The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-31
QUAINT NEW YEAR CUSTOMS
FORMS OF CELEBRATIONS PRESCRIBED
BIZ FREA GU CANADIANS.

Tho Day when Gifts Are Made and When
Men Make Calls - Collections Taken
Up for tho Poor - Obsrrvances That
suzRest n Druidicsi Origin in France.
QUEBEC, Dec 30.-New Years Day to The
people Of French Canada, isas much OF a social
holiday as much Of children s festival as Christ
mas is TO their English speaking fellow. ci,ilcns
As In the United States, France and England.
so In tho Province OF Quebec the religious OBJ
servancc Of Christmas Is very much more impoo
Ing than that NJ New Years Day, but among mo
French c Canadians, the day Of social fesyity
and family reunions and Of the giving and re-
ceiving Of gifts is not Christmas but New Years
To many Of the younger portion Of French-Tsn.
ada 9 population New Years Day is still known,
as 1t was in those provinces Of France from which
their forefathers came. as lie Jour deJ fttenneS-
the Day Of Gifts
A French Canadian poet Of the present time
voices tho French Canadian welcome Of the day
as a children's festival In these lines.
salut. beau jour dore Prem or de lani
Toulour-. Inand III parais dams un joyeuH elan
C'est toi qui ems souriIe aux enfants ri joyeuI.
Out viens METRE en- secret dams leur berceau1
Mile jouets de toute sorte.
New Years il the one day Of the year when
every French Canadian woman is supposed 10
and ceremonious visits are generally paid by
French Canadian men on New Years Than ON
OF the province Of Quebec this visiting often br.
gins as carly as o'clock IN the morning In
made on New Years Day. and there are always
some callers VINO continue their visits the
CURED to remain in 10 receive callers or he days
following New Years Day. tp'oa few years
ago it was ihe invariable custom To oirer refresh
visitors we're received Though The old custom
Is still observed in many instances there has
number Of hostesscs WHO offer Intoxicating liquors
To visitors
leaders Of French Canadian city life there is much
rivalry AZ to the number Of calls received by each
Of t them on New Years L hsy The p"nglar,tyy
u by the rule which permits the callers 10 Kiss
all the young women 70 whom they arc related
is a marked CHARACTERISTIC Of French Canadian
society and the circle of relationship is usually
Among other New Years Day customs perpe-
tuated IN parts oi French Canada is that known
as Ia penedicti2n LatcrncIlr- the blessing Of
Sometimes this ceremony is performed after IN,
return home Of the family from the mass Of tho
day in the parish church, In other households
II Is made the very first experience Of The new
year In the family memoirs Of Able Casrrain,
the historian Of Montcalm and Lewis, who Is still
living. relates how the new year was ushcrcd in.
A. te home q BIS iather The late Hon Charles
h. s ssSS t 81 6 STiSfG 0Hsr say morn
out best Sunday suits and gathe-ed us oil together
With the house servants following in the parlor.
father who, from his couch, invoked blessing
on all Of us ranged kneciaE about him, while
emotion brought tears TO TIE eyes Of our dear
mother Our father in an impressive manner
accompanied his blessing with few words Of
PstSrnH and loving ~ counsel raising his hands
iion Of New Years gifts which he had at first
French Canadian New Years custom tina,
Is fast becoming obsolete Is that known as La
Infant Jesus This collection was managed By
he parish priest, who was driven round among
or me beagle The gifts that he thus gathered
for the love Of the infant jesus" on tho festival
OF the Ei.cumcitibn. wcrc dist ihuted among tho
poor Intimately connected with the Quote 10
Eniant lcsus was another practice OF collecting
aims for the poor, known as La GuiEno,ce or La
Il song. brought from the northern provinces
Of France by the early settlers Of the province
EXCEPT in the more remote parts Of the eoGnt.y
on the eve Of the New Year bands If youthful
Of the oo%itv after niSha With music Ss''S SnS
song, knocking at doors and windows aud BEGGING
Tor i, oac-inss ior the pH9r generally eatgbes.
piece Of pork with the tail adhcring, called la
Chgnec, was The ira iitilnal Offering expected,
prevailed in the city Of Montreal where up 10
that year there are records Of the Mayor, on New
YcarsEvc issuing permits To- number Of young
men 70 run the Ignotcc without danger Of arrest
or molcstation from the police" This nrccau.
IN s Ga not an. sSTays TS ssSmn
met there WAS sometimes fight the victors
adding 70 their store Of gifts by despoiling the
vannuishcd. Ia France the lgnOtee was often
celebrated early on the morning Of New Years
Day and this practice was followed up To- a few.
quebec, families Being awakened at an early
hour by the firing Of uluskctry and singing ~
Of ali tie doorbclls Then the callers were ad
mitted, rega'cd with eatables and drinkabes
and contributions for the poor we're given TO them.
Inc following curious legend or song WAS sung
by the maslueradets
pouiour 10 maitre ct l, maltresss
IT tous les gems d" Ia ma.ln.
Mons aVors ia une prOmesSs
In pat mus SSiT DE- as c Chi. an
pites.nou 10
NonS Ter NJ channer les pieds
La lguul e. La ISnc,o he
Pour METRE du Lard dams ma pochsi
Nous ne aemondous pas grand chose
Four Iarriv q
Vingtcinq GU trente pieds do Chignes
bl Vous NOulek.
Nous sommcs cinn on 81, bous drolos
Nous teron. DIV fcu dams les bots
Ftant To nbrei
Fit la coulamhe!
Both the custom and the song of the Ignotee nro
believed 10 be II Druiiica, origin In France
II Is called "a Guidance, and there. as formerly
in the country parts Of Canada, a New Years
ianncui. Gui is the French name for mistetoe
and when at the beginning Of the New Year, or
of the Gallo druils TO cut the mitletoc from the
oak with gold"r sickle. IL will be remembered
that the cry Of the priests was the equivalent Of
ncuf "
II has been considered probable that those
singular lines in the song Of La Ignolce:
Nous pTendr n Ia Hlle ,inSc
Nous ferons chaufcr les piods."
Were a yelled allusion 10 the human sacrifco,
which marked The ancient Il allie ri,es IL recalls
ihe s,n Of Ielleda in III Martyrs OF Chateau.
brand 'Teutates requires blood on
the rst dav Of he century his voice
has been heard in the druidlcal oaks"