For many generations, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s are an opportunity to leave the old year behind and greet the new year with confidence, courage and the hope that it will bring us joy and new opportunities. It’s time to shed pessimism and be optimistic for a fresh start.
Different cultures have different months and many different ways of celebrating the New Year.
Native Americans welcomed the New Year, but contrary to the fact that our calendar today dictates the first day of January as New Year’s Day, Native Americans used the winter solstice, the movement of the stars, and the cycles of the moon to determine the months of the year. Depending on the tribe, January is the wolf moon, the harsh moon, the snow moon, or the moon of severe cold. The celebration may take place at a different time each year.
This from the Big Piney Examiner, December 30, 1915 : New Year’s Greetings from an Old Indian – To keep you tented and worry free on your journey. So that you always have a cache for your food and food for your cache. So that you never find a tree that doesn’t give sap, and a field that doesn’t grow grain. So that your bees don’t freeze to death in winter, the honey thickens and the comb breaks like snow in your teeth. So that your heart is always like the morning and that you slowly get to the four corners where people say good night.
From the Indian Progress. Published bimonthly by The Pupils of the Wind River U.S. Indian Industrial School, Wind River, Wyoming, January 1, 1910.
Snow. More snow. most snow. Happy New Year! Le Roi est mort; Vive le Roi! Sought– a good, strong Chinook. Apply to any legal resident of the Rocky Mountain States.
It must have been a cold, snowy winter in 1910.
In Sheridan and Wyoming, New Year’s Eve was a time for dinner, dancing, and masquerade balls.
The Sheridan Enterprise December 30, 1919
New Year’s balls were often held in many fortresses. From the Cheyenne leader on December 21, 1872 The leader of the leader thanks for the invitation to the great bull that will be held on New Year’s Eve in the Hall of Co. K’s Second Cavalry at Fort Laramie.
Old chaos in Fort Laramie
I’m not sure how well the menu would go down today, but this is from the Sheridan Post, January 4, 1894: H.H. Smith and Co., proprietors of the bodega, served their customers an excellent New Year’s Eve lunch. It consisted of possum and sweet potatoes, roast chicken, plum pudding, wines, beer etc. All was served in the best manner and the friends and customers of the house enjoyed and appreciated the treat.
From an unknown paper dated January 1, 1896, probably the Enterprise
The Sheridan Inn played a prominent part in Sheridan social life in the early days, and New Year’s Eve was no exception. This from the Sheridan Post of December 27, 1910: New Year’s Eve at Inn – New Year’s Dinner will be served from 5:30pm at the Sheridan Inn. For those lucky enough to be guests of this famous inn on special occasions, the mere announcement is enough to inform them that dinner will be the pinnacle of culinary art. The service at the inn is always perfect and the best is not too good for its guests. After dinner there will be dancing and a wonderful evening is guaranteed.
And almost exactly 100 years ago, on December 28, 1922, the Sheridan Daily had this brief statement. New Year: Reservations are now being accepted for the annual New Year’s Dinner and Dance at the Sheridan Inn. This affair is always one of the highlights of the holidays.
Some sparkling wine is often drunk on New Year’s Eve
Private dinners were also held for various groups, such as in 1907. From the Enterprise, Sheridan, January 4: Mrs. RC Bates presented the Brotherhood of Trainmen with a surprise New Year’s Eve in the form of a lavish dinner and card party. Nice invitations were printed and mailed to many members of the Brotherhood. Dinner was served from 7:30am to 9:30am, after which cards were enjoyed until midnight, when those present bid farewell to the old year and their hostess, wishing her and each other a Happy New Year
In 1919 Prohibition was still the law of the country, but there is this clipping from the December 31, 1919 Sheridan Post:
As mentioned at the beginning of the story, different cultures celebrated the New Year in different ways.
This from The Enterprise, December 1907: The world around: In the United States, New Years Day is not the day as it is in some countries. Pilgrims believed this was a tribute to the Roman god Janus, the two faces, one looking back and the other looking forward to the new year with hope and anticipation. Another image of the New Year is Father Time falling and dying and his newborn personification rising. Both are nevertheless beautiful and expressive and worthy of eternity.
“Night Watch” is probably the most distinctive mark of the beginning of the New Year. Services are held in almost every church and sometimes three or four sermons are given. There are also many gatherings in clubs and private homes to ‘ring out the old year’ and there are occasions for much celebration and the humorous reiteration of the superstitions believed in the olden days. Much of the social prestige of the period, such as shouting and gift-exchanging, is due to the early Dutch settlers, who kept the old customs alive until the middle of the last century.
Sheridan churches also celebrated Watch Night. Sheridan Post, December 28, 1899. A union night service will be held at ME Church next Sunday evening, beginning at 8 p.m. An excellent program is being prepared consisting of services, solos, choirs, songs, lectures and addresses, ending with a dedication service. Everyone is cordially invited to say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new year with us.
The chapel in the park of Ucross
The article continues: In France Up until the time of Oliver Cromwell, it was customary to exchange gifts on New Year’s Day. But in the western world, the practice has generally been adopted by the celebration of Christmas. In France, however, there is a notable exception to this rule. New Year is the most important festival of the year, and the “gift” is the main feature of the festival. The French celebration of the day is believed to unite the ancient customs of Druids, Romans and Christians. New Year’s Day is everyone’s day.
Scotland. As in France, New Year’s is the most important festival of the year in Scotland. The eve of the day and the day itself are called “daft days” or crazy days. And the Eve separated from his “crazy” partner is called “Hogmanay”. But no one seems to know what that means.
The usage of the term refers to the custom of children dressing in their robes in the street and going through the houses on New Year’s Eve, knocking on the doors and shouting “Hogmanay”. In response, they always get an oatcake rich in fruit and sometimes some cheese and treats too. This is their “Hogmanay”.
Housewives are busy preparing cupcakes for their ghostly visitors days in advance, and it is considered a bad omen when they run out of demand and are unable to keep up.
England. Customs in England are very similar to, and in many cases interchangeable with, those of Scotland. In parts of England the old year is ‘swept out’ by men and boys blackening their faces to resemble (chimney) sweepers, and in other places it is ‘ringed out’ with muted bells until the midnight hour, when the clear tones are sounded. A “hot pint” of the Wassail drink at the midnight hour is still common. The front and back doors are opened at 12 noon to let the bad spirits out and the good spirits in, while all peacock feathers are discarded before this event lest misfortune follow later in the year.
The Far East. In Japan, the New Year’s Day of the Gregorian calendar is observed. There and in China, the general rule is that all debts must be paid off at the end of the year. In Japan, however, the day consists of visiting friends and giving away “awabi,” a type of conch shell, a symbol from long ago when their ancestors were necessarily very frugal.
In China, people gather on the streets on New Year’s Day and greet each other with “Kung-hi, Kung-hi,” “I humbly wish you joy,” or “Sin-hi!” “May the joy be yours.” Cities are decorated with lanterns and red paper sayings on their houses. If there is blue paper, it is a sign that there has been a death during the year.
A Chinese dragon
The Chinese New Year celebrations take place over a period of 16 days. There are also parades in the streets and fireworks to celebrate the New Year.
Many cities with relatively large Chinese populations hold Chinese New Year celebrations. San Francisco is home to one of the largest in the world. This year, the Year of the Rabbit in Chinese astrology, the grand parade takes place on Saturday February 4th.
Up until a few years ago, there was a Chinese New Year parade in Deadwood, SD. According to South Dakota Magazine, there will be a celebration for grades K-6 at the Homestake Adams Research and Culture Center on Jan. 28, where students can learn about Chinese culture.
Happy New Year
On New Year’s Eve 2022 celebrate the achievements of the old year, overcome the disappointments and start the new year with optimism and hope for better things in 2023. Happy New Year everyone.
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