Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-01-09
New Years Day Not Always January st

The first day of the year is
permanently fixed on our calendars as
January firsts but it is not celebrated
on that date all over the world, nor
did our ancestors wish each other
Happy New Year on what is now
the first day of the first month of the
year.
1t happened in this way The Oldest
of all calendars is the Chinese. This
was arranged so far back in antiquity
that nobody knows who did 1t, but
whoever ii was began the year several
weeks later than II starts today. The
Chinese New Year depends on the
changes of the moon, sometimes it
comes as early as January 80 and
again as late as February 4, Iut the
especial "Kung H." or New Year $
dav is February 2. THIS is 4 tine of
feasting and gayety and Il day upon
which all self-respectinr Cinnamon
settle their bills, as it IL considered
disgraceful to have any .iebtS out
standing for the coming year
In ancient Egypt September % wal
the beginning of the year and if Cleo
patra received New Years calls she
did it on that day. And travellers who
know the remote country d. uicts W. |
tell us that even at this late date the
"fellaheen," or lowest class of labor
ers often leave their rice fields or
looms and putting on their best
clothes take a holiday to worship at
their temples. IN some pants of Per-
sia the same day is celebrated, while
in parts of Thibet the year is reckon
ed from what we would call the first
of August. For more than one thous-
hud years the Jews have celebrated
''Rosh Hashana" or New Years In
September This does not always fall
on the same date, but like all Jewish
holidays is determined by the changes
of the moon.
Even our American Indians had the
New Years celebration. This did not
come on the same date each season,
but depended entirely on weather con-
ditions. When the last SHOWS had de-
parted and the first green buds began
to appear on the trees and green
shoots were everywhere poking above
the brown earth then the Indians hail
ed with Joy the beginning of a new
year. fer they knew the time of plenty
had arrived. The rivers and lakes
would 30 longer be ice bound, there
would be good hunting and fishing
once more ana many SUCculent rOOlS
and herbs could be gathered so that
all danger of famine was passed.
Our present calendar was arranged
by julius Caesar in 46 b. C. and cor
reeted by Pope Gregory XIII in 1882,
and is therefore called the Gregorian
calendar, though Caesar Rome's great
soldier and politician, did the most Of
the work. This was the same Caesar
that Mr.. Hohenzollern, late German
emperor set out to emulate. for'Cae-
sar, conquered France, Britaia, Bel
GUM, the greater part of Germany, as
well as several other places, and did
better than this, for he kept them, and
sc did his Successors for .onG. long
time. N tho Roman calea'l II the year
was, divided into twelve months and
began on January +. just as II does
today, but it was composed of 365
days, while each fourth year had 1856
This Arrangement worked beautifully
for a while, but MS the centuries roll
ed by ii was found that the Julian year
or year from the calendar of julius
Caesar. was eleven minutes longer
than the astronomical year of the
length of time il took the year to re-
volve ar5urd tho sun. and In about t.