JANUARY

This month is so called in honor of the god Janus, who is always depicted with two faces or heads, one to look forwards, the other backwards. His work was to preside over the beginning of any new thing and, ever since his time, people have invoked his aid and sympathy when they have been setting out on some new enterprise. On New Year's Day, the Romans gave presents to one another, much as we do at Christmas, but accompanying the gifts was usually a small copper token showing the double head of Janus. To possess one of these tokens ensured prosperity when commencing some new work, and it was supposed to carry enterprises already started, but not yet finished, to a successful conclusion. The accompanying illustration gives a reproduction of one of the tokens used.

NEW YEAR SUPERSTITIONS.—Endless are the superstitions which have gathered around the dawn of the New Year, which, although neither a Christian nor a Church festival, afford sober reflection to many. In several districts, the custom known as "first-footing" is still common. People wait until the old year has been rung out and then they call on their friends to wish them a happy new year. They must not go empty-handed, however, or this will provide a lean year for the friends. A cake will ensure abundance, a red herring stands for luck, and the gift of even the smallest coin is a certain portent that a lucky financial year is opening.

While anyone is free to pay these visits, it is much the happiest omen if the caller be a man, a dark-haired man, and if he takes with him a lump of coal and a fish. Any fish serves the purpose—even a tin of sardines. Let a man, answering these requisites, be the first to cross the threshold of your door, after the old year has gone, and there is no better way of entering on the new year.

Another custom, which has many supporters, is to tidy up the house, to build up the fires and to open wide the front door, just when the old year is departing. The open door allows the exhausted year to make its exit completely. It is then supposed to take with it anything savoring of ill-fortune. The tidy house welcomes the new year in a spirit of brightness and gladness.

For a clock to stop just as the new year is coming in, or to be found to have stopped then, is an ill omen. Therefore, householders have long been careful to give an eye to their timepieces some little while before.

Weather-lore regarding the new year is plentiful. Here is a well-known rhyme:

January has been described as follows:

(The calends, it may be explained, were the first days of the months.)

ST. PAUL'S DAY (January 25th)

FEBRUARY

February derives its name from Februare—to expiate, to purify. In this connection, it is interesting to note that on the 2nd of the month falls Candlemas Day, which is the purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

CANDLEMAS DAY (February 2nd)

ST. VALENTINE'S DAY (February 14th).—Like so many of our old observances, the festival of St. Valentine dates from the time of the Romans, but the Church rechristened the custom and called it after one or two saints of the name, both of whom were martyred, one in the third and the other in the fourth century.

Latterly, the day has been dedicated to Cupid by fond lovers who believe it to be the date on which each bird chooses its mate.

The poet Drayton sings:—

Charms and omens are in favor on St. Valentine's Eve. Maidens decorate their pillows with five bay leaves and firmly believe that, if they dream of their lover then, they will be married to him in the course of the year. Another fancy is that the first person of the opposite sex whom one encounters, that morning is destined to be one's husband or wife. Naturally, there must be some sort of friendship in view previously.

A weather prophecy regarding February runs:—

In Cornwall, there is a proverb, "A February spring is not worth a pin," and the same thought is expressed in Wales by the saying that "The Welshman had rather see his dam on the bier than to see a fair Februeer."

MARCH

March was given its name by the Romans in honor of Mars, the God of War, as at this time of the year the weather was such that it enabled them to begin their campaigns after the worst of the winter was over. The Saxons called this month LENET MONAT, meaning "length month," in reference to the lengthening of the days.

Several weather prophecies refer to March:—

APRIL

The word April is probably derived from the Latin, Aperio, I open, since spring generally begins and Nature unfolds her buds in this month.

April is regarded as the most sacred month in the calendar of the Church, since it usually includes Good Friday, on which day blacksmiths once refused to work owing to the fact that one son of Vulcan made the nails for the Crucifixion.

FIRST OF APRIL.—The great majority of the old-time customs which clustered round this day and contributed a dash of gaiety and humor to the more prosaic, everyday life of the community, have fallen into the limbo of forgotten things, and the day is chiefly remembered by schoolchildren, who exercise their juvenile ingenuity in playing pranks on their fellows.

The most careful research has failed to ascertain the exact origin of these observances, and someone has hazarded the theory that they began with the advent of the second man on earth, who sought to try the effects of a practical joke on the first.

Anyhow, a form of fooling may be traced to the time of the Roman Empire, but little mention of such a thing is to be found in English literature until the eighteenth century, although "Hunting the Gowk," the sending of some half-witted youth, the village idiot, on some utterly absurd errand from house to house, was long before then a favorite pastime in Scotland, and in France, too.

A weather prophecy for this day runs:

SIMNEL OR MOTHERING SUNDAY.—It is a very old custom to make rich cakes during Lent and Easter, which are known as Simnel cakes. In South Lancashire the fourth Sunday of Lent is known as Simnel or Mothering Sunday, and young people provide themselves with delicious cakes "'gainst they go a-mothering." The sons and daughters present these to their mothers, who in turn regale their families with "furmenty" or "frumenty," derived from froment (wheat), as the dish was made of wheat and milk, with the addition of a few raisins. For children to fail in paying this compliment to their mothers is sometimes taken as a sign that they will have no further opportunity of doing so.

GOOD FRIDAY.—It is a misnomer to name the world's blackest Friday thus, but the words are a corruption of GOD'S FRIDAY. Many quaint and curious customs are connected with its celebration, the origins of which are not merely secular but pagan, as well.

For instance, the worship of Terminus, the Romans' pagan god, has still left its mark on Christian England, where, in certain parishes, the custom known as "beating the bounds" is still kept up. Terminus decreed that everyone possessing land should mark the boundaries with stones and pay honor to Jupiter once a year. Failure to do this would invoke the wrath of Jupiter and the crops growing on the land would be blighted. Good Friday or the days previous were marked out for the ceremony.

A wet Good Friday has always been considered favorable for crops, although people on pleasure bent will think otherwise:

"A wet Good Friday and a wet Easter Day foreshows a fruitful year."

It may be useful to add here a saying about the day previous to Good Friday; it runs, "Fine on Holy Thursday, wet on Whit-Monday. Fine on Whit-Monday, wet on Holy Thursday."

HOT-CROSS BUNS.—Hot-cross buns may be either a survival of the sacred cakes offered in the temples to the gods, or of the unleavened bread eaten by the Jews at the Passover. Bread marked with crosses was common in ancient Egypt before the days of Christianity. It is an old belief that the eating of buns on this day protects the house from fire, and other virtues are ascribed to them. For instance, to eat such a bun grants a wish that you may be anxious to realize.

EASTER.—This name is derived from Eoster, the goddess of light and of spring, in whose honor a festival was held in the month of April. Few, if any of the old customs observed at this time still survive.

Eggs, as being the emblem of the Resurrection, are peculiar to the feast of Easter, and it is lucky to eat them on the morning of Easter Sunday. At one time, paschal candles were lit to signify the Resurrection of our Lord. These were of colossal size, and each church seemed to vie with its neighbor as to which should have the largest. Easter Sunday was known as Joy Sunday, and was celebrated by gifts to the poor and the liberation of prisoners. It was a time when all differences of opinion should be swept aside and enemies should be forgiven. To harbor enmity against others was to ensure a time of blackness for oneself.

Many curious customs used to be observed. Most of them have fallen into decay, but in some parts of the country bouquets in the form of balls are still presented, and graves are decorated with sweet spring flowers.

Weather observances are numerous:—

MAY

Some authorities maintain that the month takes its name from Maia, the mother of the god Hermes or Mercury; others claim that it comes from Majores or Maiores, the Senate of the first constitution of Rome.

WHITSUNTIDE.—Whitsuntide, which shares pride of place in the Church Calendar with Christmas and Easter, is closely connected with the Jewish feast of Pentecost, which became identified with one of the great summer festivals of the pagan inhabitants of Western Europe, and this idea is borne out by the fact that Whitsuntide has always been the most popular festival period of the year.

It was commonly celebrated in all parts of the country by what was termed Whitsun ale, which was usually consumed under the auspices of the churchwardens in some barn near the church, when all assembled agreed to be good friends for once in the year and spend the day in "sober" joy.

The day was a prolonged picnic, for each parishioner brought what victuals he could spare. The squire and his lady came with their pipe and taborer, the young folk danced or played at bowls, and the old looked on while they sipped their ale, which was brewed fairly strong for the occasion and sold by the churchwardens for the repairs of the church.

During the Middle Ages, Whitsun services were marked by some curious customs, one of which was the letting down of a dove from the roof, another the dropping of balls of fire, of rose leaves, and the like.

THE MORRIS DANCES.—Whitsuntide was pre-eminently the time for the performance of the Morris dances, which some suppose derive their name from the Spanish Moriseo, a Moor, and the dance was originally identified with the fandango. Others believed them to be connected with one of the season's pagan observances prevalent amongst primitive communities and associated in some mysterious manner with the fertilization and slaughter of all living things.

Usually the Morris dances were only performed at special seasons once or twice a year, and in some districts they were only indulged in at Christmas. It is highly significant, and bears out the belief in the religious origin of the movement, that the first of the Whitsuntide dances in some villages was performed on the top of the tower of the church. Lucky indeed were those who took part in these church-top revels, for they were certain to be free of the devil's attentions for some while to come.

Weather lore affirms the following:—

JUNE

June owes its name to Juno, the goddess of heaven, who takes a special interest in women and protects their interests. She is supposed to accompany every woman through life, from the moment of her birth to her death. Little wonder, then, that the women of ancient times considered that, by propitiating Juno, their fortunes were assured. This they usually did on their birthdays.

Midsummer Day (June 24th) is sacred to the memory of John the Baptist, and the ceremonies practised at this season in the Middle Ages were partly relics of the saints and partly relics of old sun worship. Great fires of wood or bones blazed on every mountain top, and were supposed to be typical of the saint, who was called a burning and a shining light.

These Beltane fires burned often on bare, flat rocks, not only in England, Scotland, and Ireland, but on the Alps, the Hartz Mountains, and elsewhere. It was a great thing to be present at or in view of one of these fires, for the evil spirit was dispelled by the potency of the light and flames.

Rhymes regarding June:—

JULY

This month was so named in honor of Julius Caesar, whose birth-month it was. The Saxons called it Hey Monat on account of the hay harvest.

The following old sayings regarding July may be noted with interest:—

AUGUST

Augustus Caesar, not to be behind Julius, named this month in honor of himself. He was born in September, and it may seem strange that he did not bestow his name on that month; but he preferred August as a number of lucky incidents befell him then, and he gained several important victories.

Rhyming prophecies regarding this month are as follows:—

SEPTEMBER

September takes its name from the Latin word, septem, meaning seven. It was the seventh month of the year as long as March was constituted the first month. The Saxons named it Gerst Monat, or barley month, because they reaped the barley then.

Sayings regarding the month:—

OCTOBER

October is so called from being the eighth month in the old Latin calendar.

ALL HALLOW E'EN.—Hallow E'en, the vigil of All Saints' Day, was wont to be a season of merry gathering and quaint observances, especially where lovers were concerned. It is still kept up with great success in Scotland. Propitious omens were sought. Nuts, for instance, were burnt in pairs. If they lay still and burned together, it meant a happy marriage, but if they flew apart, the lovers would not live in harmony. All sorts of charms were practised. Girls pared apples and sought to discern an initial in the shape the peel assumed. The apple had to be peeled in one strip without any break, and the whole strip was then thrown over the left shoulder. Also, they stuck an apple pip on each cheek, and that which fell off first indicated that the love of him whose name it bore was unsound.

The customs varied with the locality, but many of them were not unlike the rites of St. Valentine's Day. Burns's poem enshrined most of the Scottish practices, such as throwing a ball of blue yarn into a kiln, winding it in a new one off the old, and, as the end was approached, the maiden enquired, "Who holds?" and a voice from the kiln-pot gave her the name of her future spouse.

Some girls took a candle into a dark room and peered into a looking glass while they ate an apple or combed their hair, and saw the face of their true love looking over their shoulder. Others went out into the garden in couples, hand in hand, with eyes shut, and pulled the first kail-runt or plant they came to. According to its being big or little, straight or crooked, it was regarded as prophetic of the kind of man they would marry. If the heart of the stem was soft or hard, so would be the man's nature, and, if any earth adhered to the root, it signified "tocher" or fortune.

October prophecies:—

NOVEMBER

November was the ninth month according to the old Latin calendar. It was known as Wint Monat, or wind month, by the Saxons, as the stormy weather then experienced prevented the Vikings putting to sea and attacking their shores. It was sometimes called Blot Monat, or blood month, as it was then customary to kill large numbers of cattle and salt them for winter use.

November prophecies:

DECEMBER

Decem means ten and December was the tenth month of the early Roman calendar. Probably it has had more names conferred upon it than any other of the twelve months. Among the Saxons, it was originally Winter Monat, but after their conversion to Christianity, it was Heligh Monat, or holy month, in honor of the birth of Christ.

December proverbs:

CHRISTMAS EVE.—The Latin Church called Christmas the Feast of Lights, because Christ, the true light, had come into the world, hence the Christmas candle and the Yule log, which sometimes were of immense size.

In the western parts of Devonshire, a superstitious notion prevails that on Christmas Eve at 12 o'clock the oxen in the stalls are found on their knees, as in an attitude of devotion.

Mince pies were intended to represent the offerings of the wise men. As many of the ingredients come from the East, the connection of ideas is plain, but what can be the origin of the notion that it is desirable to eat mince pies made by as many different cooks as possible to ensure as many happy months is not so easily explained. Some authorities are of the opinion that mince pies were formerly baked in coffin-shaped crusts intended to represent the manger, but in all old cookery-books the crust of a pie was styled the coffin.

It is said, by those who should be able to speak with authority, that ghosts never appear on the night of December 24th-25th. This is a fact that Charles Dickens must have overlooked.

Christmas Proverbs, etc.:—

HOLY INNOCENTS' DAY.—December 28th was formerly reckoned as the most unlucky day of the whole year, and few had the temerity to begin any work or start any new undertaking then.

HOGMANAY.—In Scotland, the night of December 31st is known as Hogmanay. Then the fire is "rested," and on no account is it allowed to go out on the hearth, nor is the house swept, nor ashes nor water "thrown out," in case all the luck should be swept out. "Dirt bodes luck." It is lucky to give away food or money, to break a drinking glass accidentally, for a girl to see a man from her window on New Year's morning, and the birth of a child brings good luck to the entire family.

OTHER WEATHER PROPHECIES

A blustering night, a fair day.

One fair day in winter is often the mother of a storm.

A snow winter, a rich summer and autumn.

A summer fog is for fair weather.

A foot deep of rain will kill hay and grain. But a foot deep of snow will make all things grow.

A sunshiny shower never lasts an hour.

A late spring is a great blessing.

A wet spring, a dry harvest.

After a wet year, a cold one.

As the days lengthen, so the cold strengthens.

Between twelve and two, you'll see what the day will do.

Cloudy mornings, clear evenings.

Evenings red and mornings grey help the traveller on his way. Evenings grey and mornings red bring down rain upon his head.

A bee was never caught in a shower.

If fowls roll in the sand, rain is at hand.

If hoar frost comes on mornings twain, the third day surely will have rain.

If Friday be clear, have for Sunday no fear.

If the cock goes crowing to bed, he'll certainly rise with a watery head.

If the moon changes on a Sunday, there will be a flood before the month is out.

If the oak is out before the ash, twill be a summer of wet and splash.

If the wind is north-east three days without rain, eight days will pass before south wind again.

Neither give credit to a clear winter nor a cloudy spring.

On Thursday at three, look out and you'll see what Friday will be.

Rain at seven, fine at eleven. Rain at eight, not fine till eight.

It is not spring until one can put down a foot on a dozen daisies.

Mackerel sky, mackerel sky; never long wet and never long dry.

Thunder in spring, cold will bring.

Sharp horns do threaten windy weather (referring to the points of the moon).

When the squirrel eats nuts on a tree, there'll be weather as warm as warm can be.

When the wind veers against the sun, trust it not, for back 'twill run.

When a cow tries to scratch its ear, it means that a storm is very near.