In Ireland, according to Croker (_Researches in the South of Ireland_, p. 233), on the last night of the year a cake is thrown against the outside door of each house, by the head of the family, which ceremony is said to keep out hunger during the ensuing year:-- If New Year's Eve night wind blow South, It betokeneth warmth and growth; If West, much milk, and fish in the sea; If North, much cold and storms there will be; If East, the trees will bear much fruit; If North-East, flee it, man and brute. CHAPTER XXIX New Year's Day--Carol--New Year's Gifts--"Dipping"--Riding the "Stang"--Curious Tenures--God Cakes--The "Quaaltagh"--"First-foot" in Scotland--Highland Customs--In Ireland--Weather Prophecies--Handsel Monday. There is a peculiar feeling of satisfaction that comes over us with the advent of the New Year. The Old Year, with its joys and sorrows, its gains and disappointments, is irrevocably dead--dead without hope of resurrection, and there is not one of us who does not hope that the forthcoming year may be a happier one than that departed. The following very pretty "Carol for New Year's Day" is taken from _Psalmes, Songs, and Sonnets_, composed by William Byrd, Lond. 1611:-- O God, that guides the cheerful sun By motions strange the year to frame, Which now, returned whence it begun, From Heaven extols Thy glorious Name; This New Year's season sanctify With double blessings of Thy store, That graces new may multiply, And former follies reign no more. So shall our hearts with Heaven agree, And both give laud and praise to Thee. Amen. Th' old year, by course, is past and gone, Old Adam, Lord, from us expel; New creatures make us every one, New life becomes the New Year well. As new-born babes from malice keep, New wedding garments, Christ, we crave; That we Thy face in Heaven may see, With Angels bright, our souls to save. So shall our hearts with Heaven agree, And both give laud and praise to Thee. Amen. The Church takes no notice of the first of January as the beginning of a New Year, but only as the Feast of the Circumcision of our Lord, and consequently, being included in the twelve days of Christ-tide festivity, it was only regarded as one of them, and no particular stress was placed upon it. There were, and are, local customs peculiar to the day, but, with the exception of some special festivity, general good wishes for health and prosperity, and the giving of presents, there is no extraordinary recognition of the day. Naogeorgus says of it:--