The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-01-01

Curious Customs And Myths Of New Years
Day still Prevalent.

Curjous smstoms hnd Myths OF New Years
Day stiiI Prevalent.
"Hogmanay. ~ the Scotch folk call
their New Years eve, Is the greatest
festival of the year in the "land o.
cakes" and has many ancient and Gu
rious customs and superstitions con-
nected with IL. The origin Of the name
Is uncertain, but it is pretty generally
conceded to have been derived from the
French words Eau gui mener" dead
TO the mistletoe). In allusion to the an
cient Druidical custom of cutting the
mistletoe from the oak on the night of
the last day Of the year. The sacred
plant was brought by the priests into
the towns and market places and given
to the people as an amulet to preserve
them from war and other calamities.
While they had such good old tongue
as the Gaelic near at hand, IL is not to
be supposed that the pious Druids spoke
to their votaries In the language Of
Johnny Crapaud. The intimate connec-
tion Of Scotland and France during the
middle ages will easily account for the
introduction of the term 'hogmanay.
The days about New Years, which
from the revelry and mummery that
characterized them We're called by the
Scotch the daft days." bear close re-
semblance to the "fetes des fous,"
which interfered SO scandalously with
the vigils In the French churches dur
ing the sixteenth century that they were
finally put down by the bishop Of An
gres in 1893. During these "fetes des
fous" bands of beggars clad in fantastic
garbs broke into the churches ON the eve
Of tho New Year, and after singing
their weird carols demanded aims of
the worshipers
The modern Scotch representatives Of
these obtrusive beggars were known an
the "guisards" or "gyzars These
were harmless and entertaining mask.
ers, who were generally admitted into
the houses of the best families In the
country. where, after singing their
carols, they were permitted to dance
with the members Of the household.
Many assert that the hoghmen, or hill
men, were the good genii versus the
trolls, or evil ones, who were the beings
referred to; hence the ditty:
Hogmanay, Trollolay.
Gle me o. your white bread.
III hae name o. your gray.
The white bread, signifying the good
things of life, versus the gray, or evil
ones. A very popular rhyme, with q
moral, is one freely sung in the north
eastern counties Of Scotland:
Get mp. guide wife, and binna sweir flazyl
And deal your bread 10 them that's here,
For the time will come when yen be dead,
And then yen neither need ale nor bread.
My fect's cauld, my shoon's thin.
Gie,s ny cakes and let me rim.
Having chalked the doors with the
New Years numbers, they depart to
gather coppers, cakes and fruit else.
where.
At the stroke Of midnight each men-
Der Of the family party would quaf q
full bumper of "hot pint" and wish the
others happy New Year and many Of
them. Then it was customary for the
elders to sally forth with hot kettle,
bread and cheese, etc. and pay visits Of
greeting TO the neighbors The first
party ~ enter house were called the
''tr { ioot" and were warmly welcom-
ed, us their arrival in that capacity in.
dicated good luck. Much kindly rivalry
ensued, and from midnight to o'clock
the streets were fairly swarming with
would be first footers" This custom
was still prevalent in Scott's day.