Old World New Year Gifts Traditions And Their Meanings
The piece traces New Year gift customs from antiquity through ancient Rome and Egypt to modern greeting cards. It notes propitiation of gods and rulers, Papal abolition in 458, and the origin of greeting cards in China, framing gifts as both ritual and social practice.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Asia
Christ
Tacitus
Suetonius
Julius Ceasar
Notorius Calicula
Italy
Leo the Great
Basil Cakes and New Year Feasts Around Europe
The article describes New Year meals in Sweden Switzerland Austria Hungary and Greece. Swedes begin with appetizers then natfish in cream sauce boiled potatoes ham and rice pudding. Greek women bake Basil Cakes on St Basil day and dress in fine jewelry.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Switzerland
The Mummers Were Outlawed
From early times in the British isles bands of mummers masqueraders guisers roamed from hall to hall singing and dancing or performing rude plays. The plays featured figures such as St George the Dragon Hector and Alexander the Great.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
British Isles
St. George, the
Dragon
Hector
Latexander the Great
New Year Holiday Traditions Across Cultures and History
The passage surveys New Year observances from ancient to modern times, noting legal holiday status in U S states and territories, varied calendars, and customs. It highlights early rituals of celebration, reconciliation, and religious rites, emphasizing the enduring symbolism of life’s renewal with the year.
Mummers and New Year Customs Through Early English History
The text notes 14th century mummers before Richard son of the Black Prince and Henry II at Eltham with twelve aldermen and their sons. Henry VII issued a proclamation against mummery, jailing offenders for three months as crimes rose during the season. It also mentions the Chatham Islands as first to welcome each New Year in New Zealand.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Richard
Black Prince
Henry II
Eltham
Henry VII
Chatham Islands
New Ealand
Old Superstitions and Historic Cables in One Page
The article recalls an old superstition of randomly dipping into the Bible to forecast future events. It also notes the January 1 1903 Pacific cable milestone with the Silverton laying 2600 miles from San Francisco to Honolulu. Additionally it mentions Bannocks in Ireland baked for New Year’s with sweetened ale and spirits, shared at midnight in County Antrim.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Pacific
Silverton
Honolulu
San Francisco
Ireland
County Antrim
Resolutions And Keeping Them Amid New Year Reflections
The piece discusses American New Year resolutions and the challenge of keeping them. It cites Alfred Tennyson and his idea that people may rise above their past selves, suggesting a poetic encouragement to pursue personal improvement.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Alfred Tennyson
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