The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1920-12-30
Our
Superstitious
Vein
EncircIins Wreath Of Fancy
Bedecks New Years Day

~ YER since the dawn Of time the
happenings of New Years day
have been said to foretell the
luck Of the coming months. For there
Is a vein of superstition In the human
race, and all Of us share In Its adelu-
sions. There Is no day In the year
without Its eneireling wreath Of fancy;
this first day of them ell is wopdrous-
ly bedecked. Not even Christmas is
80 ancient, and so world renowned,
and It stands first In the folklore Of
every language. On New Years day
In ancient Egypt, when as yet the
pyramids were unbuilt, there were
grand professions and smoking sac
rifices. In Sparta 1t was celebrated
BY the conservation Of youths to mill
tary. service.
Among the Saxons and old Germans
were great rejoicngs, feastings and
carouslngs on this day. and the was
sail bowl passed merrily around. This
was a great vessel filled with ale,
sugar, fruits, nutmeg. and spices. There
was enough for the whole community
and the great bowl ran fsRely all day
In all countries there have been
charms and devotidhs peculiar to the
opening year, for desire to peer into
the future is really common to us an,
no matter how we affect to deride the
idea. The Bible charm was one famil
lar to our grandfathers, andAwas used
by religious people even stlown to the
present generation. 1t is solempSG and
interesting, and well worth recording.
when the clock strikes IL on New
Years eve, pick up your Bible and
open ii at random, and walking back
ward to table, lay the book down,
face open. upon it. Turn around three
times, take up the book, read the verse
upon which your thumb falls. 1t will
tell your fate for the coming year.
For instance, IL 1t should be: "And
He will love thee and bless thee and
multiply thee" or "If l take the
wings of the morning and dwell In the
uttermost parts of the earth,".- we ex,
pect very pleasant year. But conceive
the horror Of one who should open
to these words $50 he died, end was
gathered to his fathers" or I'm hell
he lifted up his eyes, being in tor
ment."
In Switzerland the maiden borrOws
her mothers wedding ring. Ties II with
q hair from her own head, then sus-
ponds 1t just over the rim Of a tea
cup, all the while counting rapidly the
years of her own age. OF course the
hair-hung ring trembles and knocks
against the cup, and each little tap
counts one year before she will wed;
so she must count very fast. or be
shocked at the number of taps. In
the kind of fish caught on
the day foreteIls "fisherman's luck
for the coming year. In rural New
almost every locality has
some special charm Of fOrtune.telling
Of its own for this day Of fate. The
have used cards for thou
sands of years. and the .queerest thing !
in the world Is a Chinese New YeGr's |
card II gives all the complimentary
titles Of the owner and Is almost as
large as a wall map. In olden times
It was the custom for tenants to give
New Years gifts to their landlords /
and every loysl subject owed a gift
to his sovereign We read how good 1
Queen Elizabeth was such a favorite
that her gifts were marvels Of taste
and extravaganza. In our country We
give presents on Christmas day bu'
n France they are reserved for tn
lrst Of the year.