Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1912-12-27

reading of the stars. 1t furnishes standard time
for half the world, and as the new year Is born
will send its message clear up to Alaska. to
South America. to China and to London.
Over in France New Years day is not entirely
one of rejoicing; that is. unless is able to
rise above such mundane things as finance for
New Years In France means-bills! Itl Is the
universal paying-up day of the year. All the
dear. familiar old bills that have been jogging
along and accommodating during the year sud
denly pile in en- masse and greet the head of the
house on New Years morning. 1t is not difficult
to obtain credit In France, provided one pos
sesses the externals of comfortable compe-
tence and the tradesmen and landlords and
shopkepers content to wait-until January
first Then they drop their gentle little remin-
ders in the mails or, more frequently present
them through representatives. The butcher the
baker the candestick maker-and all the gal
axy Of their sisters and their cousins and their
aunts"-are to be reckoned with
Festival banqueting and merrymaking like
wise hold high carnival From New Years eve
until the morning of the second day of the new
year the streets of Paris are en- fete Beautifully
gowned women, In richly decorated carriages,
and groups of beribboned holiday-seekers form
boulevards. Cafe life then is wild and brilliant
surging, happy pageant that throngs the spacious
and the students from the Latin quarter
trfbste their full quota of FOSTERING and-revelry
In the restaurants and along the streets.
The German celebration of the New Year is
not lacking In wholesome good cheer and festive
FRANKS but 1t Is pre-eminently decorous one.
In Berlin elaborate musical programs are rem
dered and everywhere anthems and festival
songs chanted. beginning at twilight Of the
EAST day of the old year and continuing until the
bells peal forth the glad tidngs of new year
born unto the centuries. There is German
custom that dates from the year 1s4S that has
40 little Of the spirit of the typical bad boy"
in It.
On New Years eve anyone walking along the
streets Of Berlin and wearing high hat need
tahe no umbrage II couple OF German students.
who may have endeavored trife too zealously
to find the bottom of the flowing bowl. slip up
behind him and smash the aforesaid hat down
over his eyes. This Is the penalty he pays for
wearing such hat at such time and he has
no kick coming to him. even II his hat is knocked
on mis- head and kicked until 1t ceases to be a
hat.
The good folks in the Rhenish provinces have
Nm adaptation of this custom that is more gentle
End-yes-less expensive, considering the dam
age done This consists of stealing up upon
friend he Is walking along the street and
whispering in his 'Prosft Neujahr" The
friend thus accosted straightway comes
with little present such cigar, drink
invitation to dinner In Frankfort-on-the-
fain the entire city rushes to it's windows the
old year dies. filings them open and. glasses in
hand. d-'rks a toast to Father Times latest
born. Then the windows are slammed down the
merriment ceasas and all retire for peaceful
nights slumber
In England the New Year customs of very
ancient origin and even more generally observed
than in this country. Every English family sits
up to see the old year out and the new year in.
and always there is a bowl of hot punch. ETC.,
with which to drink the toasts to the New Year
The custom Is a survival of the time when the
head of the house assembled his family around
a bowl of spiced ale from which he and they
drank each others health and the health OF the
New Year. The words used In the toast were:
.Wass Hael." meaning ito your health !" Pres
emily. the toast bowl came TO be known the
wassal or wassel bowl
In Scotland the wassei bowl is the center of