3. Literature. — Mishna, Rosh IJa-Shana ; and the Gemara on that Tractate ; the Siphra on Lev. xxiii, 23- 25 ; Numb, xxix, 1 ; Abrabanel, Commentary on Exod. xii, 1 sq. ; Lev. xxiii, 23-25 ; Numb, xxix, 1 ; the Jewish Ritual entitled Derech Ha-Chajim (Vienna, 1859), p. 258 sq. ; the Machsor for Rosh lla-Shana ; Meyer, De Temporibus Saciis et Festis Diehus Ilebraorum (1755), p. 300 sq. — Kitto. See Trumpets, Feast of.
NEW YEAR, Festival of the. The custom of celebrating the first day of the year by some religious observance, generally accompanied by festive rejoicing, is of very ancient origin, and appears to have prevailed generally among the nations of antitpiity. The Jews, the Egyptians, Persians, Hindus, Chinese, Romans, and the Mohammedans, although differing as to the time from which they reckoned the beginning of the year, all regarded it as a day of special interest. For the Jewish usages, see the preceding article.
The old Roman year began in March, and on the first day of that month the festival A ncylia was cele- brated, when the salii or priests of Mars carried the sacred shield in procession through the city, and the people spent the day in feasting and rejoicing. The Romans counted it hickj' to begin any new enterprise or to enter upon any new office on new-year's day. The same sacredness was attached to the first day of the year after the change took place in the Roman calendar that made January tlie commencing month instead of March ; and Plinj' tells «s that on the first of January people wished each other health and prosperity, and sent presents to each other. It was accounted a pub- lic holiday, and games were celebrated in the Campus Jlartius. The people gave themselves up to riotous excess, and various kinds of heathen superstition. The first Christian emperors kept up the custom, though it tolerated and afforded the opportunity for idolatrous rites. The Church, however, saw itself finally obliged to condemn these, and prohibited Christians from join- ing in the social celebration, and ended by making it a religious festival. " It was only," remarks Neander, " to oppose a counter-influence to the pagan celebration that Christian assemblies were finally held on the first day of January, and they were designed to protect Christians against the contagious influence of pagan debauchery and superstition. Thus when Augustine had assembled his Church on one of these occasions, he first caused to be siuig the words, ' Save us, O Lord our God, and gather ns from among the heathen' (Psa. cvi, 47) ; and hence he took occasion to remind his flock of
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their duty, especially on this day, to show that as they had in truth been gathered from among the heathen to exhibit in their life the contrast between the Christian and the heathen temper, to substitute alms for new-year's gifts (the strenre), editication from Scripture for merrj' songs, and fast for riotous feasting. This principle was gradually adopted in the practice of the Western Church, and three days of penitence and fasting were opposed to the pagan celebration of January, until, the time being designated, the festival of Christ's circumcision was transferred to this season (the first day of Januarj' be- ing the eighth day after the nativity), when a Jewish rite was opposed to the pagan observances, and its ref- erence to the circumcision of the heart by repentance to heathen revelr}'" {Ch. Hist, ii, 314,315). This occurred as early as A.D. 487. In Herrick's Noble NumbeTS are three songs, with choruses, for this day, illustrating the religious ceremony, and drawing a consolatiou there- from:
" Come, thon, and gently touch the birth Of him who's Lord of heaven and earth, And sol'tly handle him: y'ad need, Because the pretty babe do's bleed. Poore pittied child ! who from thy stall Bring'st in thy blood a balm that shall Be the best New- Year's gift to all."
In the 6th century it became a solemn festival, the Coinicil of Tours in 566 ordaining that " the chant of litanies should on the first of Jaiuiary be opposed to the superstitions of the pagans," and that the Eucharist, or Mass of the Circumcision, be celebrated. By the prim- itive Christians the day was held as a fast, in opposi- tion to the Roman — then pagan — custom of feasting, dancing, and gift-making. In the time of Numa the day was dedicated to Janus, the double-faced deity, who faced the future while he looked back npon the past. The Romans offered him a cake of sifted meal, with incense, salt, and wine. They also did something in the way of their art or calling to begin the j'ear in- dustriously, that they might have good-ibrtuue through it. B}' degrees, however, as the Christian faith and strength increased, and the necessity for the distinction grew less important, the Church, in the 8th century, abrogated the fast, and the earlier and more congenial jovial customs were gradually resumed, and have con- tinued in one good form or another to the present. (Regarding the observance of new-year's by the Chris- tian Church, see, especially, Alt, Der christUche Cult us, pt. ii, p. 46; Augusti, Dmhwurdiijheiteti der christl. Kirche, i, 311 sq.).
The Hindus call the first daj' of the year Prajapafya, the day of the Lord of creation. It is sacred to Ganesa, the god of wisdom, to whom they sacrifice male kids and wild deer, and celebrate the festival with illumina- tions and general rejoicings. Among the mountain tribes it is customary to sacrifice a buffalo every new- year's day, in the presence of a nudtitude assembled to witness the solemn ceremony.