The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-28

Still later, the old Druids-whe
lived in what is now England, YOU.
remember--gaye each other branch ei
OF mistletoe, plant they held mos
sacred and which figured largely il
many Of their strange, mysterious
rites. Each year. on New Years Eve
these white-robed Druids would 60 in,
to the dense forests. gather the mis-
tletoe and then give Il out to the peo,
pie who awaited their return. Th,
people then hung the mistletoe il
their homes, believing that IT woult
please the gods and goddesses of tn
forests.
But still earlier than either tn
Dfuids or the Romans, we find th,,
ancient Persians celebrating the brit
of the New Year. They exchange,
most lavish presents. But what d,
You think was the chief gift which on
Persian presented to another? Eggs
Aes, Just eggs, Why. that's like ou
custom now at Easter, isn't it?
Coming down through the years, w
hnd a peculiar custom prevalent Il
ola England. It was known as was
sailing. and was the principal featur
of the elaborate New Years feast
then in vogue. "Wassail' was reall
bowl of spiced ale; and. later.
DOW of punch made of wines ale.
eggs, spices. fruits and roasted ap
pies.
Always. on New Years morning TN
father of the family drank first from
the wassail bowl and then offered I
70 ms VIE and the children, large an
small, and the friends who happene
in during the day.
suppose some one said to you thi
New Years morning. II am a first
footer?" You wouldn't know what h
meant, would YOU? And you Nigh
De apt to think him insane. But bacj
In these same old English days. yoi
would have understood him perfectly
nrst-footer' then was a persol
who left his own home minute q
two before midnight of New Year,
Eve and hurried to the home of
friend so as to be the first to set foo
within 1t promptly on the last strok
OF the dying year. To have a FIRST
footer" visit you thus was considere,
an omen of good luck for all the re-
mainder of the New Year.
Moreover. If the first -footer" han
pened to be pretty damsel-as wa
frequently the case-the first NAL
member of the household to gree
her at the door was privileged to kis
her; besides, 1t WAS sure sign tha
ne would be married within the yea,
And suppose one of your littl
friends cried out to you on Ne,
Years Eve, just before midnight, NC
mol Let me go firsti | want to fin,
the scream OF the year." What wouli
you think? What in the world voul
you Imagine scream of the year
meant? who ever heard OF a yea
screaming? Well, in certain par
of England II used to mean the frs
pitcherful of water to be drawn from
a a-nearby spring just after the strok
Of twelve. And 1t was supposed
bring unusually good luck to the per
son thus finding the Scream"
Today, there are several unusua
customs In vogue in Germany on Ne,
Years. If. while walking in a Ger
tain section of that broad empire, on
hears little boy or girl whisper Il
his ear Happy New Year, he mus
straightway give to the child VIII
has thus crept up upon him SOM
present as ransom. Needless to say
the little German children find thl
game a most delightful one; and the
return home in the evening ladeI
down with presents they have receive
as ransom" from their New Yea
"captives."
In the German city of Frankfort
on-the Main, on New Years Eve, ia !
theirs and mothers with their childre
and friends watch the old year ou
and the New Year in. All evenin +
long, In their homes, they play gamei
listen to good music and good storie
and have regular feast of goo
things to eat. Then. as the New Yea
IL born. everyone rushes to a window
throws it open, leans out and shout
"Prosit Neujahr-Happy New Year. .
to his neighbors who are doing pre-
cisely the same thing. Goodness mt
mustn't that be lots OF fun?
Cvc v,v~ =