Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-01

\
y The custom of greeting the new
period of time was celebrated by
religious observance and festive rejoicing
among the Jews, Egyptians. Chinese, Ro
mans and the MohamInedans centuries
before the Christian era.
Today all the Christian nations joir
these races in the observance of the day,
The difference in the salutation of the
New Year being only in the time from
which they reckon its inception.
Abroad and in this country it has ever
been the custom to see the old year out
and the new one in with the highest
demonstrations of merriment and con-
VITALITY. Strange as it may appear upon
rctrospection, to few does it seem to oc-
cur that the day is a memorandum of the
satisfaction of another year from the
little sum of life. With the multitude the
predominant sentiment is that the list of
January is an imaginary milestone on
the turnpike of human life; at once a
resting place for thought and the start
ing point for fresh exertion in the per-
Torrance of our journey"
But New Year is even more than this
1t has been made the period for the ex-
preston of good wishes and the inter
change of cordial greetings America
gets its New Year traditions from tue
country. Inc meTTyIudkIuSS Ol
New Year eve and New Year day are Of
very ancient date in England. Even more
generally than in this country is the New
Year saluted there. 1t is seldom that an
English family fails to sit up on the last
night of the Year until II o'clock to sa-
past the head of the house was wont to
assemble his family around bowl OF
spiced ale, from which he drank their
health; then passed it to the rest that
they might drink, too.
-
The toast which was given was 'wass
hael," or Ito your health Hence the
bowl came to be known as wassail, or
wassel bowl. This bowl is Shakespeare S
gossip's bowl in Midsummer Night S
Dream The composition Of the brew
contained in the bowl was ale, nutmeg
and sugar.
In Scotland the Wassel bowl is still the
center of the New Year celebration. The
death of the old year in that country and
the birth of the new is observed with u
heartineSs nowhere surpassed. 1t almost
appears as If in Il sort of antagonism to
their general gravity the Scots are nm
PEELED to break out in half mad merrlment
on this day
In both England and Scotland 1t is
customary to eat what are called Cod
cakes on New Year day. They are OF
triangular shape. about half inch thick
and filled with q kind of mincemeat.
They can be bought for q penny, but
others of greater price, even to S., are
sod in large numbers.
In both of these countries New Year
is more of d family day than 1t is either
in America or in France, where the cele-
bration is of a. public nature and includes
the gayest festivities upon the streets
and i'm the cafes. In France New Year
is celebrated with greater exuberance
than any other day of the twelve months
Christmas in France Is for the most part
religious festival. The secular cele-
bration of the holiday season occurs with
the nativity of the year. Cafe life on this
night is of the widest and most brilliant
The students of the Latin Quarter con-
tribute TO the revelry by Bacchanalian
roiSterinS of the most hilarious kind.
The boulevards and restaurants glitter
with light and liveliness.
The Germans solemnize the advent of
the New Year more decorOusly than do
either the French or the English. The
of u musical character. New Year an
and empire. The festival of song begins
at twilight and lasts until the bells sound
forth the beginning of the New Year.
The "Mummers or Shooters pa
rade in Philadelphia on New Year Gay
rivals in picturcsqueness the spectacular
pageant of Mardi Gras carnival.
The municipal council of the Quaker
city annually makes a large appropriation.
which is divided into prizes for the best
dressed clubs and organizations that ap-
pear i'll the famous "MummerS' parade.