Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1909-12-30

been marked by unpleasant the of New
year 1872 the hoodlums of Edinburgh advantage
czens died from the effects of the maltreament at the
hands of these rowdies, OF whom three
an example This unfortunate incident threatened put
an end TO the celebrations.
With the Scots eve of New Year is known particu.
larly as "Hogmanay." Throughout the northeastern
counties OF England II Is known "Hagmena," but in
many districts of the latter It is the entire week
ding the New Year rather than the last day OF the
There have been many attempts by phoogists to get at
the derivation of the term II suggest
ed that 1t is corruption OF two Greek words sgnifyng
the holy moon month" Opinion however, leans to-
ward Its French originAu gui menez" (bring in the
misetoe), and EAU gut Fan neuf Ito the mistetoe the
New Year, both in ausion to the ceremonial gathering
OF the plant by the Druids In almost every district In
France we find the term in less corrupted
diaecal form The Scottish Of the children go
ing from house to house singing short verse and beg
ging the gud wife small present dentically the
same as that known all France.
Get guild wife, we're feathers, g..
An dnna think that we are beggars
For we're we're BARNS day,
So rise and gies Hogmanay
chants the little Scotch kdde. the analogue of the
doggerel can be found In every village OF France AS the
Scottish verselet shows, the hogmanay" applies to the
presents to the children and has ut the custom of CIV
ing presents at this endured for centuries? Ovid
In his Fasti audes to the custom among the Romans OF
his day. Then the presents do not have been
at all costly and symbollcal than otherwise.
The palmdate and dried fig with the jar Of honey and
the small coin the gifts, and 1t does not need any
great stretch Of imagination to guess their symbolic
meaning The cakes fruit and luckpenny still given
the children-they their 'hogmanay."
The superstition that the person entering the
house New Years morning, the first dur.
ing the day. presages good bad luck during the
ing year is almost universal The first to the
threshold first foot" has thus peculiar significance
and many the precautions taken that he be of the
lucky variety We mention he" for except In very
isolated instances the superstition that should
be the "rstfoot" luck will follow Is almost universal
Moreover, he must be dark mana redheaded man Is
anathema. spayfooted, pigeon toed, squinteyed
ndiS dual whose eyebrows closely approximate in
fact any bodily mental reformation carries bad
with it. Yet even here find few exception which
rule. In the Bradwell District OF Northumberland a
lighthaired and splayfooted individual is preferred
parts Of Lancashire and Yorkshire blonde first foot
Is reckoned quite lucky while in the Maritime Alpine dis
tricts hump-backed visitor New Years day is held
to bring in great luck with him. In Scotland the preju
dice against redhaired first foot" Is very strong
in the Isle OF Man and all through Ireland It is quite
pronounced.
The superstition of iuck being attached red hair
is ancient Among the ancient Egyptians Jew.
ish people It known Typhon is said to have had
this partic lar color to his hatch and redhared
abused at certain festivals Plutarch tells
his 'Moraa" Cain and Judas Iscario both said to
have had the crimson topknot while welknown leg.
end current among the Jews that this peculiar tint
the effect of falling down and worshipng the golden
calf In Morse and Gaelic legend find that the hero
is warned against "gngerheaded" individual