The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-01-12
ADAMS BIkTIDAY.
Some Curious Features of the Cele- bration of New Years Day in
 Foreign Lands.

Foreign Lands. New York Tribune.
 Although there seems to be dispoyi celebration of New Years Day to fall into desuetude, and K has been shorn of much Of it's oldtime glory in America py the importance now attributed here to Christmas. 1t still retains its rank as the most ancient festival of the world. Both the Mahometans and the Jews re- gard the first day of their respective rather creation, day of Adam, and cele- brate it with all sorts of rejoicings and entertainments. while in olden times, be- fore the Christian era, 1t was observed as day sacred to the god Janus The ancient Romans made it a public holi- day, and selected it as the proper date for the exchange of presents of gilded fruits. It was the day, moreover, on the Athenian Republic. as we'll as those of the mighty commonwealth on the banks of the Tfber, entered upon their duties. The Druids also held the first day of the year in particular honor and veneration. and even now number Of pagan superstitions in connection there with have survived among the peasantry of Brittany, Wales and the southwest ern countries of England. To this day the lower classes of the districts just named retain firm belief in the for tune bringing properties Of the mistietoe, shores of the Bay of Biscay are abso- lutely convinced that at the moment when the clock strikes F on New Years sheep, oxen and pigs-become endowed for the space of one hour with the pow CT of speech. and that the huge Druid- ical monoliths known as dolmens or men hirs extricate themselves from their sockets for the purpose of rolling down to the seashore to refresh themselves by dip in the briny waters. So firmly rooted Is this belief that no Brittany Q neighborhood of these hoary ruins of the stone age at that hour, being assured that some terrible fate would overtake him if he were to happen to witness this annual excursion of the dolmens. and it may safely be taken for granted that were he by any chance to catch ing of the first day of the year they would certainly appear to him to be dancing and reeling about in a weird saraband. For tn Brittany, as in many ustere1 in with heavy and copious pota- tions the result of which is to cause the drinker to see many strange things
 In Scandinavia the favorite beverage on these occasions is drunk from silver or wooden tankards, or preferably from horns. These latter are those of the ure OK, all animal now extinct, and are ire quently not only of great antiquity, but de sd are old enough to have been used by the worshippers of Thor and Odin for tcasts on their return from successful rs ds. when they sang the songs cele- brating the virtues Of the heross who died on the battlefield and had entered fully armed into Valhalla. Drinking from these horns requires peculiar knack. otherwise the contents are certain to empty themselves upon one.
 In Russia the first day of the year is ushered in by long and rather tedious afterward. The iibations are frequently interrupted by prostrations before the Icon, or Sacred Picture, which consti- tutes an important feature of svery Mus covite household. Every now and again one of the drinkers will stagger up to. 1t and devoutly cross himself, presum- | ably with the object of averting by | means of divine assistance the disa- greeabls consequences of intoxication. In the ancient church of St. Michael, at Schwatz. in the Tyrol. the sacred edi- flee is invariably. kept securely closed on the evening before New Year, and the people of the district are convinced that | on these occasions, when no one is pres | ent, an immense toad comes crawling | before the altar, where it kneels and prays, weeping bitterly. No one ever | hurts the toad in the Tyrol, for the pop ulation are imbued with the belief that
 toads are for the most part good Chris
 tians, who have made vows to go on pilgrirnages, and who have died without | fulfilling their obligations in this respect.
 So the poor creatures go hopping about
 astray, bewildered and perplexed, striv-
  | have perchance long since ceased to exist. | There are some who may be tempted to
 laugh at this queer idea. But to my
 mind 1t is one of much pathos, and pro- ductive of good since 1t prevents cru | city to the poor. despised toad: It Is al- ] most as pretty belief as that current effect that the robins are indebted for | their red breasts to their efforts to pluck tho nails, from the hands and feet and tho thorns from the brow of the cru- | cifed Christ.
 In certain parts of Southern France, New Years Eve continues to be cele- brated to this day by the famous Feast of Asses of medieval ages. Before the congregation is admitted to the church, huge brazier, all glowing with flames. l Is placed in the centre of the nave upon l the stone floor, and broad path from | the western entrance to the high altar | at the eastern extremity of the church | Is roped off. The ceremony begins with | a procession of various minor Biblical rersonages. At it's head walk two priests. singing a quaint old Provencal hymn of p-aise, interrupted at every few words | by cries of "Gloria" from their com | panions. When the procession reaches | the centre of the church six men, garbed as the Jews of the time of Christ, step | forward on one side, and six Gentiies the otEer. Two vocatores stand between | them. while the rest of the procession- ists range themselves in groups around. ''The Lord is made man." the Gentiles eXclam. The vocatores appeal to the Jews to confirm this statement, Prove thai we are to govern you" scornfully retort the Jews.
 The vocatores then at the request of tho Gentiles summon the prophets and lawgivers of the Old Testament to come forward and to overwhelm the Jews by bearing witness to the infant Christ One by one these great personages Of antiquity in obedience to the call of the vccatores, slowly advance up the aisle, pause for moment in the full glare of the light cast by the fiery bra zier and then pass on into the gloom. Some of them speak, while others only bow to the vocatores. The first to re- spond to the summons is invariably Moses bearing in one hand the Tables of the Law and in the other a rod. He has long beard, wears an alb and cope and couple of horns on his forehead. Aaron is dressed in full pontificals, with mtre. Isaiah has scarlet stole across his brow. while the most comedy youth of the locality is invariably selected to represent Daniel.
 The principal figure of the procession, how ever. is Balaam, since 1t is from his donkey that the feast takes it's name. Whom about half way up the church q youNy man with flowing yellow hair, and dressed all in white, springs into his path anc waves geaming sword in the air. The donkey stops short. whereupon it's rider begins to beat it vigorously. A child. who has meanwhile crept under the voluminous trappings of the animal, now cries out in piteous voice, Why do you hurt me so?' The scene as de-