Evening star., 1902-01-02
FIRST DAY OF THE YEAR
OBSERVANCE OF JANUARY 1 AN
ANCIENT FESTIVAL.
Glory of the Celebration Has Declined
in America-CustOms in
Europe.
From the New York Tribune.

From the New York Tribune.
Although there seems to be a disposition
in the United States to allow the celebra-
ton of New Year day to fall into desue-
tude and it has been shorn Of much of its
old-time glory in America by the Importance
now attributed here to Christmas, 1t still
retains its rank as the most ancient feSti-
val of the world. Both the Mahometans
and the Jews regard the first day of their
respective years as the anniversary of the
birth. or rather creation, day OF Adam, and
celebrate IL with all sorts of rejoicings and
entertainments, while in Olden times, before
the Christian era, 1t was observed as day
sacred to the god Janus. The ancient Ro-
mans made it a public holiday, and selected
it as the proper date for the exchange of
presents of gilded fruits. 1t was the day
moreover, on which the newly elect ed mag
istrates of the Athenian republic, as well
as those of the mighty commonwealth on
the banks of the Tiber, entered upon their
duties.
The Druids also held the first day of the
year in particular honor and veneration
and even now a number of pagan supersti-
tions in connection Herewith have survived
among the peasantry of Brittany, wales
and the southwestern counties of England
To this day the lower classes of the dis
tricts just named retain firm belief in the
fortune-bringing properties OF the mlstIetoe
while the people who live along the shores
of the Bay of BiSCay are absolutely con-
yinced that at the moment when the clock
strikes IL on New Year eve the animals
including dogs. horses, sheep, oxen ana
pigs-become endowed for the space OF one
hour with the power of speech, and that the
huge Druidical monoliths known as dol
mems or menhirs eXtr!cate themselves from
their sockets for the purpose of rolling
down to the seashOre to refresh themselves
by a dip in the briny waters.
Fear of Brittany Peasants.
So firmly rooted is this belief that no
Brittany peasant would dare wander about
in the neighborhood of these hoary ruins
of the stone age at that hour, being as
sured that some terrible fate would over
take 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 sight of
them at that hour of the morning of the
first day OF the year they would certainly
appear to him to be dancing and reeling
about In a weird saraband For In Brit
tany as in many other parts of Europe
the new year is ushered in with heavy and
copous potations. 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, an
imal now extinct and are frequently not
only of great antiquity. but also of much
beauty. Many of them. indeed, are old
enough to have been used by the Worship
ers of Thor and Odin for toasts on their
return from successful raids, when they
sang the songs celebrating the virtues or
the heroes who had died on the battlefield
and had entered fully armed into Valhalla.
Drinking from these horns requires a Pc
culiar knack. otherwise the contents are
certain to empty themselves upon one.
In Russia the first day of the year is
ushered In by a long and rather tedious
service at church, the drinking following
afterward. The 'libations are frequently
interrupted by prostrations before the Icon,
Or Sacred Picture. which constitutes an
important feature of every Muscoyite e
household. Every now and again one Of
the drinkers will stagger up to it and de-