Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-31
New Year Customs
observanoes that signalizs the
Entrance OF the New Year
in various Countries OF World.

Up to a score Of years ago Americans
had a distinctive way OF observing the
first day of the year. Social visits to the
homes OF friends and acquaintances was
an almost universal rule. 1t was a genial,
kindly custom, fruitful OF happiness and
heartiness and good will. The making Of
New Year calling cards called forth the
artistic talent Of the printing craft, and
the popularity Of host and hostess was
measured by the fat or lean condition Of
the card basket. But with characteristic
recklessness the custom was overdone-
slaughtered in the house Of its friends.
Social rivalry crept in and fashionable
frills drove simplicity out of business. 1t
was wined and dined to death.
When the Dutch burgh0rs used to wander
from stoupe to stoupe in the old 1--WE
of New A1hsterdam; when their good
fraus made brave display of finery and
drawer assembling of all that was good
to eat and drink when there were warm
clasps of hands and honest wishes for
health and happiness and prosperity for
the year that was just begun; when the
friendship was mutual and its expressions
genuine; when the very ceremony itself
dignified the men and women who took
part in II, then the custom was at its full
in beauty and in sentiment.
"And 1t was along those lines of honest
democracy and Of honest affection" says
a writer, bewailing its decay, that it was
kept up through tie early days Of the
land, down to the fevered and impatient
ones of a few years ago. 1t made family
ties stronger, for little boys went hand
in hand with their fathers on this round:
then as chums and afterwards as pro-
t]ectors Of their sires; only to repeat in
their own paternal experiences those Of
their youth and age. 1t linked old friends
together firmer in all generations, for
while mothers and daughters did the active
honors of the day, dear old GRANDMOTHER
sat in places of state and received their
annual homage Of affection and rever-
ence." Little remains Of the old custom.
Its place is taken by midnight revelry far
more demoralizing than the worst feature
Of the old order.
New Years day receives more attention
in Scotland than anywhere else. The
Scottish elders celebrate the day with a
supper party, and as the clock "chaps"
twelve, friend greets friend and wishes
him "a guide New Year and mony O.
them" Then, with great formality, the
door is unbarred to let the old year out
and the new year in, and all the guests
sally forth into the street to first foot"
their acquaintance.
In Edinburgh a great crowd gathers
around the church in Hunter square and
a%nxiously watches the clock. There is
absolute silence from the first stroke Of
twelve until the last. The old folks go to
bed; not so the young. Each girl Is eX-
pecting the first foot from her sweet
heart, and there is much stratagem dis
played in outwitting her occasionally and
having some serving maid or grandmother
open the door to her lover.
The weather is carefully observed at
this season, for it is supposed to betoken
the future. There is a rhyme current in
Scotland which runs;
If New Years Eve the night win bloweth
south
1t betokeneth warm and growth;
If west, much milk, and fish In the sea-;
If north, much cod and storms there
will be;
II east, the trees will bear much fruit;
II northeast, flee it. man and brute.
During the eighteenth century all work
was laid aside on the afternoon Of the
31st, and the men of the hamlet went to
the woods and brought home loads of
juniper bushes. Each houSehold also pro-
cured a pitcher of water from 1.-The dead
and living ford" meaning the ford in a
river by which passengers and funerals
crossed. This was brought in perfect
silence, and without being allowed to
touch the ground in it's progress, as con-
tact with the earth would have destroyed
the charm.
The rites next morning were supposed
to protect the household against witch
craft, the "evil eye and other devil
ments. The father rose first, and, taking
the charmed water and a brush, treated
the rest of the family to a vigorous bap-
tism. Coming back, all doors and win
dows were closed, and the juniper boughs
were put on the fire. When the smoke
reached the suffocating point the fresh
air was readmitted.
The Russians have a very pretty Gus
TOM. On each New Years day a pile
Of sheaves is heaped up, and the father,
after seating himself behind the pie,
asks the children If they can see him.
Upon their replying that they cannot, he
says he hopes the crops will be so fine
the coming year that they will hide him
In the fields. The Russian New Year is
twelve days later than ours. and is a
gala occasion for all. There is a grand