The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-01-01
"WATcHNIGHT" CUSTOMS.
The First Day of the Year, Which Is
Universally Celebrated, Has Many
Quaint Observances.

New Years is the most universally
celebrated of holidays. Christmas is
practically confined to Christian coun-
| tries and in some of these has only a
religious observance. The same is
true of Easter.
Other holidays are for the most part
national in character and are confined
to their own countries. But New
Years in some form is celebrated in
all lands and in not few is the chief
holiday of the year. 1t is not observed
always on January 1, the Chinese and
Jewish New Years being notable ex-
ceptions, and the Russian festival
| being held on what to us is January
IL, owing to a difference in the
calendar.
Oriental Favorite.
Especially is the beginning of the
year time of festival in the Orient
Nobody knows just how old the Gus
tom is, but it probably antedates his,
tory. In most Asiatic countries New
Years eve is time for settling debts
wiping the slate clean for the succeed
ing twelve-month. Tea drinking is
naturally one of the chief forms OF
observance in China and Japan
There it is an art, and the ceremonial
on New Years is intended to outrank
anything else in the tea-giving class
The Japanese tea room is hidden
away in some secluded part of the
garden, and only few of the elect are
admitted. This, of course, refers tc
the private tea rooms, the public ones
being frequented by ALL
The Japs eat from a large variety
of dishes on this day, offering samples
OF the foods to their Pagan gods. The
day in Nippon is celebrated on January
/, as with us.
In China.
The Chinese New Year, which is
based on the moon and occurs in
January or February, is like a pro
longed Fourth of July, or rather as the
Fourth was before it became safe and
sane. 1t lasts for several days and is
full of color, noise and action from the
start to finish. Firecrackers, Chinese
lanterns, tea, feasting and carnival all
play their part.
The popular greeting is "Kunghi,'
which is to say, Il humbly wish you
JOY" or "Simhi," MAY joy be yours >
Not only do lanterns abound, but arti
fetal flowers and red notices orna
| mnDt tho houcoc Eyop n, tbo T1,;+ or
States the laundries are abandoned
while the Celestials pay ceremonial
calls and decorate everything in sight
with red paper.
Russian Version.
New Years is a great day for the
children in the country towns of Rus
STA in times of peace The boys carry
peas and wheat, showering those they
like with wheat and those they dislike
with peas. Various domestic animals
are gaily decorated and led about the
streets. There is also a ceremony OF
changing water into wine.
| The great feature of the German
New Years is Sylvester Abend,
corresponding in some measure to oul
watch parties. Ill fares it with the
man wearing high hat on this night
for it is smashed with great enthu
Siasm.
In Frankfort.
! In Frankfort on the Main a pretty
custom is observed Promptly on the
, first stroke of IL every shutter in towr
, flies open and head appears with the
shout, "Prosit Neujahr!" It is al
quickly withdrawn and the shutters
are reclosed before the clocks have
finished booming the hour.
The French give Christmas a re
ligious observance, so that New Years
is the great popular holiday. Gifts
are exchanged and calls are made or
January and all through the month
ONLY A PRINTER.