The morning times., 1897-01-03

aIuOuS LIe IHll1OSdDic IedSb udyS
celebrated by Christians are four. all OF
which occur in the first week Of January
beginning with New Years Day. and
ending usually with .'st. Distaff's Day.
the 7th OF the month.
s.Hansel Monday is one of the four
which, as may be supposed from its being
the first Monday, occasionally falls upon
st. Distaff's day, but only when Tuesday
ushers i'll the .'glad New Year
The celebration OF each OF the four, by
some special observance, is held by many
TO be obligatory, New Years day being
of all the most universally remembered
everywhere.
In Washington, as in most American
cities, the latter is a day when you re-
ceiye your friends at your home swear
off from bad habits; exchange Condolences
il you are OF the sweet sixteen class; give
and take mementoes, and, ranking with
the church going public, you will Occa-
sionally find your way to some house OF
worship and spend an hour or more in u
form Of observance beflttinst the momentous
transition period of the calcndared cycles.
The custom Of celebrating New Years
day by some religious observance pre-
nized as the octave OF Christmas, or the
eighth in the progress of days. including
and subsequent to the great festival with
which the birth of Christ is cornmemorated.
1t also celebrates the circumcision and
the naming OF the Holy One OF Israel.
An Ancient Custom.
The practice of giving and receiving
presents on the first day OF the New Year
is as widespread as it is ancient. 1t was
doubtless handed down from the Romans.
Suctonius and Tacitus both mention it,
! and tradition informs us that some OF the
| earlier English kings used to extOrt gifts
To make sure that the hahit should not fall
into innocuous desuetude.
Jews, Egyptians, Chinese, Romans, Mo
hammedans, all regarded it as day OF
! special interest, although they did not
| agree as to the time from Which to reckon
| the commencement of the year. In Rome
the year anciently began in March, and
when Nurna, according to the legendary ac-
count, transferred it to the 1st OF January
| that dny was held sacred TO Janus Bifrous,
| who was supposed to turn at once back
upon the old year and forward into the
| new.
The custom of forming new resolutions,
| or resolutions anew as the case may be,
| came as a natural sequence to the occasion
| the newness Of the un>Oiled page OF time
being suggestive Of the turning OF a new
/ leaf, u nd it must be one of most pronounced
! PharisaicaI tendency who would delib
/ erately ignore the mandate Yet there is
one. if no more, VINO boldly declared OF
| himself that
-, II last ~
| 1 don't give durn for New Years day;
If every man walked in the narrer way
Angels'd be wautin' to move down here;
This swearin' off bizness don't begin to
pay
| / don't give a cuss for New Years day
I'm sorry didn't smoke more last year,
An l know L didn't swear half enough
Things KEEP a-goin' so daggone tough;
It's kinder gittin' that don't keer
If I'm mea ner'n pizen to the very jays
Who're always .'qUittin' on New Years
days.
l amt got q thing that I'm takin' a-back,
An I'll keep my pipes, an my jug n my
jaw;
I'm gOin' to quit bringin' myself up TO
taw.
Just cause a new calendars hung on the
tack
I'm goin' to be meaner this year, say
l don't give durn for New Years dayl
He needs regeneration, evidently but he
is oblivious to criticism, possibly beyond
recall, and, with it all, frankly incorrigibIe
Young Maidens' Day.
|
custom of receiving" was at the zenith
OF its popularity. 1t has fallen some
what into disuse as such these days, but
time was, not so long ago. when 1.-THE boys
peeped through the dim veil OF the early
morn on the second day ere they sOugh
their pillows and the remnant OF the
baImy slumber which tired nature craved.
The afternoon and evening lasted usual!
till O'Clock a. m, and IL required the
remainder Of the night for each gay swair
to discover his keyhUe How ne found II
would be an interesting topic for sepa.
rate story, but the material would have tC
be supplied in large measure by ''cahby.'
Many entertaining incidents are treasured
in the memory of society bellies now abov
their teens Of the reception days OF AUIG
Lang Syne. 1t was rank treason in thOs
times FOR the young man 10 neglect 10 pay
his respects. 1t was equally unforgiveablt
for a girl with pink dress To stand inth'
receiving parlor beside damsel in laven
? der attire Such breaches of etiquett
were simply beyond the power and VIRTUE
= of penance.
;, The observance of January as the open
c ing of the new year dates only from tn
:, sixteenth century, but little more THAI
e three hundred years ago, nor was it 81
S ways a day of hilarity, and hoTn-bIoW
h ing, and squ!bs. The early fathers
r Chrysostom, Ambrose, Augustine, Pete
e Chrysologus and others-in Pprobati1n G
II the immoral and superstitious character .
: the pagan ohservances, prohibited =
e Christian usage all proceedings OF a fe:
tival nature, and directed the su6sti-u
s ton of pra yer, fasting and humiliation
5 This character seemed TO be most apprt
1t pirate after the 1st of January was o
j dained to be the initial day OF the Ne7
II Year, being the eighth succeeding the al
0 niversary of the Saviour's nativity, as the
= established
OF Ancient Origin.
Tho sncial features of New Years ia