The Green Forest tribune., 1909-12-24

been marked by unpleasant features the New Year. MP the hoodlums of Edinburgh took advantage of the festival to rob unsuspecng citizens Two ot the citizens died from the effects of the maltreament at the hands of these rowdes, of whom three executed example This unfortunate incident threatened put an end to the celebrations.
 With the Scots, the New known particu- larly "Hogmanay." Throughout the northeastern counties of England it is known "Hagmena, but in districts of the latter it the week preee- ding the New Year rather than the last day of the There have been attempts by phologists to get at the derivation of the term and it has been suggest ed that IS corruption of two Greek words signiyng the holy moon month." Opinion however leans to- ward it's French orign"Au gui menez" (bring in the nstletoe) and "Au gui Pan neuf the mistetoe the New Year) both in allsion the ceremonial gathering of the plant by the Druids In almost every district in France find the term in less corrupted or dalectal form. The Scottish of the children go- ing from house to house singing short verse and beg gng the gud wfe for small is identicaly ha as that known all France.
 Get guid wife and shake we're feathers,
 For we're harns the day.
 So rise and gies Hogmanay
 chants the little Scotch kdde, and the analogue of the doggerel be found in village of France As the Scottish verselet shows, "hogmanay" applies to presents to the children and has not the of gv ing presents at this endured for centuries? Ovd in his Fast alludes to the among the Romans of his day. Then the presents do have been at all costly and were symbolical than otherwise. The pamdate and dried fig with the jar of honey and the small coin the gifts, and it does not need any great stretch of imagination to their symbolic meaning The cakes fruit and uckpenny still given the children-they their "hogmanay."
 The superstition that the first person entering house New Years morning, the first dur ing the day, presages 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 the lucky variety. We mention 'he" for except a very isolated instances the superstition that should be the frstfoot iuck will follow is almost universal Moreover, he must be dark red-headed man is anahema splay-footed, pgeontoed, squint-eyed or eyebrows closely fact any bodily mental deformation luck with it. Yet here find few exception which rather tend disturb belief in the nfabiity the rule. In the Bradwell District of Northumberland a lghthared and spayfooted individual is preferred In parts of Lancashire and Yorkshire blonde first foot is reckoned quite lucky while in the Maritime tricts humpbacked visitor New Years day is held to bring in great luck with him. Scotland the preu dice against redhared first oot' very strong and in the Isle of Man and all through Ireland quite as pronounced.
 The superstition of iluck being to red hair is very ancient. Among the ancient Egyptians Jew ish people it known. Typhon is said have had this particular color to his thatch" red-haired men abused at certain festivals Putarch us ill his Moralia Cain and Judas Iscariot said to have had the crimson topknot, while well4nown leg end current among the Jews that this peculiar tint the effect falling worshiping the golden is warned against "gingerheaded" individual.