The Irish standard., 1918-12-28
new YEARS. DAY
Its Entrance Has Been Celebrat-
ed for Many Years.
Custom Of Calling Originated With
Dutch In New York State-Recep-
ton by President an Annual
Occasion.

THE celebration of the entrance OF
New Year has been observed
with much ceremony in this
country ever since the beginning of our
Republic. President Washington was
the first to establish the custom, and at
his Philadelphia residence, during
his first administration, it has been
noted that the day was observed with
appropriate ceremonies, with light re.
past in the afternoon, including Il plum
cake baked by Martha Washington her.
self, and some temperance punch made
chiefly of lemons and sugar, minus any
intoxicating ingredients.
The custom of New Years calling
originated in this country with the
Dutch in New York state. The nature
of the day, the clearing off of old .ac.
counts and the hopeful beginning of the
new trial Of life, made New Years day
a day for the interchange Of friendly
greetings, and in no country more than
In this has the friendly visiting crystal
lied into such hard and fast business
In the South, in the early days, that
land where social life is as delightful
and spontaneous in it's growth as is the
flora Of the region, New Years day
was formerly observed as the great
time for coming out. The debutante
hurst into blossom on that day, the old
homesteads were thrown open, and the
social world, like the huge family, met
to exchange greetings and Tsood cheer
On New Years day the observance
in Washington takes on the form Of
diplomatic and political observances
when conveyances from all over the
city start moving toward the White
House for their occupants to pay theil
respects to the president and other dig
nitares Of our government.
- When the general custom of cele
brating the first of the year by tn,
parading Of New Year clubs in fan
tastic costumes, and similar jollifica
tons began, it is difficult to say, though
1T does not appear to have antedatet
the Civil war. AS for shooting in tn,
New Year, that seems to have been tn,
custom-and strikingly so in Philadel
phia, ever since the revolution.
When John Adams moved into tn.
White House it was so incomplete thai
there was very little attempt to OBJ
serve New Years day at the mansion
nor in fact any other elaborate socia
affair. The celebration, as now OBJ
served, began with the administration
of President Jefferson. On New Year,
day in 1903 it is noted "On Saturday
New Years day, the president wa!
waited upon by diplomatic characters
the officers Of the government, tn
members of the legislature, and tn,
citizens generally. There were ais,
present large number of ladies'" Ii
1904 the report contains the infOrma
ton that "the affair was rendered NOR,
agreeable by the accompaniment Of tn,
Marine and Italian bands"
At this second Jefferson receptio,
"some time after the company hat
assembled, Colonel Burrows, ut tn
head Of the Marine corps, saluted tn
president, while the band of musi
played the presidents march, wen
through the usual evolutions in a mas
terly manner, fired sixteen rounds IL
platoons, and concluded with a gen
eral 'feu-de-joie.'
| Naturally, with Dolly Madison as hos
tess, the New Year receptions durin,
her husbands administration were bril-
liant, and at the last one, prior to tn
burning Of the mansion, guest wrote
as follows: Nothing ever was wit
messed in Washington so brilliant an,
dazzling.'
Every president since then has cele
brated the dawn of the new year o.
an occasion for diplomatic .courtesies
as we'll as an opportunity to give tn,
| public chance to visit the Whit
House and shake hands with the presi
| dent.
1