The Raymer enterprise., 1922-12-28
Relic Of
Saxon
Days

%. ls22. w.ss.A Newspaper unloa.y
THE New, Year begins precisely at
= midnight, and almost everyone now
adays sees the New'Year In by general
festivities and many good resolutions,
which arc promptly forgotten on jan
uary 2.
The festivities marking this occasion,
says Hereward Darlington, scientist
and author, arel very ancient, and In
old Saxon daysrit was the custom to
partake Of bowl of splced ale. which
was passed, around with the expression
"Wasshaeb" which meant 80 your
healthw. Hence the origin of the Was
sail, or rjfWassel bowl.
Wefnow keep New Yearfon January
the FIRST; but the Chinese, Jews, Turks
and many others do not observe 1t on
this day. Even Christian countries have
not always so observed It; the Romans
began the year with the March
equinox. The later Teutonic nations
for . long time continued counting the
beginning Of the year from March %.
1t was, only in 1853. by an edict Of
Charles TX, that, France changed the
time Of the beginning of the year to
January !. In 1900 Scotland made
the same charge, and, England only
did so In 1852 when the Gregorian
system was adopted there. 1t will
thus be seen that the New Year, OBJ
served on January 1. Is relatively new,
though we are accustomed TO think
that It dates back from time ih-
memorial.
IT. was julius Caesar in the year
48'B. c.. who fast reformed the calen-
dar-aidedi by the Egyptian astronomer
Sosigenes.. He'msuie 1t few minutes
too long. and a second correction was
necessary. Pope; Gregory made Ger.
tain changes In 1852, A. D., md ad-
ditional minor changes were made later
on, from ths "old style" to the new
yle"Icslsndar." We now employ the
After the French revolution France
decided ito set up an entirely new or
der Of Things. A new calendar was
made, The Christian era was wiped
out, and was replaced by the new
French era. beginning September 90,
1872. Instead Of our week of seven
days, a week Of ten days was estab-
lished--in accordance wirh the decimal
systeu--the tenth day being set aside
for rest.
Instead Of the mythological names
Of the months, others deduced from
the prevailing seasons Of the year were
substituted.
Everything was to be based upon
reason! The Notre Dame was con.
verted into Temple Of Reason"
Nine. Momero, the young andjbeautiful
wife Of a Jacobin printer. was chosen
to represent Reason" And so II
went.
The months were chosen and given
French names which were thought to
be characteristic IT them. Thus
autumn mad vintage month, foggy
month and sleety month. Winter,
a snowy month. a rainy month and
n windy month. Spring, a budding
month, ajflowery month and a pasture
month. hummer, a harvest month. Il
hot month and a fruit month.
Zach month began somewhere be-
tween kthe 18th and the 22nd-accord-
ing tolour reckoning. Thus the first
month of the autumn trio began on
September %, and lasted until oc.
tober q. etc.
With the restoration Of table
government In France, this calendar
was repealed, and the usual one sub
stittued. But for time, as we have
seen. NEW Year day did not begin on
January l, In France, so late as the
last century, and 1t does not begin
on that, date in non.C Christian coun-
iries even today!