The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-28
NEW YEARS IN RUSSIA.
The Cars Kissing COntract--Two
Weeks of fFestivities.

w teks Oh estlNitlCS.
From the Sun.
New Years customs in Russia are
interesting. In the morning the princes
of the imperial family, personages of
the court, functionaries of the capital,
and servants of the palace come in reg
ular order to present their homages
and good wishes to the Emperor who
kisses all the members of his family
and all the high officials three times,
according to the Russian fashion.
on Easter Sunday the Emperor is
obliged by custom to kiss in the same
manner every individual he meets even
the lowest of his subjects, the most
miserable of beggars. This kiss is in
tended to call the Russians attention
to the fact that they are all brothers in
the orthodox religion.
But on New Years day the Emperor
gives his fraternal kiss, as we have
said, to his family and the high func-
tionarieS in his service only; and the
people in the streets kiss each other
or not. The favored ones who have
been kissed by the Car are permitted
to kiss the hand of the Empress. The
ceremony of hand kissing was sup
pressed for a time, but it was re-estab-
lished a few years ago under the reign
of Alexander III.
The festivities commence on the 21st
of December, and are ended on the
9Th of January. During these two
weeks the young people gather together
to play games and To dance. on New
Years Day, at breakfast, dinner and
supper, the guests, standing around the
table, touch glasses, drink the health
of the Emperor, and offer good wishes
to each other.
Masters give presents to their serV-
ants, but don't give presents to each
other, as they do on Christmas. ON
Christmas Day, in all the families, the
table is set with profusion, and hos
pitality is offered to everybody. In
high society they drink champagne,
while the common people drink
brandy.
At this time, also, they devote them
selves to augural practices. They throw
melted lead into water and from the
figures formed by the suddenly cooled
metal they endeavor to make horo-
scopes. The young girls try to learn
whether they will be married, and to
know something of the face, the quail
ties. and the fortune of their future
husbands. At midnight they sit down
between two mirrors by the side of
which two candles are placed, They
look in one mirror and into the other
until they can see twelve lights. In this
way some of the girls fancy they see in
the mirror the image Of their tance
and that gives them hope.
There is also the Epiphany, the Day
of Kings. 1t is the first feast of the
Russian year The blessing of water is
carried ON with great pomp. The EN-
peror, preceded by the clergy of the
orthodox church. presided over by the
Pishop of NoVgorod, proceeds from the
Winter Palace to the Neya, where a
wooden chapel is erected. 1t is sur
mounted by a cross, and in the interior
| there are paintings representing the
! baptism of Christ.
| A hole is made in the ice, the assist
ants receive the usual prayer, and In
| front of the altar, where there are
| relics and holy books, the Bishop lunges
| the cross into the water of the river
three times. Then, with little water
which he takes up in a precious vase
| he sprinkles the assistants,
In turn the people approach the hole
and each one carries away some of the
! holy water.