Nuhou, Volume I, Number 10, 6 January 1874 — New Year's Day. [ARTICLE]

New Year's Day.

j llie obseryance oT this dav, as an especial lioli- | day, when giftB and ealle arc hae a groat antiquitj , and wae ceiebrated \rith as mueh intere|sfc in ancient Impei'ial Rome as at this day it is celebrated in thc impeiial cities of Paris and New York, No doubt ; ever f?ince nian : determincd the divisions and periods oi' the Bolar revoli-tion iiuo luu we lonn a < year, thcre lias been fcBtivitjy aesoeiated wilh thc initial period of such divieioi|i of time, Christmas and thc New Year are the twin sisters of the great hoiidaj season ; and with their difference in eharacter, tnev are differeiit!y appreciated by naiione Sho observc them. The former is the espccial feast of Christianity, and| the 3attcr of lluinanity. Thc one draw6 eloeei] the family relation, aud the other warms and widene our intercourse wlth our fellow man. The ibscrvance of Christmas is religious ; but the obsc?rvanee of the New Year is univcrsal brotlicrhood r And as thcse two festivals are appreciated observed by nations §6 do they indicatc national characteristics, With Englishmen Ohri6tnjHts ie all in all; and the Ncw t Year is nothing aj? a fet?tivaL They have instituted the Christmas |>lum pudding for their Ilome and for the fainily; whilst Freneiunen eonfme Chri6tmas t<> the church, but eall everywhere and fraterni/.e oi> New Year*s l)ay. Amcrica ip pcrhaps cqually observant of both feBtivale; slie wrcathee thc cvcrgvccn ar»d prcpared ihe good things for famity joy on the Christmas Day ; and she also wide lier doorss aud her heart oi llunmnity'B Day,—wlien not only Gentile and; Jew, but any tawney brother # beiieving or niay go around and mcct with hiB fol!ow man. nnd waleen up sym|x\Uues iiwK*, 1 icUj bck»ie. lu lliie? rcspcet tlic iullueuee of New Ycar % t? Day is iuighty, and if any of you eiight it, bccause thc churehes do not honor it, thcn lct it bccome a dsy of.religious observancc m vuiv feclnigs, and piwe vour religion by your enlarg4d symiH\tlnes foi your fellow iuau, New \ r earfB Day was| we remeiuber» obscvved in Honoiulu w ith some many yoars ago » but t\m fccl|ing hae dcsclincd 4 —aiu! uqw tV *iay ie morc u hdnorcd in th«e breach than io tlie obscrvan<xV* And why? te it some better spirlt or itijjher toue that has 4iotaU\l the ? No.t so. lt h a gradually incrcv\sing narrowcr a\\d

morc Jouloti.s Bp:rit tlmt ha* cnueed SordidncM*, iritrigne and cHqus-}h ?•» men more ar,d nuie in t!»is Htt]e Cu!ninu?sUy } —: smaii enuugh and cufijcieiitlj i>ola{♦.*<} i - itbcst int<?ret?t in being. hannunUe-! and r»t one \vith another. Bat it is nutfro. The r!;ri!;tloae inegKige of 4< peae" ar.d good will *" !<a- l>rr little ec!io in tlmj hcartf? of Honolulu. We thought thus, ub we walked uiuuui i .wi: to make a few ealk laBt Thurtdaj. We found it is true, all our friends at home. und \vc suw l-_» dirainution in their eiuīle ; hut| we-Te!t tha: tLc uaj wae ii'A aiierjded witri"any e:-pec*l w anej. It wae regarded as wanirig like the genehil condition of the country, ond n<- wheie wu: there any noie of !)opefulness in c«>nnecll.jn the observance of the daj, But there ought to be. New Year's Daj shottld aniiual jubilee, when BtiffconvcntioJuligm maj furoiice open its doors to all coraers. when the of eiass ieeliug6hall espand, when prejudice conquered by syinpathj, and when men aud woinei: by irccij and unrcserved!j m<:cting tl;cir feilow beings, inaj in the meeting of faee to faee, and i:; the interchange of thoughtfind a|brother!iuod anJ a Bource ofnewand bappj \\hut hal been dccmcd in former dajsa batefu! antagoiils«ii<. The■" Happy New Year "is the feetive oct:t\sion when ]ove maj most abound. It< eooimunion i.s not. close. It does not prov!de tT-e frelfU!i' dinncr party # for t!ie familj «.»r' tbe olique f but t-hc open board, and the lovc f«'a<t for tbe-wav-farer. The party dinner a uvdentutl s and hae no inepiration in pbi!|mtropie fevllng ; but afc board, vrhen jour beart open? witb the New Year jou may entertain iai aog-l unawares. They are \vaiting fqr jou thej usuaiij in the bjewajs of liie ; | but if jou guaid your door only !br those wbo Ūattercd jo:;, or htive }>andered to jour ji belvng t j a 4t ring " whoee wideet cireumferenec i< limi;eJ by your interest } —tb<?n how sln|U tbe aig-L w!.. i8 always di6guised enter ? Therefoiv open w[dc yourdooron thc birtb of the year. It maj thataficnd will cnter along fith tUe angei a: tbis ehriBtcning of a Child of Time ; but Lve v»ill be |lie guardian of thc daj and wil' k $uve ; and especially so 4 if o6tcntation doe? not $it at your board. ff the preeiding <A lle ehali but provide on tbat daj, bread auu ei\!t ane a eup of water witb a weleo(ning bmite t t!xic wiil be an opportunitj for ttk N birth of iuorv good feeling than a year of ebureb <evviees m.i\ produce, Rappy New Year ! ; What a moekep, to hail oue au other with wor\U if it i? v Uuil* unioTing beginning oī a Open jour doors and jour heatts, £heU wili be a liappy Xew Year. |