Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-12-27


time
In Scotland the last day of the year
was called by the uglier name fof
Hogamany, q name OF unknown and
inexplicable derivation: ands in Scot
land it was regarded as the most
popular of all the Daft Days, as the
Christmas holidays We're termed
Scotch children of the poorer class in
small towns still beg on that day from
door to door at the houses of weather.
families for dole of oatbread. calling
out "Hogamany''' or some of the local
rhymes which are given in Chambers
Popular Rhymes of Scotland" sucn
as:
"Hogamany.
Trollolay.
Give us of your white bread
And none of your gray.
They also beg for cheese which they
call 'nog- money" and Brands 'Popu
lar Antiquities" gives this begging
rhyme used by Scotch children:
.Get up gyde wife and binno sweir.
Deal cakes and cheese while you are
here:
For the time will come when yen be dead
And neither need your cheese nor bread.
AS the children on these forays are
swathed in great sheets formed into
deep bag or pouch to carry the oat~
cake. they form quite mumming and
fantastic appearance on the bystreets
and lanes.
The observance in the churches of
what was named by the Methodists
Watch Night" and the ringing CT the
old year out and the New Year in are
our present American customs for New
Years eve, and may they long con-
tinue. l think no one has ever attended
these beautiful midnight services or
heard those bells-equally solemn and
happy-has ever done SO with indiffer
ence. Charles Lamb says:
'Of all sounds, of all bells most
solemn and touching is the peal which
rings out the old year. l never hear it
without gathering up of my mind to
a concentration of all the images that
have been diffused over the past
twelve month. l begin to know the
worth of that regretted time. as when
a person dies"
When the clock struck II the house
door was thrown open, as for an hor-
OICu guest, dud lIlS NEW car %
ushered in with shout of Welcome"
and the first human incomer was
watched for with much eagerness a
woman visitor being thought-rathar
ungallantly-to bring ill-luck: light
haired man was also regarded with
much disfavor. In Lancashire many
swarthy, dark-haired men went from
house to house on New Years morn
Ito take the New Year in receiving
gift of liquor or money from each host.
In Scotland this ''first-footing" was a
ceremony of much Importance: and SO
universal was the custom of visiting
from house to house that century
ago, in Edinburgh. the streets were
more thronged from II to l in the New
Years morning than at midday. AS it
was deemed unlucky to enter a house
empty landed. the visitors bore with
them cakes. cheese and bowls or ket-
ties of hot pint" AS parties Of
friends met in the streets they ex-
changed cakes and buns and slipped
each others drink. 1t was also held
everywhere to bring ill-luck if any
thing We're carried out of the house he
fore anything was brought in:
Take out and take in
Bad luck is sure to begin;
But take in and take out.
Good luck will come about.
In some portions of England the Bible
was consulted. or dipped on New
Years morning as an oracle. This cere-
mony took place before breakfast. The
book was opened at random and the fin
ger of the seeker was placed. without
time even for rasty perusal. upon any
chapter that CHANGED to be contained in
l, ta
chapter were construed in some way into
foretelling his fortune for the year.
should like to try the skill and ingenuity
of these OWNERS with some of the chap
ters in Leviticus and Numbers.
A very pretty custom was that of tast-
ing the cream of the WELL, the first
drink from spring or well on New Years
morn. The first pail of water drawn. 1.-THE
flower of the we'll" insured positively
the best husband in the parish to the
water-drawer.
''Twall Struck-two neebour hizzies raise
An lltin gaed sad gate,
The flower O the well to our house gaes
An I'll haze the bonniest lad yet
The custom of exchanging gifts on New
Years is of long standing. 1t was Il prac-
tice among the Romans and the SaXOns
and was for many years a time of annual
gift-offering to the royal family OF Eng
land. In the reign of Queen Elizabeth
these gifts assumed such proportions
Jnat IL Is tnOuSnI the royal WdfufODe ant
jewel-case were principally supported b!
these New Years presents. which came
from the highest in the land down to the
dustman. The Queen made gifts also
but with a most thrifty eye. to a tidy bal
ance in her own favor. Agnes Strickland
quotes this account of the method of the
royal reception of New Years gifts in i
previous reign from manuscript Of this
time of Henry VII
ION the day of the new year when 4 h,
hing came to his foot-sheet his usher. o,
his chamber door said to him: Sire! her,
: a New Year $ gift coming from tn,
Queen. Then the king replied. Let i
come in Then the king usher let TIL,
queens messenger come within the gate
Henry VII, sitting at the foot of the bee
in his dressing gown. the officers of hi
bed chamber having turned the top shee
smoothly down to the foot of the bee
when the royal parsonage rose. TIL,
Queen in like manner sat at her foo
sheet and received the Kings New Year.
gift within the gate of her bed railing
When this formal exchange had takei
place between the king and his Censor
they received. seated i'm the same manner
the New Years gifts of their nobles.' Ss
This system of royal taxation Taste,
long and extended wide. Sturdy aid Lat
inner dared to give King Henry VIII, in
stead OF IL purse of gold a Bible with tn
leaf boldly turned down at Hebrews IL a
The commonwealth destroyed this bur
densome observance of costly ROYAL gift
on New Years :
Gloves We're Il common Gift anon,
y friends, and pins. when pins we're rars