own
day. The Romans reckoned the be-
ginning of the year from the winter
solstice, December 81, until Julius
Caesar. in his reform of the calandar,
changed it to the first of January
He also arranged the year so that all
the even numbers among the months,
save February, had thirty days, and
all the odd ones thirty-one. But
Augustus, his nephew, to crafty q
silly vanity, changed this alienation,
saying: 81 am quite as good as my
uncle Julius, and my month of Au-
gust shall have as many days as his
month of july" so he took a day
from February, making that month
still shorter, and added it to his own
month.
The Aztecs under the Montezumas
who began their year at the time o.
the summer solstice, had the peculiar
custom Of extinguishing all the lights
and fires throughout their nation OF
the night preceding New Years day
and the building of new sacred fir
in the great temple at midnight, a.
an augury of the renewal of the year
from which eouriers carried the fam'
anew over the empire.
The old Angeles and Saxons cele
brated December 25th as New Year
day until William the Conquero
came. He was crowned on Januar,
l, and the Importance of that even
was considered sufficient to justif,
the order that the year should com
mence on that day. But the custom
soon lapsed, and for 400 years tn
English began the year with the 25tl
of March. In 1862 King George II
and Parliament adopted the Grego
rian calendar, and decreed that hence
forward the gateway of the yea
should be January l.
Grotesque customs marked the da
In olden times, and in many countrie
they maintain their hold to the pres
ent century. In the old town O
Coventry, England, on New Year
Day, there sounds through the quain
streets the cry of "God-cakes for th
New Year p and young and old crow
TO eat of the triangular little cakes
filled with cort of mince meat ant
costing about half-penny apiece.
In India, February IA is New Year
Day and the event is marked by a
annual festival called the Hooly, cele
brated in honor of Khrishna. It
the only time in all the year in Indi
xpha, kba distinctions of oacho ~