Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-31
NEW YEAR DAY ORIGIN
Long and Strenuous Fight
for Recognition.
FIRDUSI'S RECORD
MADE IN TENTH CENTURY OF
PRESENT ERA.
First Day Of the New Year Recorded
as Nu-ruz Many Years
Ago.

Inere has apparently been q dearth OF
archaeological interest in the origin and
early development Of New Year resolu-
lions and celebrations, In marked contrast
with the zeal displayed along other lines
OF reconcile research. Science has taken It
for granted that the first New Year day
followed the, completion Of the first solar
cycle, and has been content to let it go at
that It seems to have overlooked the fact
that New Year day has had to make just
as long and strenuous a fight for popular
recognition as any other Of the worlds an
Client and honorable institutions.
In the ancient days. when the ingenuity
OF man had as yet failed to evolve q cal
endar-that boon to lithographers printers
and advertisers-the founders Of the human
race were probably not very accurate in the
records upon which they depended to in
form them OF the coming Of each years end
Later, when time had become q subject of
computation, this matter was reduced to
greater accuracy. Still, the Imagination of
primeval man does not seem to have been
nxed by the possibilities afforded by the
first day OF each new terrestrial journey
around the sun.
First Recognition of New Year.
Firdusi the earliest Persian poet whose
works have come down to us in complete
AoEu, wrote ABOUT the mlQOle OF the IenCn
century Of the present era Of what was the
first recognition Of the new year. In his
great epic. the Shah Nameh." Firdusi re-
lates that Jemshid, the second Of the myth
ical kings of Persia. who was believed to
have reigned 100 years and to have passed
to the reward of his long labors about 800
years before the birth Of Christ, celebrated
New Year day.
Jemshid, who, by the way, receives hon.
orable mention from Omar Khayyam in the
'Rubiayat," called the first day of the year
'Nu-ruz." This is more than mere coinct-
dence. Here Is name for the great day
which, though more than 5000 years old. yet
is almost identical in sound with the phrase
that no doubt will be intoned by more than
one bibulous celebrant in Washington to-
The first recorded celebration, as described
by Firdusi, was q rather mixed affair
'Jemshid made great feast for mortals
genii. demons and perl" says the old Parsee
singer, land all were equally RECALLED with
music in honor Of Nu-ruz."
Probably Resolved to Reform.
While It would be wholly conjectural to
assume that the first New Year resolutions
followed the morning after this social ses-
sion in the Jemshidian rathskeller, 1t Is
probably In exact accord with the facts
1t may have even been brought about the
more readily because of a supposititious
superiority with the tankard displayed by
genii and demons over mortals and the
dainty peri. There is an affinity between
celebration and resolution that has come
down the procession Of the ages without
suffering in transit.
Following Firdusi by a hundred years,
came Omar the Tentmaker, contributing
his quota to the early New Year literature.
He declares that
Now the New Year reviyine Old Desires.
The thoughtful soul to solitude retires."
And why would the Thoughtful Soul retire
=. = ~ 10 1INY h.
annual code Of personal ethics? Omar him
self knew all about reformation, both at
the beginning Of the new year and in scat
tered Intervals. for he was on his own
slender minister of wine" And when Omar
used the phrase New Year he knew ex-
actly what he was talking about, for he
reformed the Persian calendar. and. as he
himself admits. Lent to Time better
Reckoning" Indeed, 1t may have been
upon an occasion when Omars new resolu-
lions were surging big within his soul that
he reformed the calendar in order to bring
New Year day around to the little town Of
Naishipur sooner than possible under the
old schedule.
The Usual Program.
without question the influence of the day
is beginning to be felt in Washington, and
more than one thoughtful individual has
retired to solitude and Is endeavoring to
mark out q straight course for himself on
the chart Of the coming twelvemonth Pet
vices and useless habits are doubtless now
at the bar Of many a mind and conscience,
awaiting judgment But conviction will not
in every case follow arraignment, and in
deed. in cases where sentence Is passed. new
trials will be frequently granted, so that
next year there will still be opportunity for
the same old resolutions.
II all the vows made within the coming
forty-eight hours were lived up to it is
likely that many a tobacco concern would
be obliged to close it's doors, and doubt
less many manufacturers of inflammable
liquid stun would from necessity take ad-
vantage Of the privileges Of bankruptcy.
But this state of affairs Is only conditional,
and 1t IL not even probable that the con-
dit1ons will be fulfilled.