The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1909-01-02

Strange as It may seem they had
watch parties when the world was
young, and Il - a very reasonable
presumption that the man OF the
stone aye lied Just as cheertully
when they swore off this day. 1t
is not clear Just what they had to
swear OFF, as hooz and tobacco
we're not yet invented, but there
was nothing to hinder their turn.
ing over a new leaf, as a tribute
to the safe annual revolution OF
the earth around the sun. These
primitive fellows lett all the trim.
mings OF their remote desc ndants,
such things as climbing on the
water wagon, putting a dampcr on
the custom OF indiscriminate cuss-
ing, and all that sort OF abomi.
nation known as New Year calls,
when with one grand gentccl drunk
the average man has been wont
to resolve to take a whole yea ~
abstemious penitence, that Is TO
resolve to, for humanity being
weak 1t is mighty seldom that It Is
made To- stick. Ii is a good thing
to have such an annual clearing
day Tor meanness, though, and %
one swearoti in a hundred sticks,
it is worth while. The only pity
is that all races and all chimes
have not the same day tor the I0U.
New Year day ought to be- a nNod
date, but It ism :, except IN those
countries which use the Gcgorida
reckoning, tor It must hc remem-
bered that there has been a lot OF
m%onkeying with the calendar.
Pope Gregory fixed It up pretty
we'll tor us, taking up the lost time
every four years, but not all nations
and races use 1t. For example
Russia uses the Julian calendar,
and As "A quarter OF a day IS lost
each year by this system, there IS
now an accumulated loss OF thir-
teen DAYS. The Russian New
Year this time will correspond
with January Ia OF our time. Nor
are the Russians the only lrregu-
lars. The Mohammcdans, the
Jews, the Chinese, the Pharsoes,
and several other great races,
owing to the peculiar chronological
ideas OF those people, observe
what seems to us very elusive
dates, simply because we are all
Gregorians.
The Jews have the edge on most
OF us when 1t comes to history,
and they change the year as suits
themselves. The Jewish year Is
both solar and lunar, and may
consist OF few as 353 days and as
-vmaaxaAlX-Ae& Years Day
usually falls in SeptemDrc~Lhe
Mohammedan years usually consist
OF asa days, being purely lunar,
and the leap year, which occur IN
certain twelve months OF a cycle OF
thirty luaar years, contain 555
DAYS. The first day OF Muharrcm
New Years day may in the course
OF time make a whole revolution OF
the seasons. For instance, the
first OF Muharrem, 1000, fell on
February IS, while the Moham-
medan New Year last year began
on March :. lnasmuCh as II Is
purely lunar, the MCaammedan
year is most unique IN the calendars
OF the world. While the Chinese
year conforms TO the eastern idea,
being founded upon lunar months,
a month is added to every thirty
TO make time 10 conform 10 the
solar year. Consequently, the
Chinese New Year may begin any
old time between January a and
February as.
The ancient Egyptians had a
year more or less conforming 10
the Julian style, inasmuch as II
contained 365 days. In course o
centuries this made New Year
make a complete revolution o
the seasons. Tn $ tact naturally
led 10 all sorts OF misconccptlon,
and retarded the solutions OF mys
FERROUS feasis and rites by tn
early students, but which are nov
perfectly understood 10y archae
ologists and anybody else wh'
cares TO tool with the subject.
Anciently in Rome, the yea
began in March, in the nelghbor
hood OF the verral equinox, whicI
would seem TO Ice reasonable I
not logical, March as was, unri
the latter part OF the 18th century
the day when the new year begaI
in nos Christian countrie
Numa is said to have made tn
Roman year begin on January I
the day held by Pagan Rome 10 ID
sacred in honor OF Janus, who wa
thus supposed TO turn at one
back upon the old year and tor
ward into the new, and suhse
auently New Years day was, a
various times, and IN diiren
Christian countries, celebrated Of
the present Christmas, March 2
(the Feast OF the Administration
and Easter Day. AS 1t IS nov
we have the pleasure OF knowinI
lust when we can have the fun o
IL