Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1909-12-23

. &a QdybH - SAAAuOA
mas December 28), commentaries the massacre OF the
children in Retblehem, under Herod. This IN ltseT Is
sufficient to explain its early recognition by tue chulch'
The superstition that the day is an unlucky one-a ules
nefastus"-is not only widely spread all over Europe, put
is deeply rooted and can be traced back many nuhdreus
of years.
The superstition was strong all through the mlouie
ages. In England, in the fifteenth century, It was thought
so inauspicious that the day set Tor the coronation VI Eu-
ward Nv. Sunday, happening to be Chlldemas, the cere-
mony was postponed until the following day. In the
County of Suffolk at this day the superstition IS carried
even further, and on whatever day OF the week Chllue-
mas may happen to fall, that day is held to be unllcky
throughout the year. The commencement OF any new
task is thought to be certain to be followed by failure.
Addison gives an instance of this belief In the Spectator
of March /, 1710'11. Thursday says she, NO, child
If 1t please Cod! You shall not begin upon Ch1ldermas
day. Tell your writing master that Friday VIII De soon
enough"
The custom of whipping the children as q reminder OF
the event c~ommemorated by Childermas was common IN
France, and some parts of Normandy to-day there Is SUN
a remnant existing among the country folks, but the re-
ligious significance has been partly lost This metnod
of assisting the memory of the luckless urchin by scor-
ing his epidermis was formerly in vogue on other occa-
sions than Holy Innocents' day. In England 1t was for
merly a common practice during the riding Of the boun-
daries 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 was remem-
bered ever afterward, and the particular stone, calrn or
streamlet marking the metes and bounds between adjoin-
ing parishes was thus indehbly mapped on his gray mat
ter-a proceeding quite as efhcacious as a survey.
Although the festivities connected more closely with
the celebration Of Christmas day have completely over
Swallowed those OF the New Year, still there are not a
few corners in Christendom wherein the latter season
is held in much greater repute. In Scotland, in particu-
lar. it is the great holiday of the year, and on the eve
and the day of New Year the canny Scot let's himself out
with a vim. 1t would seem as If his spirits, pent up for
a whole twelvemonth, find vent at this paticular season.
In France, Roman law and custom have impressed
themselves perhaps more strongly than elsewhere In Eu-
rope, not even excepting Italy itself, and the close po-
litical friendship which existed between Scotland and
France previous to the ascension OF James vi to the
throne still finds expression In the country to the north
Of the Tweed in a much stronger fashion than is gener-
ally believed. Many Of the lowland terms Of to-day are
merely French in a Scottish guise. 1t is perhaps more
to this close political entente than to the spread OF the
Puritan MISUNDERSTANDING which held everything in
abomination, that smacked in the slightest degree Of
church festivals-that so many of the customs and super
stitions now current among the canny Scots SO closely
resemble those of France. Christmas at one time was
almost as much Of a festival in Scotland as to the south
of the border, and it seems that in the cities, at least, 1t
is again showing recrudescence. But among the rank
the New Year that holds his heart and at the same time
disturbs his digestion and adde's his brain. Amy one
who has been in the "Canny Toun o. Edinbro" or elias
gov on a New Years eve realizes the spirit of goodwill
that reigns even IL his ears be split by the pandemonilm
of noise and his eyes suffer by the reek of the torches,
and it is rarely that the Scot in all his jolidcation at
this period constructs liberty as license. The custom Of
welcoming in the New Year has, however, on occasions