The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1912-12-31
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and sane. 1t lasts for several days
and is full of color, noise and action
from start to finish. Firecrackers.
Chinese lanterns. tea, feasting and
carnival all play their part, and the
new year is initiated in way to put
ginger into his young life. The popu-
lar greeting is "Kunghi," which is to
say, II humbly wish you joy" or 'Sin-
hi" MAY joy be yours" From this
it will be seen that the Chinese have
a ''hi" old time. Not only do lanterns
abound, but artificial flowers and red
notices ornament the houses. Even IN
the United States the laundries are
abandoned while the Celestials pay
ceremonial calls and decorate every
thing in sight with red paper. Euro
peans also paint the town red on New
Years, only they do 1t in different
way.
New Years is celebrated for thir-
teen days In Persia and is the most
important festival of the year. 1t fur
nishes a precious opportunity for the
beggars who camp on a mans door,
step and blow horns until he gives
present. The festival Is called mo
ROOF" and combines our Christmas
and Easter. Sweets are prepared long
In advance, and eggs are boiled and
coIored. The observance begins ON
March %. and for thirteen days there
after business is suspended. Presents
are given, among them being coat OF
honor for important persons, for which
a price is often exacted, much In ex-
cess of the value Of the garment. An
other mo ROOF custom Is for dele
cations Of Persians to visit the tombs
of the departed and send up walls
both loud and long.
New Years is great day for the
children In the country towns or Rus
STA. The boys carry peas and wheat,
showering those they like with wheat
and those they dislike with peas. Vari-
GUS domestic animals are gayiy deco
rated and led about the streets. There
is also a ceremony of changing water
into wine, which is harmless enough,
since It does not increase the wine
supply
The great feature Of the German
New Years is Sylvester Abend," CORE
spending in some measure to our watch
parties, except that more liquid re-
freshmen is absorbed. The punch
bowl is the center OF attraction, but
the punch Is usually made Of mild
Rhine wine and does little if any
harm. Ill fares it with the man Wear
ing high hat on this night, for it Is
smashed with great enthusiasm In
Frankfort on the Main pretty custom
is observed. Promptly on the first
stroke of II every shutter in town flies
open and head appears with the
shout, ''Prosit Neujahrw 1t is as quick
ly withdrawn. and the shutters are re-
closed before the clocks have finished
booming the hour.
The French give Christmas a reh-
gious observance. so that New Years
Is the great popular holiday. Gifts are
exchanged and calls are made on jan
/ and all through the month.
The English observance OF New
Years is not largely different from
ours, except that the old year is swept
out by men and boys dressed as chin
ney sweeps and is rung out with muf-
fed bells, which change to a clear and
Joyous note at the stroke Of IL. 1t
IS TO this custom that Tennyson re-
fers in his an Memoriam," so often
quoted. Ring out the old. ring IN the
new"
The crowds before St PauPs in Lon
don on New Years eve are even
greater and more noisy than those be-
fore Trinity, New York, though people
who have only heard the Gotham din
may deem this impossible.