The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1921-01-01
Our
Superstitious
Vein
Encirclng Wreath Of Fancy
Bedecks New Years Day

II YER since the dawn of time the
happenings of New Years day
49, 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
III ancient Egypt. when as yet the
pyramids were unbuilt, there were
grand professions and smoking sac
ritices. In Sparta it was celebrated
by the conservation of youths to mill
tary service.
Among the Saxons and old Germans
were great rejoicings, feastings and
carousings on this day, and the was
sail bowl passed m6rriiy 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 the
opening year, for a desire to peer into
The future is really common to us all,
no matter how we affect to deride the
idea. TIE Bible charm was one famii-
lar to our grandfathers, and was used
by religious people eve down to the
present generation. 1t is solemn and
interesting. and well worth recording.
when the clock strikes u on New
Years eve, pick up your Bible and
open it 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, read the verse
upon which your thumb falls. 1t will
tell your fate for the coming year.
For instance. If ii 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, and 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 it with
a hair from her own head, then sus-
ponds it just over the rim of a tea
oID oil tho u-biio aouptinU ropidly tho
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
Norway the kind of fish caught on
the day fOretells ''fisherman's luck"
for the coming year. In rural New
England almost every locality has
some special charm of fortune-telling
of its own for this day of fate. The
Chinese have used cards for thou
sands of years. and the queerest thing
in the world is a Chinese New Years
card. 1t 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 Il gift
tC his sovereign. We read how good
Queen Elizabeth was such n ~favorite
that her gifts were marvels of taste
and extravaganza. In our country we
give presents on Christmas day. hut
France they are reserved for the
first of the year.