The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1909-12-23

ueeh marked by unpleasant features On the eve of New
NJ the hoodlums of Edinburgh took advantage of
'hp festival to rob unsuspecting citizens Two OF the
u!eu from the effects of the matreament at tho
hahuS OF these rowdias whom three were executed as
al example This unfortunate incident threatened to nut
an end to the celebrations.
With the Scots the eve of Now yeor is kpour ror,,o,
ary as "Hogmanay" Throughout the northeastern
counties OF England 1t is known ms "tIagmena hut in
many districts of the latter It is the entire week prece
u"E me New Year rather than the last day of the year
mere nave been many attempts by phuogiss to get at
!i,"t'o" OIL the term, and has been suggest.
ea that 1t is corruption Greek words gignjfying
Tue hoy moon CT month" Opinion however leans TO.
"ard It's French origin-"Au gu menez" Obring IN the
.'S''rt"e) ana Au gni Fan ncuf Ito the mlsetue the
New Year, both in alusion the ceremonial gathering
VI me pah py the Druids In almost every district In
france we ind the term more or less corrunted or
uale'taI form The Scottish custom of the children 60
s from mouse to house singing short verse and beg
6hg the guild wife for small present is Identcay tba
same as that known all over France
N N. w, guia wi, wfr and ah"k" we're feathers
For were ycrc BARNS come DOT The day
So rise and gtos IIogmnnay
chants the little Scotch kdde and the analogue of the
uosserei can be found in every village France AS the
scottish verselet shows, the "hogmanay applies to the
presents 10 the children and has the custom of Civ.
ing at this season endured for centuries? Ovid
IN MS Fast aludes to the custom among the Romans OF
MS DAY Then the presents not seem to have been
at al costly and were more symbocal than otherwise
Ihe pai'date and dried fig with the jar of honey and
'he small coin were the gifts does not need any
great stretch of imagination TO guess their svmho,ic
ayNtW~
meas. me cakes fruit and uckpenny are still given
''e enhureh-they are their hogmanay"
The superstition that the first person entering the
aouse on New Years morning the first one met dur
ing the uay presages good luck during the ens,
us year Is almost universal The first to cross the
'Sho'u OF nrst loot has thus peculiar Significance
anu many are the precautions taken that he be of the
uehy variety we mention he for except in very few
soiateu instances the superstition that should n woman
oe the hrst-oot l'uck will follow is almost universal
ioeoEer' ne must be dark mana red headed man ia
",nema' a spiayIooted a pigeon.toed sauinteyed or
an huViuuai whose eyebrows closely approximate in
i"ct any body or mental reformation carras had luck
win IT, Yet even here find a few eycontion which
t"her tehd 10 disturb belief in the inalhuiv n, Tho
RUE. III the Bradwell District of Northumberland q
ighhaired and spayfooted individual is nrererrod IN
p"ts OF Lancashire and Yorkshire blonde "erst foot"
20 leeAoaeu quite lucky while in the Maritime Alppe d,s
tics humpbacked visitor on New Years aay 4, h,,
" ohs III great luck with him In Scotland the nrei,
uce asalhst fedhaired first foot" very STRONG @
III he Isle oil Man and all through ireland It is oue "a
80 f'''e aa I
Ihe superstition of iLluck being attached IN rod h,{
% very ancient Among the ancient Egyptians and levi
sn people II was known Typhon is said to have Ma
ms particular color TO his thatch" and redbaired -
we're abused at certain festivals as pmtarch tells II ~
lis Moraa Cain and Judas Iscariot are both said ~
nave haa the crimson topknot, while we.known loo
u current among the Jews that this peculiar tint
he ehect OF falling down and worshiping the golden
an III Morse and Gaelic legend We find that the hero
warned against "gingerheaded" individual