Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1918-02-15

with rs out of its possible 30 days,
May comes next, with % and an ad,
ditiOnal Sunday not otherwise cele-
brated thus actually tying November
in the number of days closed tTbusi-
ness. March, Oh the other hand, is
the longest all around business
month, having only 10 holidays Thus
at least two-thlrds of every month in
terferes with the free play of inter
national business.
Even such generally observed festi-
walls as Christmas and New Years
Day can't be depended upon by the
banker without consulting the inter
national calendar
New Years Day is the only holiday
universally observed. But alas, it
falls on II different dates in different
parts of the globe, and some countries
observe more than one Of them. An
exhaustive study of these New Year
celebrations would give one a pretty
fair knowledge Of the ancient history
Of the world. Curiously enough, one
Of our own states, Massachusetts, does
not make this legal holiday, though
her citizens generally observe it.
Where Christmas ls Not Observed.
Christmas Day, due to its religious
significance, Is not SO generally OBJ
served as New Years Day. 1t has,
moreover, only three different dates.
1t was not generally observed on De-
cember Is until the fourth century.
The early church, lacking any au-
thentic knowledge as to the date of
Chnst's birth, celebrated 1t without
uniformity in May, April and Janu-
airy. The Armenian Church still OBJ
serves January 6. Why the Decem-
Der cate was finally selected is uncer.
tain. Some see In 1t displacement
Of the Roman Saturnalia; others de-
clare 1t a survival of the Feast Of the
Winter Solstice, and still others point
to its coincidence with the old Ger.
msn Yuletide Feast. Countries where
the old style calendar prevails still
celebrate January Z.
In the Puritan days Scotch Presby-
terians and English Non Cenformists
rejected Christmas Day altogether as
"savoring of papistry," and in New
England Thanksgiving Day was de-
vised to replace it. It seems curl
GUS thing that there are today Christ
tan countries where It Is not OBJ
served legally. Such are Norway,
Panama, Peru, Portugal and the
South African Union.
The last named, however, still OBJ
serves the old English institution OF
Boxing Day on December 20. This
was the day when the English gentry,
having had their own Christmas cele-
bration the day before, turned their
attention to the poor by presenting
them with Christmas boxes. The day
later became the day for general CIV
ing Of Christmas gifts
Portugal Drope Traditions.
The only country on earth a study
of whose holidays reveals little of Its
political, racial or religious origin is
Portugal. The first attempt to estab-
lish a republic in Portugal was made
on January 81, 1891. This Ia reflect
cd In its calendar Of holidays, which
runs: january 1, dedicated to uni
versal brotherhood; January 81, ded-
icated to the memory Of all those who
fought and died to establish the re-
public in Portugal; May 3, in men,
DRY of the discovery Of Brazil by the
Portuguese June 10, municipal holi-
day at Lisbon; June "a, municipal
holiday at Oporto; October 8, the
date of the establishment of the Por-
tuguese republic; December l, Flag
Day, to commemorate the independ-
ence OF the country; December %,
Family Day"
These brief -notations on holidays
touch only their distribution and
dates. Back OF these lies n wide r.
filed with quaint and curious
nation relating TO the manrc
! ebrating them