The herald., 1897-12-26
10 oil tho many festal customs

ticed on the celebration Oh the nrSt oay
of the year, or New Years Day, though
many of its observances which once en-
loved popularity are now almost wholly
obsolete.
The twelve days-December &c to jan
uary 6-have long been recognized as
indices of the weather during the follow =
ing year. The ancient texts distinctly
assert this, Sanscrit proberb running:
1.-THE twelve nights are an image or the
year." and another from the same source
refers to the same period: THE Rhibbus
(storm demons) sleep for twelve nights
and DAYS in the house of the sun-god
Savitar.
The Greeks held similar ideas regard
ing the weather of this period, connect
ing it with fiction regarding the king
fisher, so that the name of that bird has
given us a saying strongly expressive OF
mild weather. Plutarch has this testi-
mony to offer: But when the halcyon
brings forth, about the winter Solstice
the whole ocean remains calm and undis~
turbed, without the wrinkle of wave
So that there is not any creature for
which man has so great an affection, see
ing that for her sake, for seven days ana
nights together in the depths of winter
they sail without fear of shipwreck, az
may thus voyage on the sea with great
safety than they travel on land.
In Northern Germany it is said that <
the weather is during each of the twelN
DAYS. so will it be during the correspond
ing months of the year to come. A lik
belief still exists in Lancashire anG
Northamptonshire England. In one
Sc caiI 1,l.
'the three first days of January rule the
coming three months" while in another
place twelve days are said to be the
keys of the year"
A popular rhyme, current in England
and not unknown on this side of the wa
ter, attributes great influence to the
weather of New Years eve.
If New Years eve night wind blow from
south
1t betokeneth warmth and drouth;
If west. much milk and fish in sea-
If north much cold and storm there'll be;
If east. the trees will bear much fruit;
If north, flee 1t. man and beast.
The first day of the year is often re-
garded as the proper time to make GER
tain divinations with reference to many
events affecting the future. The master
of the family then tempts fate by open
ing the Bible with his eyes shut, and OBJ
tanning from the passage first touched
with his finger some indication of the
events of the coming year.
MARKS OF TIME
The ancient Romans, from the time of
the Julian reformation of the calendar,
observed the first day, or the ''calends,"
: of January as apublic holiday, mark
ing the beginning of a new year. The
day and the whole of the ensuing month
was dedicated to the god Janus, from
whom it derives its name of January,
and whom they represented as man
with two faces, one looking backward,
the other forward, implying that he
stood between the old and the new year,
with regard to both.
Ovid and other Latin writers of that
age allude to the suspension of all litiga-
tion and strife, the reconciliation of diff
ferences between friends, the smoking
affairs and the white robed professions
to the capitol upon the first day of Janus,
or New Years day, as it is now termed.
= This approXimates closely to the mode
adopted by the Chinese of observing
their New Year.
The writer's alluded to also tell of the
exchanging of visits. the giving and re-
ceving of presents, or "strenal;" the
masqueradng and the feasting with
which the day was celebrated through
out the Roman empire. The modern
dude, who, until the old custom was al
lowed to fall into allegiance, donned his
swallow tailed coat and white tie and
sailed forth to visit his lady friends,
l.. : H.
Roman dude, arrayed in a new shirt and
toga, went upon precisely the same er
rand more than 2000 years ago.
From the birth of Christianity the par
ticipation of Christians in the festival
observances of New Years day was Wig
orously opposed by the church But
about the fifth century the 25th of De-
cember had gradually become a fixed
festival commemorative of the Lord
nativity, whereupon the first of January
assumed a specially sacred character
also as the octave of Christmas day, and
as the anniversary of Christ's circum-
cision. AS such it still holds subordi-
nate place in the calendars of the var
Gus branches of the eastern and the
western church.
Although the giving of gifts upon New
Years day has to great extent been
superseded in the present time by the
giving of Christmas gifts, the custom
is one of the Oldest as it was formerly
one of the most universal, obserVances
of the occasion. The Persians exchanged
eggs. The Druds distributed as New
Years gifts among the early Britons
branches of the mistletoe cut with pecu-
liarly solemn ceremonies. The early SAX
ons observed the festival of New Years
with feasts and gifts. Among the ancient
Romans the 'strenal" or New Years
present already alluded to, was not only
exchanged between relatives ana
friends, but was eXacted by the emper-
ors from their subjects. Under the
Caesars these New Years presents be-
came such a source of profit to the SOW
ereign and so onerous a burden to the
people, that Claudius limited their cost
by decree.
GIFTS BY COMMAND
Henry III. of England followed the
Roman precedent in eXtortng New
Years gifts from his subjects, the prac-
tice being revived in the reign of Henry
VI and continuing until the reign of
Charles l. But it was during the reign Of
Good Queen Bess" that the custom OBJ
tanned it's greatest and most extrava-
giant height These presents were made
by every one in any way connected with
the Virgin Queen, from the great officers
Of state down to her ma ajesty's dustman.
and Included sums of money, ornaments
for the queens person or apartments,