The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1914-12-25
b Is

DratlOn6 more III
| keeping with the passing Of a year OF
past opportunities, and the making
OF new resolutions for the coming
| year, on this continent, at least. the
night has been given up to revelry
strongly condemned by right thinking
people.
At one time New Years eve in Ber-
lin was a time that might have glad
| dened the heart of the most exuber-
ant undergraduate, being from dusk to
dawn a succession of practical Jokes
and good-natured raging" But now
adays the town shows a more sedate
temper, and II In a very German way
a beer or a wine Journey" Ito give
the German expression) often reminds
one in the small hours Of what used
to be seer at the same time Of the
year in the ancient world, the days
seem to have passed by when 1t was
unsafe for q cabman to show himself
in the city before dawn. for fear OF
having some Joker ride away on his
embarrassed Polly"
In those times the silk hat was
more worn than today. and still more
often was crushed in or thrown across
the street by some Of the more ram
pageous. 1t Is said that n could
then buy a cheap edition Of the silk
hat that had a gloss that would last
through the evening, and at . price
that made its disappearance quite suf-
ferable.
Today such practical Jokes have
dropped into the background. Berlin
and the rest of the empire indulge in
a celebration Of the New Year that
has something Of the French reveil-
Ion, something of the Scottish festivi-
ty, and also some reminders Of April
Fools day and G%unpowder Plot day
In England, and the Chinese New
Years Feast of Lanterns"
New Years day In Germany is the
day for sending the jokes and would.
be jokes that are generally held over
until April / in France and England
cigars that might seem to be burn
ing, references to such rarities as the
peacock's eggs, and all the SELLS" that
can be thought Of. Then, as the Eng
lish of the North may eat tofee ant
"parkin" on the eve Of the 9Th o.
November, the Germans have a specia
fare of pancakes and jam, with punch
The rattle reminds n OF the Orient
1t is the erticle Of the day. or rather
of the night. Even the biggest storei
in the capital head their weekly cata
logue with q list Of the styles of rat
ties that they have to sell, and N
self-respecting Berliner Is without on
when he sallies forth late in eveninI
to make q round Of the town befor
saluting the emperor with the guar
in front Of the palace In the Lustgal
ten at nine o'clock.
The occasion also offers another e,
ample of the extraordinary powers
endurance in the matter OF entertain
ment that the Berliner possesses. A
though business begins at eight. an
in some Offices even as early as hal
past seven, there are as many In tn
cafes between two and three in til
morning as one would see, for exam
pie between one and two in Paris
a much more leisured city.
And on New Years eve the con
a pany does not go home to bed wit
the milk. as in the French capita
but sees 1t out until 1t is a questio
= of whether luncheon shall come b
fore or after the sleep.
Supper In the betterknown resta
q rants in the center of Berlin and
Charlottenburg's fine avenue Of Ku
4 furstendamm is much on the lines
the Paris reveillon. There is no me
II ton Of the traditional "Boudin av'
n PURGE de pommes," but In return Il
pancakes and strip get their plac
4 and there is always some punch
the making.
New Years eve Is marked at u
Court Of Vienna by a ceremony som
what reminiscent of Hamlet" wit
out the chief character. The dip
matte body is invited to the HI
burg to wish the emperor the comp
ments of the season, but his imperi
i majesty never attends to recei
them. Since the days of Maria Tn,
esa 1t has been the custom for t
grand master Of the court to der
tie for his sovereign On this occasit
and no member of the imperial fam
is ever present.
This ceremony. which Is common
I known as "the homage to Gessle
hat" is 80 strongly resented by SOL
diplomats that they %purposely abse
themselves from Vienna at this til
OF the year in order to evade 1t.
At Queens college, Oxford. besit