Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1922-12-27
new YEAR We.
Customs and Their Origin; Hap.
peMngs Of Long Ago.

peI4n9S q Long ago.
All Peoples Have Ways -of sAmusino
Themselves on Special Occasions
and at Fixed Seasons.
~ N OLD philosophe who. was
~ none the less a philosopher for
Ahis constant and close observa-
ton of men, remarked that we can
best Judge mems temperament and
ideals by watching them at their
work and at their play. A keen OBJ
server would have very little difficulty
in Judging Americans by their work.
One such has aptly called this country
"The Land of the Strenuous Life. !"
Even our sports partake so much of
this strenuosity that the medical pro-
fession is beginning to warn US of
overindulgence in the more violent
forms Of athletics S.S:ss
But all peoples have ways Of anus
ing themselves on special occasions
and affixed seasons after a manner
SO we'll established tharait has come
to be regarded a kind Of ritual, says
the New York Herald. This has come
down to us from the ages when our
forebears first pushed their way out
of the dry tablelands of civilization.
Even the mighty power Of the churches
has not been able to brush aside some
practices that have their roots deep
in paganism. 'ss :> zs ,3s
! Old Customs That Continue.
Probably after Halloween and
Christmas there is no festival Of the
year so girt about with long-estab-
lished customs as New Years day.
Among the best known of these are
the auguries drawn from what was
called the "Candlemas bull" In Scot
land and other northern countries the
term Candlemas, given to, this season
Of the year, is supposed to have had
IT'S origin ia religious ceremonies per-
formed by candle light. The candles
used were very large and highly orna-
mented and were brought in at the
midnight hour to the assembled guests,
who, since the falling Of dusk, had
been drinking freely of the wassail
bowl. Then, in procession, they
marched out into the night, and to
their imaginations the passing clouds
assumed the shape of a bull. From
the rise and fall and general motions
of these clouds the seer foretold good
or bad weather. Sometimes, too,
augurfes for the future were gathered
from the state Of the atmosphere on
New Years Eve, and also from the
force and character Of the wind. &
In the imagination of most primi-
tive peoples, especially. those Of the
North, who were forced to battle
against the elements Of nature for
life and sustenance. the ewes Of great
feasts were considered occasions
when the spirits Of good and evil were
In deadly conflict. The moment of
midnight on New Years Eve was al.
ways considered a time Of special ac-
s tiy1ty for the spirits of evil. In order
to overcome them holier and more
Z powerful influences had to be invoked.
The evil spirits, or genii, as can: be
gathered from the Icelandic and An
I glo-Saxon folklore, and even from
words in their dialect, could be over
come by an appeal to the good genii,
the hoghmen, or hillmen.
Probably imported from Italy was
I the superstition that Oh New Years
Eve the "evil eye" was all the more
malignant. Then, too, there was q
widespread practice Of the Setting Of
mete or drynke by nights on the
benche to fede Allholde or Goblyn.''
In some Of the dialogues Of the Ia
nous medieval morality play, Dives
/. and Pauper, we find mention OF this
and many other New Years customs
intended to counterfeit the activities
OF the forces OF evil..
Christmas Cheer Continued.
Perhaps what contrib ted most Is
this general fear OF sinister Influences
was the deep drinking among the peo-
pie, hich continued almost, uninter-
ruptedly from Christmas until New
4 Years day. Up to the Ninth century,
j except In the Syrian and Coptic
churches " New ears was not cele-
brated as g special feast day, but was
looked upon as merely the octave of
Chris tmas. Therefore the Christmas
cheer was continued !. throu ghout the
entire octave without abatement. III
f1ickered up for the last time On New
FEARS day. as IS clear from the one
] hundred and ninetys eighth sermon of
Augustine, bishop of sHippe
Ss "a England on New Years Eve the
Young women vent about carrying
the assail bow 8 and sim Ing from from
door to door certain verses tom
which had much IN common with the