The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1918-12-26
new YEARS. DAY
Its Entrance Has Been CeIebrat.
ed for Many Years.
Custom Of Calling Originated With
Dutch in New York State-Recep.
ton by President an Annual
Occasion.

T<HE 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 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 thar
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 its growth as is the
fora of the region, New Years day
was formerly observed as the great
time for coming out. The debutante
burst into blossom on that day, the ole
homesteads were thrown open, and the
social world, like the huge family, met
to exchange greetings and good cheer
On New Years day the observance
in Washington takes on the form OF
diplomatic and political observances
when conveyances from all over the
House for their occupants to pay theii
respects to the president and other dig.
nitaries of our government.
When the general custom of cele
brating the first of the year by the
parading Of New Year clubs in fan.
tastic costumes, and similar jOllifica.
tons began, it is difficult to say, though
it does not appear to have antedated
the Civil war. AS for shooting in the
New Year, that seems to have been the
custom-and strikingly so in Philadel
phia, ever since the revolution.
When John Adams moved into the
White House it was so incomplete that
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 oh
served, began with the administration
of President Jefferson. On New Years
day in 1903 it is noted "On Saturday
New Years day, the president was
waited upon by diplomatic characters
the officers Of the government. the
members of the legislature, and the
citizens generally. There We're alsC
present a large number of ladies'" II
1904 the report contains the informa
ton that "the affair was rendered more
agreeable by the accompaniment of the
Marine and Italian bands"
At this second Jefferson reception
''some time after the company had
assembled, Colonel Burrows, at the
head of the Marine corps, saluted The
president, while the band of music
played the presidents march, went
through the usual evOlutions in a mas
terly manner, fired sixteen rounds il
platoons, and concluded with a gen
eral 'feu-de-tOie.'"
Naturally, with Dolly Madison as hos
tess, the New Year receptions during
her husbands administration were bril-
liant, and at the last one, prior to the
burning of the mansion, a guest wrote
as follows: Nothing ever was wit.
messed in Washington so brilliant anC
dazzling"
Every president since then has cele
brated the dawn of the new year as
an occasion for diplomatic courtesies
as well as an opportunity to give the
public a chance to visit the White
House and shake hands with the presi
dent.