The new era., 1909-12-30

,. tnoan,h.r %, commentaries the massacre of the
children in Bethlehem, under Herod Inis IN iseh 10
sfHcient TO explain early recognition by the cnurcn
Tho snnerstit,on that the day unucky one-a dies
nefastus"-s only widely spread all over Europe Da
is deeply rooted and can oe traceo oaSA ,' ~
of years. -
Tho sunersition was strong all through the middle
ages In England in the fifteenth century, it was thought
so inauspcious the day set for the OF Ed
ward w Sunday happening to be Childemas the cefe
mony was postponed until the following day In the
County Suffolk at this day the superstition is carried
further, and on whatever oay OF ,ne "eeA on
mas NAV happen to fall day is held to be unlucky
throughout the year The commencement OF any new
task is thought certain to be followed by failure
Addison gives instance of this belief In the Spectator
of March l. 171011 Thursday, says she. No. child
If 1t please God! You shall not begin upon Chiidermas
day Tell writing master that Friday Will De soon
enough"
The of whipping the children as reminder OF
the event commemorated by Childermas common In
France and parts of Normandy to-day there Is still
remnant existing among the country oiKs put the re-
lgious significance has been partly lost This method
assisting memory of the luckless urchfn by scor
ing his epidermis formerly in other occa-
sions Holy Innocents day. In England 1t was for
mery a practice during the riding OF the boun-
of parishes and manors Ascension day to whip
the youngsters at every important or disputed point
This christening days of his youth was remem
afterward and the particular stone cafrn or
streamet marking the metes and bounds between adon
ing parishes thus indeliby mapped on his gray mat
ter-a proceeding quite as eficacious as survey
Although the festivities connected more closely with
the celebration Christmas day have completely over
ShadOWed
few corners Christendom wherein the latter
much greater repute In Scotland, In partcu
lar great holiday of the and on the eve
and the day the Scot lets himself out
with vim. 1t would If his Spirits pent up for
a whole twelvemcnth find vent at this patcuar season
In France, Roman law and custom have impressed
themselves perhaps strongly than elsewhere In Eu
rope not excepting Italy itself, and the close
tcal friendship which existed between Scotland and
previous the ascension of James vi. to the
throne expression in the country to the north
of the Tweed in much stronger fashion than Is
ally believed Many of the owland terms of to-day
merely French Scottish guise 1t is perhaps
this political entente than to the spread of the
Puritan doctrnes-doctrnes which held everything in
abomination that smacked in the slightest degree of
church festivasthat of the customs and
stitions current among the Scots closely
resemble those OF France. Christmas at time
almost as of festival in Scotland to the south
the border 1t that in the cities at least 1t
is again showing recrudescence. But the rank
the people, with the Man in the Street. 1t 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
cow New Years realizes the spirit of good will
that reigns his be split by the pandemonum
OF noise and his suffer by the reek of the torches
and 1t is rarely that the Scot in all his jocation at
this period construes liberty license The custom OF
welcoming in the New Year has. however, on occasions