my

lemnizing it. If then I send a New-Year's Gift to my Friend, it shall be a Token of Friendship; if to my Benefactor, a Token of my Gratitude; if to the Poor, (which at this Time must never be forgot) it shall be to make their Hearts sing for Joy, and give Praise and Adoration to the Giver of all good Gifts.

Another old Custom at this Time, is the wishing of a good New-Year, either when a New-Year's Gift is presented, or when Friends meet, or when a New-Year's Song is sung at the Door; the Burden of which is, we wish you a happy New-Year.

This is also a Custom among the Modern Jews, who on the first Day of the Month* Tisri, have a splended † Entertainment, and `wish each other a happy New-Year.

Now the Original of this Custom is Heathenish, as appears by the Feasting and Pre

*" The Month Tisri, was the seventh Month according to the "Jews sacred Computation, and therefore it is commanded to be "celebrated the first Day of the seventh Month, Lev. xxiii. 24. "But according to their civil Computation, it was their first “Month; so that Feast may be termed their New-Year's Day.” Goodw. Antiq. Lib. 3. Cap. 7.

Reperiunt mensam dulcissimis cibis instructam: Ei cum assederint, quivis partem de cibis illis sumit, & annus, inquit, bonus dulcis sit nobis omnibus. Hosp. de Fest. Orig. P. 54.

sents before mentioned, which were a wish for a good Year. And it was customary among the Heathens on the Calends of January, to go about and sing a New-Year's Song. Hospinian therefore tells us, That * when Night comes on, not only the Young, but also the Old of both Sexes, run about here and there, and sing a Song at the Doors of the wealthier People, in which they wish them a happy New-Year. This he speaks indeed of the Christians, but he calls it an exact Copy of the Heathens Custom.

But however I cannot see the Harm of retaining this ancient Ceremony, so it be not used superstitiously, nor attended with Obscenity and Lewdness. For then there will be no more in it, than an hearty Wish for each others Welfare and Prosperity; no more Harm, than wishing a good Day, or good Night; than in bidding one GOD speed; or than in wishing to our Friend, what Abraham's Servant did to himself, O † LORD

* Discurrunt namque noctu, tam senes quam juvenes promiscui sexus, cantantes præ foribus divitum, quibus fælicem annum cantando precantur & optant. Hospin. de Orig. Fest.

Jan.

+ Gen. xxiv. 12,

P 2

GOD

GOD of my Master Abraham, I pray thee send me a good speed this Day.

There is another Custom observed at this Time, which is called among us Mumming; which is a changing of Clothes between Men and Women; who when dress'd in each others Habits, go from one Neighbour's House to another, and partake of their Christmas Cheer, and make merry with them in Disguise, by dancing and singing, and such like Merri

ments.

This is an Imitation of the Customs of· the Sigillaria, or Festival Days which were added to the ancient + Saturnalia, and observ

ed

*Hoc prorsus fit ad imitationem ludorum sigillarium, oscillarium & occillatorum, qui pars erat saturnaliorum, & circa mensem Januarium passim in domibus privatim, non publice, exercebantur inter familias. Hosp. de Orig, &c.

66

"↑ The Original of the Saturnalia as to the Time, is un« known, Macrobius assuring us, That it was celebrated in Italy "long before the building of Rome. The Story of Saturn, in "whose Honour it was kept, every Body is acquainted with. As "to the Manner of the Solemnity, besides the Sacrifices and other "Parts of publick Worship, there were several lesser Observations "worth our Notice. As first the Liberty now allowed to Servants "to be free and merry with their Masters, so often alluded to in "Authors. 'Tis probable this was done in Memory of the Li

berty enjoy'd in the Golden Age, under Saturn, before the "Names of Servant and Master were known to the World.

Be

sides

ed by the Heathens in January; which was a going in Disguise, not publicly, or to any indifferent Place; but privately, and to somę well known Families.

This kind of Custom received a deserved Blow from the Church, and was taken Notice of in the Synod * of Trullus; where it was decreed, that the Days called the Calends, should be intirely strip'd of their Ceremonies, and the Faithful should no longer observe them: That the public Dancings of Women should cease, as being the Occasion of much Harm and Ruin, and as being invented and observed in honour of their Gods, and therefore quite averse to the Christian Life. They therefore decreed, that no Man should be cloathed with a Woman's Garment, no Woman with a Man's.

It were to be wish'd, this Custom, which is still so common among us at this Season of

"sides this they sent Presents to one another, among Friends. No "War was to be proclaim'd, and no Offender executed. The "Schools kept a Vacation, and nothing but Mirth and Freedom “was to be met with in the City. They kept at first only one Day, “the Fourteenth of the Kalends of January: but the Number was afterwards increas'd to three, four, five, and some say seven "Days." Kennet. Rom. Antiq. P. 96.

66

* Can. Trull. 62. Bal. 435.

P 3

the

the Year, was laid aside; as it is the Occasion of much Uncleanness and Debauchery, and directly opposite to the Word of GOD. The + Woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a Man put on a Woman's Garment; for all that do so, are Abomination unto the LORD thy GOD.

*Hoc autem, quum noctu fiat, nemini dubium esse debet, quin sub hoc prætextu, multa obscæna & turpia perpetrantur simul. Hosp. de Orig. Fest. 41.

† Deut. xxii.

OBSERVATIONS ON CHAP. XVI.

Turba frequens Jani fundit pia vota Kalendis
Ut novus exacto faustior Annus eat.

BUCHANAN.

In the antient Saturnalia*, there were frequent and luxurious Feastings amongst Friends; presents were sent mutually, and Changes of Dress made. Christians have adopted the same Customs,

* Ut olim in Saturnalibus frequentes, luxuriosæque cœnationes inter Amicos fiebant, munera ultro citroque missitabantur, Vestium mutationes fiebant, ita hodie etiam apud nos Christianos eadem fieri videmus à Natalibus Dominicis usque ad Festum Epiphaniæ, quod in Januario celebratur: Hoc enim tempore omni et crebro convivamur et Strenas, hoc est, ut nos vocamus, Novi anni Donaria missitamus. Eodem tempore mutationes vestium, ut apud Romanos quondam, usurpantur, vicinique ad vicinos invitati hac ratione commeant, quod nos Germani Bummerey vocamus.

Antiquitat. Convivial. 126.

which