The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-01-30

l OF tneir own. Texas observes her sep
aration from Mexico on March 2.
North Carolina commentaries the
Halifax Independence resolutions on
April IL and the Mecklenburg deciar
ration on May 20. n
1t remains for Frederick county!
Nd. to celebrate all alone the repu-
dfation OF the stamp act. one OF the
most local celebrations OF an impor-
tant national event on record.
/ Among the favorfte months for hol
days the world over November leads.
with Is out Of its possible 80 DAYS.
May comes next. with rs and an ad-
ditional Sunday not otherwise cele-
brated. thus actually tying November
In the number Of days closed to bust
ness. Merch. on the other hand. Is
the longest all around business
month. having only 1s holidays. Thus
at least two-thirds Of every month In
terferes with the free play OF inter
national business.
1 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. II
falls on IL 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 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 1t.
Eleven New Year Dates.
January / is observed as New
Years Day in every country In all
Europe except Bulgaria. Greece. Rou-
| mania, Russia, Servia and Turkey: in
all European colonies in Africa and
| in Liberia and Morocco; In every
country and colony in North. Central
and South America and in all parts
of Asia except Asiatic Turkey and in
Australasia.
In Bulgaria, Greece. Roumania.
Russia. Servia and Turkey the old
style calendar prevails and the New
Year begins accordingly on January
IA.
The Japanese New Year does. In
deed. begin on january /. but IL is
also celebrated on the Sd and 5th OF
that month.
Then there are the Hindu New
Year. on April IS; the Chinese New
Year. February IL to IA (which. by
the way. is legal holiday in a part
of the United States-Hawaii); the
Annamite New Year. February II
and Is. and the Second Annamite
New Year. June 10. the Parsi New
Year. September IL: the Persian New
Year. March 81 to "a. the Mohan
medan New Year, December 10 and
IL, and the Jewish New Year. Sep
TENDER IL. Is and Il. II is a sur
prise to learn that the only nation on
earth making the Jewish New Year
legal holiday is Turkey.
New Years Day was celebrated
among the most ancient nations The
old Roman New Year began March ]
but in reforming the calendar Julius
Caesar designated January as the
years beginning.
Christmas Day. due to It's religious
significance. is not so generally oh
served as New Years Day. II 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 oil
Christ's birth. celebrated II without
uniformity in May. April and Ianu-
airy. The Armenian Church still o.
serves January 6. Why the Decem
| Der date was finally selected Is uncer
tain. Some see in 1t a displacement
of the Roman Saturnalia, others de.
clare IL a survival of the Feast OF the
Winter Solstice. and still others point
to its coincidence with the old Ger
man Yuletide Feast. Countries where
the old style calendar prevails still
celebrate January z.
In the Puritan days Scotch Presby-
terians and English Non-Conformists
rejected Christmas Day altogether az
"savoring OF papistry." and In New
England Thanksgiving Day was de-
vised to replace 1t. It seems Curl
Gus thing that there are today Chris
tian countries where 1t is not OBJ
served legally. Such are Norway.
Panama, Peru. Portugal and the
South African Union.
The last named. however. stu OBJ.
serves the old English institution Of
Boxing Day on December &c. thu
was the day when the English gentry,
having had their own Christmas csie-
bration the day before. turned theii
attention to the poor by pressntinG
them with Christmas boxes. The day
later became the day for general CIV
ins OF Christmas gifts
Portugal Drops Traditions.
The only country on earth . study
| of whose holidays reveals little OF 1T
political. racial or religious origin IL
Portugal. The 1rst attempt to estab-
/ lish 3 republic in Portugal was made
~ January Al 1881 This IN reflect