Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1909-12-23

Deen marked by unpleasant features On eve of New
rear lSl2 the hoodums of Edinburgh took advantage of
'e lesuYal to rob unsuspecting citizens Two OF the
citizens died from the the maltreament at the
hands OF these rowdies of whom three
an example This unfortunate incident threatened to nt
an end to the celebrations.
with the Scots, the of New Year partcu-
larry as "Hogmanay" Throughout the northeastern
counties of England it is known as "Hagmena" but in
many districts of the it the entire week prece.
ding the New Year rather than day the year
mere nave been many attempts by philoogss to get
the derivation of the term, and has suggest
ed that 1t is corruption of words signfying
the holy moon month" Opinion, however leans to-
ward its French orign-"Au gu menez" (brng in the
mlstletoe and "Au gui Ian neuf Ito the misetoe
New Year,, both in alusion the gathering
OF the plant by the Druids In almost every district
france we ind the term in less corrupted or
dlalectal form The Scottish children 60
ing from house to house singing short and beg
gng the gud Wife for small present is denticay the
same as that known all France
Get up, guid wife and shake feathers.
An dinna think that beggars
For were BARNS DOT the day
So rise and ges Hogmanay.
chants the little Scotch kddie, analogue of the
doggerel be found in every village France
Scottish verselet shows the "hogmanay" applies to the
presents to the children and has the Civ
ing presents at this endured centuries? Ovid
IN his Fast aludes to the custom the Romans of
his day. Then the presents do not have been
at all costly and symbolica than otherwise.
The palm-date and dried fig with the jar honey and
the small coin were the gifts, and it does any
great stretch of imagination to guess their symbolic
meaning The cakes, fruit and luck-penny still given
the children they are their 'hogmanay."
The superstition that the first person entering the
house on New Years morning, the first met dur
ing the day. good bad during the ensu
ing year is almost universal. The first to cross the
threshold or first foot has thus peculiar Significance
and the that he be of the
lucky variety We mention "he for except very few
isolated instances the superstition should woman
be the "frstfoot" illuck will follow almost universal
Moreover, he must be dark mana redheaded man is
anathema A spay-footed, pigeontoed, squnteyed or
an individual whose eyebrows closely approximate in
TACT any bodily mental reformation carries bad luck
with It, Yet even here find few exception which
rather tend to disturb belief infaibty of the
rule In the Bradwal District of Northumberland
ghthaired and splay-fooed individual is preferred In
parts OF Lancashire and Yorkshire blonde first foot
Is reckoned quite lucky, while in the Alpine dis
trlcts hump-backed visitor New Years day held
TO bring in great luck with him Scotland the Dreiu-
dice against redhaired first very strong and
in the Isle of Man all through Ireland it is quite as
pronounced.
Inc superstition of illuck being attached red hair
is very ancient Among the ancient Egyptians Jew
Ism people 1T was known. Typhon is said have had
this particular color to his "hatch redhaired men
were abused at certain festivals Putarch tells us in
MS "Moralia Cain and Judas Iscarot are both said o
have had the crimson topknot while a wellknown leg
end current the Jews says that peculiar tint
was the effect OF falling down worshpng the golden
calf In Morse and Gaelic legend that the hero
Is warned against 'gingerheaded" individual