Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1904-12-29
, New Years
Customs in !
Many Lands 6
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While there is q growing dlSpoSl-
ton to allow the celebration of New
Years day to fall into disuse, it still
retains its rank as the most ancient
festival of the world. Even before the
Christian era its was observed as
day sacred to the god Janus. The old
Romans made it public holiday and
exchanged presents of gilded fruit,
whilo the Greeks indicted their new
ly elected magistrates into Office. The
Druids, too, held the first day of the
new year in particular honor and ven
Grafton, and the survival of many of
their pagan rites and superstitions is.
still to be found in Wales, Brittany
and the southwestern portions of Eng
land.
Varied as we're the ways in which
the festival was kept, in this all ma
tons were agreed-that time OF new
| life had come that old quarrels must
be forgotten, old debts cancelled, and
everything possible done to create
feeling of good will toward men"
Nowhere else, unless it be in Ger
many, is there such variety of cakes
and pastry as may be found in
Scotch bake shop. Besides the Scotch
caraway cakes and the Christmas
squares there is a shortbread known
as Pitcaithy bannocks, which are
highly ornamented with sugar and
notices. such as "A Happy New
Year" or "A Merry Aud Yule." Then
there are the rye loaves, popular in
the Thrums district, black and rich
and filed with fruit and peel, and the
Scotch buns, composed entirely OF
eggs, chopped fruit and peel, incased
in a crust which is not to be eaten.
III Scotland as well the old custom
prevails of consulting the Bible on
New Years morning to see what fate
has in store for the coming year. The
sacred book must be laid on the table
and the one consulting it must open
It at random and place a finger on the
chapter to which the book opens.
This is then read and accepted as the
ultimatum.
In France 1t is the most important
day of the year in the way of friendly
meetings and appointments and social
and family reunions. The typical
Frenchman on this day always dimes
at home with his parents, If he has
any, and no outside attraction is suf
ficient to lure him away from the per
Torrance of this filial duty.
New Years customs in Russia are
specially interesting. In the morning
the princes of the imperial family
court functionaries and servants Of
the palace come in regular order tC
present their homage to the emperor
who kisses all the members of his
family and the highest of the officials
three times, according to Russian
fashion. In the streets the people
kiss each other, whether acquainted
or not. This ceremony was suppressed
for a time, but was re.established
few years ago under the reign of Al
eXander II. In the provinces the hand
soonest horse in the village is gayl.
decorated with evergreens and bel
ries, and directly after breakfast i
conducted to the house of the noble
man, followed by all the boys of tn
village, who have been up since day
break fusillading friends and foes wit
wheat and dried peas. The motle
procession is met at the door by tn
master, who admits it, horse and al
to the parlor, where all the family ar
assembled.
Next comes a procession OF ret
animals-the OK, COW, goat and hog
also garlanded with greens and be
ries and led by the children. Thes
less favored animals are not invite
in, but slowly file in front of tn
house, that the family may view tn
parade from the windows. At tn
heels of this cavalcade come the oil
women of the community, bearing
fluttering contingent of barnyar
fowls, also tricked out in green
which they bestow as presents to II
master,