The Washington times., 1901-12-29
NEW YEAR DAY
In MANY CLIMES
Modern Customs Traced to
Times Long Past.
ANTIQUITY OF THE MlSqLETOE.
Ceremony of Great Solemnity OBJ
served by the Druids Supersti-
tions in England Festivities In
Germany and Scandinavia.

mas throughout the Christian world a, a
time for merrymaking and hospitality,
and. indeed. in this. as in some other
countries, is made eminently the So
cial feast.
In Germany, and among Scandinavian
peoples, the first day of the new year Ia
the time par excellence for family rs-
unions. and the assembling Of friends
about the festive board. From the Dutch
settlers Of New York comes the present
custom In this country OF making New
Year calls. for the Knickerbockers cele-
DRAFTED the occasion by the visits OF gen.
tiemen to their lady friends: It is the
only distinctly Dutch custom that has
come into widespread use in the United
States.
New Year Day, and the church festivals
Kept alike by the Dutch and the English.
Drought an intermission of labor to the
New York slaves. who gathered In
throngs to devote themselves to wild
frolcs.
II the custom OF making New Year
calls in this country be derived from the
Dutch settlers Of New York that of seeing
the old year out and the new year In
comes frUla Merrie England.
Let Ont the Old.
The latter observance, as 1t is gen.
orally known, consists In sitting up till
IL O'Clock on the night of the s1st Of
December, and then when the eventfuI
hour has struck proceeding to the house,
door and unbarTing il with great formal
ity TO 'let out the old and let in the new
year"
The evening in question. it Is needless.
to say. both in England and this country.
is fayorite occasion for social gather
ings, the assembled friends thus weIcom-
ing together the birth OF another OF
Father Times ever-increasing. though
short-lived progeny. In the United States
the ringing OF bells proclaiming tho
event which now prevails In nearly all
Christian countries, has hitherto been
supplemented by the firing OF pistols,
blowing Of horns, etc. though in this city,
at least, it is doubtful il this will be per-
severed in on the present occasion. owing
to numerous complaints and the threat
ened enforcement by the police OF legal
enactment
The English New Year superstitions are
many and curious. II is earnestly be-
heved by the folk in some counties that
the first person to enter the house on a
New Year morning must be man. Many
to be ready to come in SO soon as the
old year is dead and so secure good luck
to the household. When the master en-
ters his house for the first time in the
New Year he must take something in
which he did not take out.
sixpenee on the Doorstep.
Some English people place a sixpence on
the doorstep on New Year Eve, and, ss
soon as the clock strikes, It is brought
in. The superstition OF the Irish In con-
nection with the occasion is of a less ma
terial character. for they believe that the
first person TO enter the house in the
New Year should. in order to bring good
luck, possess virtue and innocence, In
which case they may either be male or
female.
With the French New Year Is the great
social occasion OF the year. All classes
Of society, even in Paris. meet on level
on this day. and men and women OF the
most diverse rank and station in society,
kiss and embrace each other as a matter
of custom.
The practice of keeping holiday on the
first day OF the New Year is, indeed
worldwide. and of very ancient origin.
Among the nations Of antiquity it gener-
ally prevailed; and Egyptians, Persians.
HindOos Jews, Romans Chinese. and Mo-
hammedans were in accord in making 1t
a day Of special note in their calendars,
though they differed as to the time from
which they reckoned the beginning OF the
year And as different nations have diff
fered as 10 the commencement Of the year,
so have in all periods Of its observance,
the customs and ceremonies been as va
ried.
The Jews regard It as the day on which
God holds judgment, and also as the sn-
niversary of the day on which Adam was
created.
Holiday in Ancient Rome.
Among the Romans. in the time OF
Numa. the day was dedicated to Janus.
the double-faced deity. who faced the
future while he looked back upon the
past The Romans offered him cake of
sifted meal. with incense. salt. and wine.
They also did something In the way Of
their art or calling to begin the year in
dustriously. that they might have good
fortune through it. Pliny tells US that on
the first Of January people wished each
other health and prosperity and sent
presents to their friends. 1t was ac-
counted a public holiday. and games were
celebrated in the Campus Martins.
The mistletoe, so eagerly sought after
in these days by those who wish TO taste
the privilege it affords. is a relic Of a
New Year custom among the Druids. This
was a solemn affair among those mysteri-
Gus early inhabitants OF Britain and was
entirely in the hands Of the priests.
Beneath the oak where grew the mistls-
toe preparations were made for a banquet
and sacrifices, and two white bulls were
tied together by the horns. Then came
one OF the Druid priests. clothed in white.
who mounted the tree. and cut OF the
mistletoe with a golden sickle, receiving
1t into a white sagum or cloak, laid over
his hand.
The sacrifices we're next commenced.
during the course OF which the two white
bulls Jared badly. and prayers were Of
fered to God to send a blessing upon his
own gift. while the plant was supposed to
bestow fertility on man and beast. and to
be specific against all sorts OF poisons.
Human Sacrifices in Mexico.
The ancient Mexicans. according to
Humboldt. had more unpleasant IDEAS in
regard to New Year Day celebrations
than the Druids. They offered human
sacrifices on the occasion. and the victim.
after having been fiayed alive, was car
ried to the Pyramidal summit OF the sa-
cred cdifce which was the scene OF the
ceremonies and after his heart had been
torn out By n priest in presence OF as
sembled thousands his body was con-
sumed to ashes by being placed on blaz-
ing funeral PyT5.
Among the ancient Persians prisoners
were liberated and offenders forgiven on
this day. curious Oriental custom. still
prevalent among the Arabs and Persians
On New Year Day. is the Game of the
ReIrdless Rider"
The principal actor in this strrage oere-
uonial is a deformed man. whose hair has
been shaved ana his tace painted with
yariogdted Colors, who rides along the
streets on an ass and behaves with all the