THE COLUMBIAN, BLOOMSBURG, PA.
5c xcs;cuc cxohoko gj;cs, oxost oxjh j
S8
bO . OQ
jsocfOcrorci:cKCccisc;cxos:;ji
OOCXO C XO KCi ;Q XOXO XOXO XOXO
Ori'sin of i2cU) pear's
AMUEL JOHNSON In his
. v. foiwo
jr-- me ioiiowmg data:
The Druids began the year on
March 10, the Persians ami Phoeni
ciaiis at the autumnal equinox, the
ancient Mexicans on February 23.
The Egyptians reckoned the begin
ning of the year fiom the fust of
Toth ( March-April ) ; but since the
Egyptian year was 3G5 clays, while
the tropical year consists of ."?(.", 242
days, the Egyptian ye:;r constantly
lost, and its mt'mhis shifted, so that
In about 1,.'07 tropical years New
Vear's Day had run through all the
lays of the true year back to tho
starting; point. Thus in 4 li. C. tho
ilrsi of Toth. or New Year's l)ay. was
on August 20. The Greeks of the
lme of Solon bepan the year nt the
winter sol.-tice, December 21, but in
the time of 1'ericles, In 4 32 B. C,
:hey changed the date to Juno 21.
The Romni:s began the year first in
March and later on January 1. The
Jews began and still begin their civil
year -with the flrt of the month of
Tisrl, which roughly corresponds to
ur September. Tho Hindoos begin
:.he year with the entrance of the
ud Into the Hindoo sign Aswin, now
April 11. Tho Chinese reckon the
year from the first moon after the
un enters Aquarius, which happens
lot earlier than January 21 and no
liter than Februrry 10. The pres
et year 131C of the Mahometans
"jegan on May 22, 1S0S. In England
Jeeember 25 was New- Year's Day
mtll the time of William the Con
queror. His coronation happened to
iccur on January 1, hence the year
as ordered to begin on that day.
:ut England gra dually Ml into
;n!son with the rest of Chri:ondom,
nd began the year with :rch 25.
'he Gregorian calendar 1: 15S2 re
tored January 1 as the :tcway of
ae year. Catholic m i:Lris accept-
the change Inirr ;:.tely, but Pro-
A New Year's Call.
3tant countries were recalcitrant,
id it was not until 17D2 that Eng
d asqulebced. The custom of
lebrating the first day of the new
ar la of very ancient origin, and
ipears to have prevailed generally
long the nations of. antiquity.
nluu Marcellus refers the origin of
jw Year's gifts among tho Romans
Titus Tatins, King of the Sabines,
to, having considered as a good
en a present of some branches cut
a wood consecrated to Strenia, tho
iddess of Strength, which he re
ived on the first day of the new
; ar, authorized tho custom after
.rd and gave these gifts the name
Strene, 747 B. C.
Pliny and other Latin authors tdl
that tho Romans celebrated New
ar'a Day with feasting and mas
srading, visiting friends and imcr
inglng presonts. When Christian
replaced paganism it prescribed
irythlng that could recall the uu
nt cultus, and In opposition
tnged the former day of feasting
J rejoicing into onn of fasting and
urnlng. Hy degreea, however,
Church, In the eighth century,
; rogated the ,ast, and the earlier
1 more congenial jovial customs
r gradually resumed. Among the
er nations of nntiqulty the social
iervanee of the first day of the
ir appears to have been in sub
nc the same as among the Ro
ns. The Persians celebrated It
' exchanging presents of eggs and
sivlng offenders. The Druids per
med on that day the famous cere
ny of cutting the mistletoe,
nches of which they distributed
mg the ancient Britons. Among
.i Saxons of the northern nations
m Mm
XOX( oo
the new year was ushered In by
friendly gifts. The Mexicans, ac
cording to Humboldt, on the first
day of the year carefully adorned
their temples and houses, and cm
ployed themselves In various rellgl
ous ceremonies, one of these consist
ing in offering up to the gods a hu
man sacrifice. Among the Jews New
Year's Day w as, and la still, observed
w ith prayers, the distribution of alms
among the poor and other acts of
charity. On that day all hatred
should be blotted out of the heart, all
offences forgiven and restitution
made to whomsoever any injury was
done. Enemies get reconciled, all
wishing each other, "May you be
written down for a happy New
Year!" to which it is replied, "And
you, likewise!" This wish or prayer
arises from the fact that the Jews
believe that the feast of the New
Year is the annual day of Judgment
on which the deeds of man are
weighed, and the destinies of every
individual and every nation are fixed
for the ensuing year. Hence the
name of Day of Judment given to this
day.
It Is a remarkable fact that all the
ancient astronomers of tho different
nations have given the figure of nn
aged man of stern aspect, holding a
pair of scales in his right ar.d an
open book in his left hand, as the
sign of the zodiac of this mouth,
thus expressing the religious idea
of this festival. The Hindoos cull
the first day of the year Prajapatya
(the day of tho Lord of Creation),
and celebrate It with illumination
and great rejoicing.
Among the Chinese the celebration
of the beginning of tho new year
sometimes last for a fortnight. On
thU occasion all classes, including
the Emperor, mingle together in free
and unrestrained Intercourse; visits
are exchanged, cards and presents
sent, and people meeting in the street
salute each other by crying, "Kung
hi! Kung-hl!" ("I humbly wish you
Joy") or "Sin-hl! Sln-hl!" ("May
Joy be yours." In Japan there is
a holiday during the entire week of
the New Year's Day, which is now
January 1. The Japanese of the old
school avoid pronouncing on this day
the syllable "shl," the root of the
w ord of death. This would be a bad
omen, and as this syllable enters in
to an Infinite number of words the
avoidance involves, of course, inter
minable periphrases. Inferiors bring
little presents to their superiors, con
sisting chiefly of oranges and eggs,
while the masters respond to their
presents by pecuniary generosity.
Everywhere, indoors and outdoors,
reigns an air of festivity and good
humor. In meeting they bow, plac
ing their hands on their knees, and
exchange the consecrated word
"Omedetto." In Japan as well as
In China it is also the universal rule
that all debts must be paid and ac
counts settled with the ending of the
old year. As to the European coun
tries, there is noue in which New
Year's Day Is not socially observed.
It is in France and the Latin coun
tries what Christmas is in England
and America, the day for giving and
receiving presents. In some coun
tries, especially In Scotland and Ger
many, the new year is ushered u
midnight of December 31 amid all
kinds of merrymaking tout comme
chez nous. In closing we avail our
selves of the opportunity to wish our
reader;; a happy New Year in some
of the Dabel languages spoken In our
great country: Prosit NeuJahr!
(German); Glaedllgt Nytaar! (Nor
wegian); Gelukkig Nleuwjaar! (Hol
land); Nuao Bhllaghnm Hona Ahult!
(Irish); Heureuse Anee! (French);
Feliz Ano Neuvo! (Spanish); Felice
Anno Nuovo! (Italian); Sas Efk
home Polla To Nao Etos! (Modern
Greek); lioldog fyevet Kivaiu.eU!
(Hungarian); Szczesllwy Nowy Rok!
(Polish); Stachasllvoul Novoul God!
(Russian); Omedetto! (Japanese);
Kung-hl! (Chinese); Lelablk Mulik
Yd! (Volapuk); Godt Nytar! (Swed
ish), etc.
CALL'NOT "THE,
PJ, I -X F.-i: i-I H AD
ssssa sssssa
1V S. X. THOMI'vJON
Call not the Old Year dead! For his
estato
Of power and profit, and of work
was great.
About his bier all reverently tread;
"Ills works do follow him," he Is
not dead.
Call not tho Old Year dead: For
purposeful
His long days were. He breathed
the beautiful
Of thought. and voice -,vhere thought
and voice were not,
And fashioned roses for our common
lot.
Call not the Old Year dead! No
specter he,
Bet with the New la king of destiny.
Enraptured, his the earth whereon
bo trod,
He slumbers only In the dawn of
God.
GOOD RESOLUTION.
One of the best of pood resolutions solemn fillet" ho sees, too late, "tho
1 not to make too many of them. It scorn."
is a common experience to find the 'VYhat Emerson has said In this
breaking of ono resolve perhaps the poem much better than any descrlp-
bardest of all to keep followed by Hon of it can Indicate Mr. W. E.
snapping here and there until the H. Lerky has suggested in prose:
duiiii, weakened time and again by "With some, time Is mere duration,
the loss of a poor link, becomes a a blank, featureless thing, gliding
disjointed, worthless thing. Even a swiftly and Insensibly by. With
single strong link between one's In- others every day, and almost every
tenttons and performances is a bet- hour, seems to have Its distinctive
ter and Bafer reliance. stamp and character, for good or 111,
What shall this one link be? Sure- In work or pleasure."
ly a different thing according to dlf- If. then, one Is confused by the
fering personal needs. There Is a multitude of possible good resolu
par.ible, however, in one of Emer- Hons, Is It not the part of wisdom to
son s shortest and most memorable seize upon this one thing for the new
poems, "Days," to which at tho sea- year: to make tho most of every op
son of good resolutions every one portunlty, to practcle what Mr. Lecky
may well give heed. The poem tells calls "the art of wisely using tho
of a man In his garden, to whom the spare five minutes, the casual vacan
cies come one by one, offering gifts cles or Intervals of life?" This Is a
of varying value tarnslent and per- resolution which Is not lost in the
manent. Tho man as most men breaking. It Is for daily renewal,
will chooses the transient. And with constantly Increasing power to
then as tho day departs, "under her turn It into act.
FINIS.
NEW YEAR'S A DAY
January 1 as the beginning of the
new year Is a purely arbitrary date,
and was fixed In 1503 by Charles IX.,
who adopted the Julian calendar. In
those times and long after many peo
ple followed the old Roman custom
of beginning tho year on March 1.
For a long period of time the begin
ning of the year was fixed at the An
nunciation, March 25. The people of
Pisa followed this practice as late as
1715.
In still another period Christmas
was New Y'ear's Day and In another
Easter was so regarded.
The most scientific date for the
beginning of the new year would be
one of the equinoxes or one of the
solstices.
WATCHING THE
A GOOD RIDDANCE.
When the New Year in at
the front door peeps,
And out at the back door
the Old Year creeps
I hope ho will carry away
on his back
A load as big as a ped
ler's puck;
And we'll stow away In
his baggago then
Some things that we nev
er shall want again.
We will put in the putk
ery little pout
That drives all tho
that up and down
And the erensy scowls
merry dimples out,
Fold nice little foreheads right into
a frown;
And the little quarrels that spoil the
plays,
OF MANY DATES.
The Roniati New Year,( falling on
March 1, explains the names of the
months, September, October, Novem
ber and December, meaning seventh,
eighth, ninth and ten months. July
was named in honor of Julius Caesar.
August was named after the Emper
or Augustus.
The year 1909, according to our
culendar. will bear the dates 56C9
and 5G70 of the Jewish era. The lat
ter year commences at sunset on
Sept. 4. The Chinese New Year will
begin in February, and as the Chin
ese time their eras by the reigns
of their Emperors their next year
will be culled the twenty-flfth of
the reign of Kuang Hsu.
OLD YEAR OUT.
And the little grumbles on rainy
days,
And the bent-up pins, and the teasing
Jokes
That never seem funny to other
folks;
And the stones that are tossed be
sure of that
At robin redbreast and pussy cat.
And we'll throw in tho bag some
cross llttlo "don't?."
And most of the "can'ts" and all of
the "won'ts,"
And the grumpy words that should
not be said
When mamma calls, "It Is tlrr.e for
bed."
If we get ull these In the Old Year's
pack.
And shut It so tight that hey won't
corro back,
To-morow morning we'll surely see
A Happy New Year fur you aud i:m.
CAKES TOR NEW YCAK'3.
Rome fSood, Old Viisliloneil I'.ec lnc
Thiit WiM Deli,-lit the
H.xv.ckecpcr.
Thi i'":':li r New Year's cookies of
Dutch ( : vl-.Idt are cl!s-j laye.J
w ith caraway cot 'fits and ia:idl"d
fruit, have lil.Tcrent Ingredients from
the loaves of cake which ev-ty
housewife use i to make for New
Year's Day. It wes the custom for
a provident, houft keeper to prepare
fruit, pound, fllver or delicate cake,
and sonu times a loaf cf golden
sponge. Every one was rich, requir
ing an abundance of eggs at a season
when eggs were more expensive
The Christmas fruit cake, which
was served at New Year's, was al
ways made by the familiar rule giv
en recently in these columns. The
rake was usually made at least a
month beforo It was needed, a suffi
cient supply to last all winter being
prepared In the fall.
Pound cake Is as rich as fruit cake,
but, as there is no fruit In It, less
butter must be used In proportion
to the sugar than In fruit rake. Tho
pound rake of to-day Is made dif
ferently from the oldtlmc rule. No
ono now makes "pound for pounV
For a modern pound cake weigh out
twelve ounces of butter, fourteen
ounces of flour, dried and sifted be
fore It Is weighed, and sixteen
ounces of granulated sugar, and take
out eight good sized eggs. To this
rule add two large pinches of pow
dered mace or half a grated nutmeg
and the grated rind and Juice of one
Messina lemon. Sometimes In mak
ing this cake the flour and butter
are beaten together first. Some of
the best pound cake makers do not
do this now but beat the butter to a
cream first and add the sugar, beat
ing the mixture until It is a perfect
cream. They then add the yolks of
the eggs, straining them in through
a gravy strainer, which beats them
enough to mix In well. After this
the flour Is warmed a llttlo, in win
ter, and sifted at least three times,
and the mace or nutmeg lemon peel
are added the last time It Is sifted.
The Juice of the lemon is also stirred
In after the flour has been thorough
ly blended. When the two pans nec
essary for this rule are buttered the
whites of the eggs beaten as stiffly as
possible with a whip are folded in
quickly so as not to break down the
whites. Do tills as hastily as possi
ble and then put the cake in the
oven at once. The oven must i.ot be
heated too hot at first. It Is a good
plan, if the fire is at all brisk, to
open the oven door and cool oft th
oven a little before putting In the
cake. This will allow the proper de
gree of heat to let the cake rise slow
ly, so that it will not begin to brown
before it Is fully risen. ThU cako
should be baked from an hour and a
quarter to an hour and a half. Try
the loaves by listening to the cake.
When it stops "singing" it is done.
liV UUNBADy
.
If tho Old Year bide,
Where shall New Year stay?
Open every portal wide,
Let tho Old Year pass away.
With sad Yesterday,
Gloom, and all their kin,
Worry, Anger, dull Dismay.
Let our braver New Year In!
Where grim shadows hide,
Flash a sun-strong ray.
From a dwelling purified
Let the old Year pass away.
Plead not for delay;
Wake from "What has been."
Resolute, and blithe, and gay, '
Let our braver New Year in!
Fling Despair ardde;
Banish Doubt for aye.
With fair memories glorified
Let the Old Year pass away.
Sorrow for him? Nay!
Tourneys new begin.
Bringing armor for the fray,
Let ur braver New Year In!
ENVOY.
Look you forward! Fading, gray,
Let the Old Year pas away.
Life's ahead with all to win!
Let our braver New Year in!
A Tragic Culendar.
Janet was Quite 111 one day,
Febrile troubles came her way.
Martyr-like she lay In bed,
Aproned nurses softly sped.
"Maybe," said the leech, Judicial,
"Junket would be beneficial."
Juleps, too, though freely tried,
AiiRured ill, for Janet died.
Sepulcher was sadlv m&dA
Oc taves pealed and prayers were said.
novices with many a tear
Decorated Janet's bier.
Carolye. Wlli.
Mom?
YF A ft Mo&,L?-&'
God Is so good to us! When no
have soiled and torn
With greedy grasp and blood of hu
man life.
And blurred und blackened with In-
human strife
The pure white Year He gave m
yestcrmorn
He Is so good to us who would not
prove
The world's redemption by tl.s
strength of Love;
He gently lays the Record-Book
aside,
Close shut and sealed and hallowed
with a tear;
Yet hath such pity for the souls of
men
He freely gives another pure white
Year,
Riinews tho whole sweet world
where mortals bide.
And fills our hearts with zeal to trt
again!
NEW YEAR'S GAMES.
New Year's Eve Is called a night
for games. Here Is ono which will
at least keep people wide awake. It
!s called a New Year's Greeting, and
Is on the plan of the cobweb party.
The fun starts in the parlor, whre,
attached to a convenient chair, ar
a number of ends of gay colored
1 twine, as many as there are people,
arranged In a festoon. Each end is
i the beginning of a ball of the same
I color which is hidden somewhere In
I the bouse. Each person selects a
! 5trir.g which ho must follow, wind
, ing up as he goes, to keep free from
! tangles. If these balls are cleverly
put away, the whole house may be
I turned Into a hunting ground filled
I with a Jolly throng of hunters, but
I the guiding cords must be rarefnlly
' handled, or else they will snap, and
! the clew be lost. At tho end of the
I r.earch each person finds the remain
j der of the ball In some unexpected
place wrapped carefully up with a
' funny bit of advice to the finder. The
one who winds his ball most neatly
and quickly rhould have a prize. Tho
bits of advice may bo anything, such
as:
Don't look a gift horse In the
ir.outh.
Children should be seen and not
heard.
A Mitch in time saves ninety-nine.
Never trouble trouble till trouble
troubles you.
Xtitt to Crack.
Some one must crack a quantity
of English walnuts neatly, so that
each half Is perfect, aud the meat
in halves or whole pieces can be tak-
! en out. Then on slips of paper
I write out numerous puzzling ques
tions in rhyme if It is possible
and tuck them away each in two
j of the empty half shells, which can
; be tied together with tiny colored
I ribbons. Each olaver receives a toy
hammer, so when the nuts, or at
least tho filled nutshells, aro passed
around they can bo easily smashed.
A plate, containing the good part of
the nuts all wrapped up as bonbons,
is then handed around and each play
er takes one. An answer to one
question Is wrapped around each nut,
and each player theu reads in turn
his question aud the answer. The
auswer will probably be most ridicu
lous when read to the question. A
vote should decide the best, und
prize bo given to tho holder.
First Thing iu Order.
Castloton Jim, is this, Indeed,
you? You have kept, then, to the
promise made when we parted tea
years ugo that we would meet on
J2
the corner Jan. 1, 1909. Shake, old
man! Now that we have met, what
shall we do?
Jim I've a great scheme. If
you'll lend me five dollars, I'll bor
row It.
5-