The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1925-01-01
TIE HOMENAKERS
1 CORNER



holiday? The custom dates back &
the very dawn Of civilization, fos
nearly all peoples of the earth have
celebrated the coming of a new year
The time, however, has varied widely
sometimes being the autumnal equ--
nox, about September 81. and some
times as late as Midsummer's Day
June %.
A trip around the world, if we could
arrive in each comftry un New Xear's
Day, would reveal an astonishing dit
ference in customs In China you
would think all tine national holidays
were rolled into one, for the shops
are closed for several days, and there
are merry feasts. much fireworks, and
general exchange of gifts and good
wishes. A practice that might well be
transplanted from China La the custom
of paying every debt before the old
year closes, every house must be
swept, cleaned and decorated, land
every person be fnrnished with iholi-
day clothes and supply of preserves
fruits, candies, and ornamental pack
ages of tea to give his acquaintance
In Japan the New Year festival il
even gayer. No matter how poor one
is, shining new clnthes must be pro
vided, and three days are taken OF
from work to visit friends or enter
tain them at his home. Every gate
post is adorned with dark green pines
and feathery Light green bamhoos
while over the doors hang bright rec
Holsters and crahs, and scarlet fruits
something like cur ~tangerines, which
symbolic long LIE and happiness.
Elsewhere in the Orient, too, sfhe
New Years coming .isccelebratedwith
festivals much hike nnr NChristnas.. In
some parts of Europe, especially in
France and Scotland, the New Year is
more important q holiday than Christ
mas. A French PEASANT child puts its
sabot wooden shoe) >on the hearth fol
a gift at Christmas, but the grown
folks exchange their gifts at New
Years, when there are family parties
with much merrynaking and general
exchange of visits
Nowhere else is tine Scotch haarti-
.o1.L~cx ,rxa ~ NJ -xxr Vx.~vxsx cx,,.
passed. There is m old tradition that.
if enc is first foot" ina house after
the new year coues in, one will be
lucky the whole yesr through This
brings throngs of reael4ss ant into. the
streets at midnight~ all llodkipg tar ID
chance to put foot over lsan<hady's
door sill after the caenk STRIKES twelve
before anyone else hrs done so. Each
has his box of cakes .nxd his s4piend
ale, for to insure his host IA lbountenus
year he must not enter HmRty handed
There are special karai cezsAtonss in
some cities. Petrogr1d, Russia, used
to usher in the year with a ,cansannade |
Of hundred shots at mliiniHht. Some |
of the Scandinavian cities also vel
come New Years Day with firearms
while Yuletide celebration continue
for twelve days after Christina
Twelfth Night, as in IaaiH.
In America observanceE saxe xarie
because Of the great variety nf pes
plies making up the new wnflh, a
bringing over some of their aM ih0m
wsys Each city and raaral distric
hssijts watch night" services in tn |
>h1sshes, it's dancing and theatre
parties, often its gay street. rnx6lnFs.
Newly ears Day is time fsr NanAral
entertaining and visiting But the
,roQ,io4N custom Of keeping spnn lhnnse |
an tthat<siay has practically Disappear
"a, and fxaw keep up the New Years
salle .frpm house to house. A reviv-
of the .spiced punch bowl and attGn-
dant eakes might bring them haGk.
In the atiddle ages March rs wa
~ susaal diate for the beginninG -
me nAw year In Christian coustsiAE
~ + WAS .ksxt in England till l75l
i ns>natries Which still uae the Ju1asa
esaen4ar the Nv Years Day ccEs<
- 1AanMry l8 81 our Georgian calen
1as. Fhe bewiAh New Year. which
opens with Tiahri Nsnr September) X
called sths feast 81 the trumphets |
and lasts ~ hours.