The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-03-04

| udtlOudl CAeuQ1Ts al
New Years Day Is the only holiday
universally observed. But. alas. Il
falls on II different dates in different
parts Of the globe, and some countries
observe more than one Of them. A
exhaustive study Of these New Year
celebrations would give one Q pretty
fair knowledge of the ancient history
Of the world. Curiously enough. one
Of our own states. Massachusetts, does
not make this a legal holiday. though
her citizens generally observe tt :
Eleven New Year Dates. reg
January / is observed Is New
Years Day in every country In Ill
Europe except Bulgaria. Greece. Rou-
mania, Russia, Servia and Turkey: -
all European colonies in Africa ane
in Liberia and Morocco; In every
country and colony in North. Central
and South America and in al parts
Of Asia except Asiatic Turkey and =
Australasia. .
In Bulgaria, Greece. Roumanla,
Russia, Servis and Turkey the old
style calendar prevails and the New
Year begins accordingly on January
ia. .. s.. ~.
The Japanese New Year does. II
deed, begin on January I. but It =
also celebrated on the Sd and eth g
that month. q
Then there are the Hindu New
Year, on April 10: the Chinese New
Year. February II to IA (Which, by
the way. is legal holiday in part
of the United States-Hawail); the
Annamite New Year, February II
and IS, and the Second Annamits
New Year, June 49,; the Parsi New
Year, September H.; the Persian New
Year. March 81 to "a: tho NOLAN.
medan New Year, December 10 ana
II. and the Jewish New Year. Sep
TENDER ~. IS and II. 1t u = sut.
prise to learn that the only nation %
earth making the Jewish New Year 4
legal holiday is Turkey. ~
New Years Day WAS eslebrsts4
among the most ancient nations. The
old Roman New Year began Mar. l,
but In reforming the calendar Julius
Caesar designated January ] q IL
years beginning. 81
Where Christmas 10 Not observo6
Christmas Day, due to Its religious
Significance, is not SO generally OBJ
served as New Years Day. It haas
moreover, only three different dates.
It was not generally observed on d.
cember IS until the fourth century.
The early church, lacking any %.
thentic knowledge as to the dats q
Christ's birth. celebrated It without
uniformity in May. April and JAM
airy. The Armenian Church still q.
serves January 6. Why the Decan.
Der date was finally selected IL uncets
tain. Some see in It displacement
of the Roman Saturnalia; others de-
clare it a survival Of the Feast Of tho
Winter Solstice, and still others point
to its coincidence with the old Gar.
man Yuletide Feast. Countries whsre
the old style calendar prevails Sti1
celebrate January Z. -
In the Puritan days Scotch Presbys
terians and English Nom onformists
rejected Christmas Day altogether -
"sayoring Of papistry. and II New
England Thanksgiving Day va ~.
vised to replace It It seems . cuFa.
GUS thing that there are today ChriS
tian countries where. It y not o..
served legally. Such are Norway.
Panama, Peru. Portugal and tho
South African Union.
The last named, however. still OBJ
serves the old English Institution g
Boxing Day, on. December Is. Thi0
was the day whsn the English Eentr5a
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 orsgsnssal ~
ms Of ChristmAs gifts q I SO!
Portugal Drops Tfadltlsaa :
The only country on earth y se6ey
Of whose holidays rsvsah lttt1o e -
political. racial or religious oriS1l :
Portugal. The Arst attempt % Gata6.
lish . republic IN Portugal W. ma1e
on January. 81. 1881. This 8 re1e.
ed In its calendar Of holldlys, which
runs: sJanuary I. dsdicatsd % I'll
versal brotherhood; January II, -
icated to the memory Of Ill thoae vA0
fought and died TO sstablis6 ~ -
l. = 49,.