The Lake County times., 1918-03-11

North Carolina commentaries rne
Eclifax independence resolutions on
April , and the Meckle0hurE dcela-
i ration on May 20.
1t remains for Frederick county.
Md, to celebrate all alone the repu-
i diation OF the stamp act. one OF the
most local cel96rae.~ns of an impor-
tant national event on record.
Among the favorite months for hoi-
idays the world over November leads.
with 26 out OF It's possible 30 day=.
May comes next. with rs and an ad-
ditional Sunday not otherwise ceie-
brated. thus actually tying November
in the number OF days closed to blsi-
ness. March. on the other hand, Is
the longest all around business
month, having only 9 holidays. Thus
at least two-thirds 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.
Eleven New Year Dates.
January l 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 CID
style calendar prevails and the New
Year begins accordingly on January
IA.
The japanese New Year does. in
deed. begin on January /, but IT 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 II to IA (Which. by
the way. is a legal holiday in a part
Of the United States-HawaiD the
Annamite New Year, February II
and IS, and the Second Annamite
New Year. June 10; the Parsi New
Year September II; the Persian New
Year. March 21 to "a; the Moham-
medan New Year, December 10 and
IL. and the Jewish New Year, Sep
tember Il, 13 and II. 1t is sur
prise to learn that the only nation on
earth making the Jewish New Year a
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 l as the
years beginning.
Where Christmas Is 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 % until the fourth century.
The early church, lacking any au-
thentic knowledge as TO the date OF
Christ's birth. celebrated it without
uniformity in May, April and Janu-
arv. The Armenian Church still OIL
serves January g. Why the Decem-
Der date was finally selected is uncer-
tain Some see in il a displacement
of the Roman Saturnalia; others de-
clare il a survival OF the Feast OF the
Winter Solstice, and still others point
10 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 n-Conformists
rejected Christmas Day altogether as
"savoring OF papistry." and in New
England Thanksgiving Day was de-
vised TO replace it. 1t seems a Curl
Gus thing that there are today Chris
tian countries where it is not OBJ
served legally. Such are Norway,
Panama, Peru. Portugal and the
South African Union.
j The last named. however. still OBJ
serves the old English institution OF
Boxing Day on December 26. This
was the day when the English gentry.
having had their own Christmas eele-
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 Drops Traditions.
The only country on earth study
Of whose holidays reveals little of its
political racial or religious origin is
Trbo Gr-r ftar,7 NJ m, % n