of English colonists, and after the manner of the early
Dutch settlers they celebrate the New Year during the entire week.
Every house is full of visitors, every man, woman, and child is
dressed in gay garments, and no one has any business except pleasure.
There are picnics to Table Mountain, and pleasure excursions in boats,
with a dance every evening. At the end of the week, everybody settles
down and the usual routine of life is resumed.

In the Indian Empire, the day which corresponds to our New Year is
called "Hooly" and is a feast in honour of the god Krishna. Caste
temporarily loses ground and the prevailing colour is red. Every one
who can afford it wears red garments, red powder is thrown as if it
were _confetti_, and streams of red water are thrown upon the
passers-by. It is all taken in good part, however, as snowballing is
with us.

Even "farthest North," where the nights are six months long, there is
recognition of the New Year. The Esquimaux come out of their snow huts
and ice caves in pairs, one of each pair being dressed in women's
clothes. They gain entrance into every _igloo_ in the village, moving
silently and mysteriously. At last there is not a light left in the
place, and having extinguished every fire they can find, they kindle a
fresh one, going through in the meantime solemn ceremonies. From this
one source, all the fires and lights in the district are kindled anew.

One wonders if there may not be some fear in the breasts of these
Children of the North, when for an instant they stand in the vastness
of the midnight, utterly without fire or light.

The most wonderful ceremonies connected with the New Year take place
in China and Japan. In these countries and in Corea the birth of the
year is considered the birthday of the whole community. When a child
is born he is supposed to be a year old, and he remains thus until the
changing seasons bring the annual birthday of the whole Mongolian
race, when another year is credited to his account.

In the Chinese quarter of the large cities, the New Year celebrations
are dreaded by the police, since where there is so much revelry there
is sure to be trouble. In the native country, the rejoicings absorb
fully a month, during the first part of which no hunger is allowed to
exist within the Empire.

The refreshments are light in kind--peanuts, watermelon seeds,
sweetmeats, oranges, tea and cakes. Presents of food are given to the
poor, and "brilliant c