Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1920-12-31
New Year Kissing
Customs
e
Saluting the Parish Pump
~ HERE has always been close
and mystic association Of kiss

salutes his sweetheart at the dawn of
the New Year-and some lovers are
not particular whose sweetheart she
Is that they thus salute on this aus
picious occasion.
There is an ancient kissing custom
associated with a parish church in
Lancashire. The legend is that any
one who at the first stroke Of mid
night kisses the keyhole of the church
door, and then runs right round the
edif1ce in time to kiss the keyhole be-
fore the last stroke Of the hour, Is GER
tain of good luck during the whole Of
the year.
1t requires q certain amount OF
nerve to enter this country churchyard
at the dead of night, even for such
purpose. but rumor hath 1t that no
new year is born without someone es-
saying the race round the church. The
distance is such that 1t is impossible
for more than one person to thus court
a years luck.
Churchyards have always been favo-
rite places for New Year oscillations.
In the Wensleydale district, in days
gone by, all and sundry could kiss
without scandal" on New Years eve
In the porch Of the church.
1t was largely availed of. too, for
1t is on record that the accommoda-
ton fell lamentably short Of the de-
mand, and consequently there was
even more squeezing than kissing-if
that were possible.
A somewhat gruesome kind Of
churchyard kissing used to obtain
among the Basques Of the Pyrenees
on New Years eve. It was the custom
for the maidens to then repair to the
churchyard, and on their fingers watt
kisses to the four quarters of the uni
verse.
A kiss was supposed to brush their
lips on return, and If 1t was warm 1t
indicated that they would marry and
be happy ever after. On the other
hand. If the kiss was cold and of the
earth earthly, the inference was that
single "biessedness' would be their lot.
The only means by which the omen
could be broken was by repairing to
the church and kissing the church bell,
wood This remedy was very fire.
quently resOrted to; and so supersti-
tious were the Basque maideEs that
hut for the consolation afforded some
of them would have lost their reason.
In these degenerate days the lot of
of rhoy &c 60 hon
than that of his predecessors III a1-
cient times. If tradition can be relied
on the chief magistrate was then un-
der an obligation to kiss the first COW,
the first sheep and the first pig
brought into the first market of the
New Year.
This went on until it occurred to a
resourceful occupant of the mayoral
chair to interpret the custom as relat-
ing to the first three market women,
and henceforward they were the re-
cipients Of the New Year kisses until
the ancient custom vanished alto
gether.
1t is much to be feared that the
abuse of kissing customs has been
largely responsible for their falling
into disuse, though some of them are
certainly more honored in the breach
than in the observance.
One such, which used to obtain in
Oxfordshire, concerned the tenants of
certain estates which they held on
condition that on New Years morning
they publicly kissed the parish pump
or paid drink fine to the assembled
populace.
AS might be supposed, the tenants
almost invariably preferred to pay the
fine, but 1t is on record that one mis-
guided, close-isted individual actually
kissed the pump in order to keep the
fine in his pocket.
The populace were so disgusted at
his meanness and infuriated at the
loss Of the liquor that they held him
under the pump and pumped the wa
ter on him until he was almost washed
away.
The exchange of drink for kisses
was, in the bad old days, not infre-
Quent New Years day practice in pub
IlC uOuSeS, WHERE IL SOIuetImeS leu W
rows and riots among the frequenters.
At one hostelry in the metropolis
1t was the custom for the landlord to
hand out to every member Of the op-
posite sex who called before the hour
Of noon on New Years day a measure
Of ale In exchange for kiss.
What the landlords better half
thought Of this proceeding report say
eth not.
At another London public house 1t
used to be permissible for the first Gus
toner on New Years morning to kiss
the barmaid by way Of paying for his
liquor. But only the first was entitled
to this privilege, and any subsequent
caller who presumed to pay in this
fashion had to forfeit half crown to
the barmaid. One astute Hebe got her
sweetheart to call first and mulcted
several later callers of the customary
half crown In the course Of the morn
ing.
A NEW YEARS WISH.