Lincoln, Massachusetts
Proudly celebrating over forty years of service to the community
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“The prevailing custom or ceremony of wishing a
happy New-Year is of ancient date, and probably
took its rise from the Romans… .”
1 January 1772 Essex Almanac, Salem, MA
Marking the commencement of a New-Year
appears to have begun as far back as Babylon
some 4,000 years ago. Ancient Egypt (30BC)
heralded the event on 29 August to coincide with
the flooding of the Nile River, position of the sun
and agrarian considerations. The Egyptians also
symbolized the new year in the form of a human
baby. Over the centuries for various reasons –
religious, superstitious, secular, natural – nations
and peoples have marked the arrival of another
year on such dates as 1 January, 1 March, 25
March, 1 November and 25 December.
By 46 BC, Emperor Julius Caesar concluded that
the calendar in use was a disaster and thus
constructed a new one, setting the start of each
new year on 25 March. So followed the Roman
world that was much of the known world at the
time. Several Catholic Church governing councils
would in later years confirm this date citing its
closeness to the vernal equinox (spring and rebirth
of nature) and it being the Feast Day of the
Annunciation (angel appeared and informed Mary
that she would bear the Christ child), nine months
from the birth of Jesus.
In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII decided that the
human Julian calendar was out of rhythm with
nature and its world. His Holiness created the socalled
Gregorian calendar that established the first
day of each new year as 1 January, the Feast of the
Circumcision and the Feast of Mary.
Protestant nations such as England viewed these
changes with skepticism or as just another Papist
plot and hence maintained 25 March as New
Year’s Day. Yet in the British Isles, the Celts long
had observed 1 November – Feast of Samhain
(summer’s end) – as the start of the next year.
They celebrated with large gatherings, banquets,
burning of the bones of slaughtered animals on a
grand fire (bone or bonfire), music and enjoyment.
Still, it was a somber time when the spirits
returned to earth and children dressed as such to
trick their elders. This day of respect for the dead,
family closeness and child-centered activities
caught on with the Catholic Church that
recognized its importance and hence made 1
November “All Saints’ Day” and the prior day
became “Hallow E’ne”.
Like the English, many French citizens chose to
continue marking the new year on 25 March and
were roundly criticized, harassed and ridiculed,
often having jokes played on them or being sent on
a “fool’s errand”. Traditionally the celebrating
would last from 25 March to 1 April, and thus the
latter day became a focal point for mischief toward
the traditionalists.
When Massachusetts and Concord were settled in
the 17th Century, their Puritan founders disdained
the observing of New Year’s Day for the same
reasons that Christmas was unacceptable – a
Papist concept, over indulgence, pagan in origin,
no historic or biblical support, minimal devotional
connection. Still, the populist view was to
maintain tradition and mark 25 March as the new
year start. Interestingly enough, the native
Algonquian people also beheld the arrival of
subsequent years in March on the day of the
“worm moon” with its connection to the vernal
equinox, beginning of Spring and rebirth of nature.
If not a religious connection, at least a spiritual
one existed.
Righteous Puritans avoided the revelry and were
aghast at the rowdy, excessive New Year’s
celebrations observed in other colonies such as
New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
There, “mummers” disguised themselves and
roamed in groups seeking beverage and food and
often the young, servants and sometimes Negroes
went tavern to tavern, house to house wishing all a
happy new year and expecting to be refreshed with
eats and drink (England’s wassail - “be healthy” –
tradition). Why even “pistells and gunns” were
fired into the air at length causing New York City
to ban such demonstrations on 30 December 1675.
Both in England and Massachusetts, while the law
related to new year’s day marking was one thing,
popular observance was another and by about
1690 most individuals, institutions and
newspapers celebrated on 1 January. This resulted
in January, February and March dates being listed
for example as 1692/3 (old and new; 25 March
and 1 January as the new year).
But stoic and pious, the Puritans and their
Congregationalist churches viewed the start of a
new year (whichever date was used) as a time for
reflection on the past twelve months, a day to
meditate and promise amends for the future. Even
the Romans followed celebratory excesses with
resolutions to purge the bad and become better
Christians. In New England during the years 1722-
3 Rev. Jonathan Edwards penned 70 resolves for
an improved new year and life. Like other citizens,
he expected self-examination, ridding self of sin to
improve the future, treating everyone with charity
and promising to live better through Christ. This
approach to welcoming another year became part
of the Puritan’s devotional, low-key marking of
the New Year. In the words of one Bostonian on
24 March, “This is the last day of the year and I
am sensible a great deal hath been lost and
misspent."
Finally on 2 September 1752, England’s
Parliament in its wisdom saw the light and
adopted (along with her colonies) the Gregorian
calendar and thusly 1 January as the first day of
the new year. This caused 3 September to become
14 September as a means of correcting the Julian
errors. Massachusetts and Concord made the
adjustment and transition with little fanfare, for
the most part keeping celebration to a minimum if
at all.
Mostly secular and little religious, New Year’s
Day did continue in the Puritan tradition as a focal
point of devotional experience. Particularly, one
reflected upon the shortness and uncertainty of
life, the need to improve self and increase piety.
Concord’s minister Rev. William Emerson
(ordained on 1 January 1766) noted in his diaries
the specific scripture reading to which he
addressed his sermons on the New Year: 1767
“prayed for success of the Gospel in this place”
(Concord); 1768 “Be watchful and strengthen the
things which remain, that are ready to die…”;
1769 “This year thou shalt die…”; 1775 (eve of
revolution) “That there should be time no
longer…”. With the war begun, no special
mention of New Year’s Day was made in 1776.
Many thought the Puritans brought a morbid pall
to the marking of a new year’s arrival.
The wishing of” happy new year” would take on
new meaning in 1783 as the new American
republic emerged looking for national identity and
new traditions as it moved to the future. While the
old “Night Watch” activities of the 1770s
continued in many places with prayer services,
midnight bell ringing and exchanges of wellwishes,
the raucous, merry-making, excess of
drink and food would also take hold into the new
century, then another and still another. But always
the reminder that the old year was gone forever
(represented by Father Time) and a new one
arrived (Baby New Year) akin to the end of life
and a new existence. Every day brought us closer
to “the end of things of time and sense”.
New Year’s traditions have come and gone, some
ancient, some original but like the marking of a
new life or rebirth in Spring, the new always calls
promising another chance and reminding us to
look at the past all the while pressing to the future.
Hence did cometh the New Year marking.
“I wish you a good year and Paradise at the end
of your days!”
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