New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-12-31
Our
Superstidous
Vein
EncircLns Wreath Of Fancy
Bedecks New Years Day

n 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 delu-
sions. There Is no day in the year
without Its encircling wreath of fancy;
this first day Of them all is wondrous-
ly bedecked. Not even Christmas Is
so ancient, and so world renowned,
and 1t stands first In the folklore Of
every language. On New Years day
pyramids were unbuilt, there were
grand professions and smoking sac
rifces. In Sparta 1t was celebrated
by the conservation Of youths to mill
tary service.
Among the Saxons and old Germans
were great rejoicings. feastings and
csrouslngs on this day. and the was
sail bowl passed merrily around. This
was a great vessel filed with ale.
sugar, fruits, nutmeg and spices. There
was enough for the whole community
and the great bowl ran freely all day.
In all countries there have been
charms and devOtiOns peculiar to tho
opening year, for n desire to peer into
the future Is really common TO us all.
no matter how We affect to deride the
idea. The Bible charm was one famIl-
lar to our grandfathers, and was used
by religious people ever down 70 the
present generation. II Is solemn end
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 a table, lay the book down.
face open, upon It. Turn around three
times, take up the book, reed the verse
upon which your thumb falls. 1t will
tell your fate for the coming year.
For instance. II 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 a 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 "In hell
he lifted up his eyes. being In tor
ment."
In Switzerland the maiden borrows
her mothers wedding ring, ties IL with
a hair from her own head, then sus-
ponds II just over the rim Of a tea
cur, all the while counting rapidly the
years Of her W age OF course the
ring trembles and knocks
against the cup, and each little tap
counts one year before she will wed;
she must count very fast, or be
at the number of taps. In
Norway the kind OF fish caught on
the day foretells 'fsherman's luck"
for the coming year.. In rural New
England almost every locality has
some special charm Of fortune-telllne
Of Its own for this day of fate. The
OF sending cards and gifts on
the first day Of the year is so ancient
that the historian of Manners and Gus
can find no beginning. The
Chinese have used cards for thou
sands of years. and the queerest thing
IN the world is a Chinese New Ye1r's
card. 1t gives all the complimentary
titles Of the owner, and is almost as
as a wall map. In olden times
L was the custom for tenants to give
New Years gifts to their landlords,
and every loysl subject owed a gift
10 his sovereign. We read how good
Queen Elizabeth was such q favorite
hat her gifts were marvels of taste
md extravagance. In our country we
rive presents on Christmas day, but
France they are reserved for the
irst Of the year.