The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1909-12-30


mas December 2S) commentaries the massacre Oh ne
children in bethlehem, under Herod. This In itse Is
sufficient to explain early recognition by the church
The superstition the day an unucky one-a dies
neastss not only widely spread all over Europe but
is deoply rooted and can be back hundreds
of years.
The superstition was strong all through the middle
ages In England the fifteenth century 1t was thought
so nauspcous that day for the coronation OF Ed
ward w Sunday happening 10 be Childemas the cere
mony was postponed until the following day. In the
County Suffolk at this day the superstition is carried
even further and whatever day OF the week Chide
may happen to fall that day is held TO be uhlucky
throughout the year The commencement OF any new
task is thought to be certain to be followed by failure
Addison gives instance of this belief in the Spectator
of /. 17io'11. Thursday. says She No child
if 1t please Cod You shall not begin upon Chldermas
day Tell your writing that Friday viii be soon
enough"
The custom whipping the children reminder of
the event COMMUNICATED by Childermas was common in
France and parts of Normandy to-day there is still
a existing the country folks, but the re-
lgious significance has been partly lost This method
assisting the memory of the luckess urchin by scor
ing his epdermis was formerly in vogue other
sions than Holy Innocens day In England 1t was for
merly practice during the riding of the boun
daes of parishes and manors on Ascension day to whip
the youngsters at every important or disputed point
This Christening in the days of his YOUTH remem
bered aferward and the particular stone cairn or
sreamlet marking the metes and bounds between adoin
ing parishes thus ndeliby mapped his gray mat
ter-a proceeding quite enlcacious as survey.
Although the festivities connected closely with
the celebration of Christmas nave completely
Swallowed those of the New Year still there are not
in Christendom wherein the latter
is held in much greater repute. In Scotland, in partcu
lar is the great holiday of the year. and the
and the day of New Year the Scot lets himself out
with vim. 1t wout If his spirits pent up for
a whole twevemontR find vent at this paticuar
In France, Roman law and custom have impressed
themselves perhaps more strongly than elsewhere in Eu
rope not excepting Italy ITSELF and the close po
liica friendship which existed between Scotland and
previous the ascension OF James VI to the
throne still expression in the country to the north
of the Tweed in much stronger fashion than is
ally believed. Many of the lowand terms of to-day
merely French in a Scottish guise 1t is perhaps
this close political entente than to the spread OF the
Puritan Observation-Disclosures which held everything in
abominaton that smacked In the slightest degree Of
church festivalstha many of the customs and super
stions current among the canny Scots closely
resemble those of France Christmas at one time
almost much of festival in Scotland the south
of the border, it seems that in the cities least it
is again showing recrudescence. But the rank
and file of the people with the MAN in the Street. it is
the New Year that holds his heart and at the time
disturbs his digestion and adde's his brain Any
who has been in the "Canny Toun o. Edinbro' Glas
gov New Years realizes the spirit of goodwil
that regns If his be split by the pandemonium
of noise and his eyes suffer by the of the torches
and is rarely that the Scot in all his ollihcaton at
this period liberty license. The custom of
welcoming in the New Year has however, occasions,