The Penn's Grove record., 1919-12-26
New Years Eve

The advent of New Year has long
been observed by strongly contrasted
ceremonies, by religious services where
we hope for better things to come is
tempered by tender reflections upon the
events of the dying year, as opposed to
the revelries of those to whom the day
is one of feasting and ~merrymaking.
Among the solemn services of Old
Years Day, as some have called the
thirty-frst of December, the watch
night service constitutes the chief cere-
mony. of many churches. To some eX-
tent the custom of conducting religious
services on New Years eve may be said
to have been due to the fast before the
feast rule adopted by the earlier
LGhristians. For it was found that DUR
ing the midnight hours, on the eve of
feast-days, the people were prone to in
dulge in Qualifications which at times
provoked ecclesiastical censure
of the freedom and license of some of
the revelries. Accordingly the custom
of observing vigils on the eve of the
more prominent feast days was estab-
lished, and the pious kept their vigil
much in the manner in which many OBJ
serve the watch-nights of the present.
In the Middle Ages, it was a common
custom among the superstitious to gir-
die on their arms on New Years eve
| and seek some spot of vantage where
they could await the coming of the New
Year to see whether it brought sorrow
or joy, and members of many house
holds stayed up till the noon of the
night" on this mystic eve when the rear
of supernatural happenings was strong.
The midnight hour of the year was
marked in many way at various times
and places. In some localities the
| church bells were muffled when ringing
out the Old Year and unmuffled to peal
clearly as they rang in the new. At
others, the head of the household
would, with elaborate formality. throw
open the door "to let the Old Year out
and to let the New Year in" and one
of the most unique o~bservances of the
hour was the custom established by the
citizens of Frankfort-on-Main, who
would open the windows on the stroke
of twelve and lean forth with glass in
hand to toast the world in rousing
chorus of "Prosit Neujahr."
The Scotch were particularly faithful
in their observace of New Years eve
and before midnight every household
would prepare it's "Hot-pint," a fine,
powerful toddy, composed of port. or
sherry. mixed with cloves, cardamons.
cinnamon. nutmeg, ginger, salt. eggs
and toasted apples. At twelve o'clock
the toast would be solemnly drunk, and
then, after a dance and song, the men,
bers of the family would rush forth
with pots of the steaming brew and
carry it to some neighbours house.
while every friend met on the route
would have to taxi a sip, so that in a
short time matters were moving at a
lively pace.
The watch night service owes it's per-
manent establishment to the great re-
viva1ist n founder of Methodism,
John Wesley. Fol while Wesley was
endeavoring to spread the tenets of
his belief he was informed that some
converted miners at Kingswood, who
had formerly spent their Saturday
evenings in drinking, had inaugurated
the practice of holding evening services
which lasted until late in the night.
Whitefeld sent word to Wesley that he
had tried open-air preaching at Kings
wood with great success n Wesley
went there and began preaching to
enormous audiences of from ten to
fifty thousand people. Due to the lack
of illuminants, these meetings were
held on the eve of the first full moon
of the month, subsequently they were
held but four times a year., and finally
in later times reduced to the watch
night service, which has been an estab-
Iished and fixed practice of the Metho-
dists.
1t has also been the custom of others
than church folks to have a jolllhca-
ton on New Year eve and drink the old
wear out and the New Year in, In
social revelry. Now that the saloon
where Intoxicating liquors We're sold is
a thing of the past, there is a new
phase in life and there Will be less
superstitious revelries.