NEW YEAR’S DAY

Evening Star, Issue 20062, 31 December 1928, Page 11

NEW YEAR’S DAY

[Hy A was j / lu earlier ages. a year only auggestud i. sonioVlmt vague and intangible period, .-for. rimswas more t‘oc»mdnly measured by gomjihuuuis cr suumVers. In history, reference constantly mm!:; to some eentral persona! ity such as a king, or tribal chieftain. So the matter of a "Uniform date of commencement (fill not enter neVioiisly upon tllo ’’people’s ” -t'kls. .Nuvadliys the-yearhavbecdm*) a most convenient and natural unit of cimo. hence its opening tiny is of exceptional interest. 9 ORIGIN OF OUR NEW YEAR’S DAY. According to the’ sacred rites and customs of the ancient ' Homans New Year was made' to begin with the month of March, as their year only contained t"” months, covering '.‘JO-1 days. Surviving traces of this commencement are discovered in tho names September, October, November, and December, which mean seventh, eighth, ninth, am] tenth months. July and August wore heretofore.' called Quintiles and Sextiles, being the fifth and sixth months, but these 'appellations wore displaced by our designations as a compliment to two great Roman dictators, Julius Ciesar and A istus. In tho legendary history of Home we find that Nmmi Pompilius, tiio second king of that country and successor of Honmlus,' added the two months of January and February, the former being placed at the beginning of the year,- and the latter at the close. Accordingly the (ifst day of January as the New Y T ear is traced to the time of Nmiia: but the 31st of December did tkft close tho year, as .this honour tell to tho last, dav in February.' However, in 452 B.c. the Decemvirs, a body of ten commissioners appointed to codify the law, changed the order of the months, and placed February after 'January.

1 OPPOSING DAYS. I Before the first of January could be accepted by the Greeks and Romans tlie supersession of two other prominent' historical! eras was indispensable. They were the Greek era of the Olympiads, which was reckoned according to the calendar of the Christian era as the first of July, 770 n.c., dating' from the occasion when Corcebns was victor,-and the Roman era beginning; with the foundation of the city of Rome (A.u.ci), which is given in the ahovbmentioned calendar as the twenty-second of April, '753 if.c - . The first of July and the twenty-second of April were rival dates. The' Greek date outlived the Roman, and maintained a footing even beyond the birth of Christ. Traces of it aro last, found in the fifth century, when mention is made of the first of July in connection with the 304th Olympiad. The twenty-second of April predominated over that of Numa (first'of January) until the reformation of the calendar by Julius Ciosar 1 in 46 n.c.. from which time in the Roman world our date of the Now Year was speedily accepted. The Romans," after 4(i n.c., definitely observed the first of January as a public holiday nfarking the beginning of the New Year. This day became associated with a period of festivity which began with the'end of December and lasted several days, and thus was interwoven with all civil, social, and domestic arrangements, manners and customs in the public and private life of tho, Romans. This was fife day on which the civil' year l ogaiif for'then the magistrates entered upon’ their sacred offices. Tt hecaio a time also for ordinary seasonal congratulations, and for exchange of presents. AYlien the fourth century was reached it was widely celebrated, lor Libanius, a Greek sophist of that century, speaks of this day as being flic one great holidav common to all the Roman rule. When Pone pregory xnr. corrected the calendar, which was made public in 1552, the first of January as an appropriate time tor opening tho New Year was'rigidly adhered to. SPREADING OVER EUROPE. After the Gregorian calendar was formulated tho first of January began to ho used by the remaining countries of Europe, in 1586 it was accepted by Poland, in 1587 by Hungary, in 1682 by Strasburg, in 1"U0 by the German Protestant countries, and hi 1749 or 1751 by Tuscany. France,’ too, had been won over, but in 1793 the Republicans abolished the Gregorian era and established a new ■'tie dating 'em the foundation' of the Republic, twentysecond of September, 1792 This, now system was abolished, however, n 1806 by tbe command of > Napoleon Bonaparte, and the use of tho Gregorian calendar resumed. IN THE BRITISH ISLES. Up till the year 1599 in Scotland New Year’s Day was held on the twenty-fifth of March, Annunciation Day, but in the subsequent year the first of January was substituted. England was not so progressive In taking this step. Between the sixth century and 11160 the" twenty-fifth of Oooorpber and the twenty-fifth cf ilar> were used;'then until 1156’ Easter was made the starting point, after ylrjnh the twenty-fifth of March again came into prominence, in 1535 an attempt was made to fix the first of Jannarv as New Year's Day, but the Bill which waa brought' before' Parliament was rejected on the second reading in tbe House of herds. In 1751 Lord Chesterfield, a man of great and varied ability, who had (il(ed many important political offices, _ just after_ hi* retirement from ministerial duties, reintroduced the Hill with L.« assistance _of Lord- Macclesfield. Much . opposition was aroused, and much tjiuiaiiy tnanifflsteil. Lord Newcastle informed 1 brd Chesterfield tbs' hf hated new fnpgiod things, and that be had better pot meddle with matters so long 'established. But., despite a strong pie-' judice, the reform was 'ivrie.l thrmgh. Thus after 151 years had el apsed England followed in the footsteps of Scotland; Th< first of January as New Year’s Day, which .capie ipfo being unenforced by the an I .' -rity and command of emperors, Itjrigs,' or councils', sp;n» destined to assert a universal predominance.' At present It is cd-«xle«i-siye_ jritJh. (Ttiristjanity and m the Christian religion become*, more universal in its scop's so will the first of ■ • ;fe l\ew Year’s Day become more ividely accepted.