The risings and settings of the stars, as has been shewn above, are brought into relation with the seasons. There is a possibility of bringing these sidereally determined seasons into a system. Thus the year of the Luiseño Indians of S. California consists of 2 × 8 divisions, which are determined by the morning rising of certain stars[938]. This is however an isolated case, since the reckoning by months has penetrated almost everywhere, and both seasons and risings of stars are brought into connexion with this. The most complete example is seen in the months of the Maoris[939]. Moreover the creation of such a system was not possible among the primitive peoples, since for the purpose of determining time they were only accustomed to observe a few stars, principally the Pleiades. On the other hand the observation of the stars plays a great part in another matter not necessarily connected with the reckoning of the months, viz. the beginning of the year, and to this we shall now turn our attention. CHAPTER X. CALENDAR REGULATION. 2. BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. The question of the beginning of the year presents some difficulties, since it is for the most part quite uncertain what meaning is to be attached to the phrase ‘beginning of the year’. For us the new year is the great division in the calendar, and one which is emphasised by a special festival day and by various rites. This is an inheritance from ancient Rome; in particular the extremely wide-spread and popular astrology has powerfully contributed to the importance of New Year’s Day[940]. In ancient Greece the New Year’s Day was of no great importance: its position varied greatly in each of the small states; it was little more than the day on which the annually changing officials entered upon their terms of office. In the case of the primitive peoples the new year need not in itself be regarded as a very important division of the calendar: it has however become so among more highly developed peoples. For instance, the enumeration of the seasons or the months must begin somewhere; for this reason a beginning of the year must be supposed, but it is not therefore certain that the new year acquires any special importance. Of the inhabitants of the Torres Straits Islands Rivers says that when asked about the seasons they more than once began their list with _surlal_, and he is of the opinion that the beginning of this season is for them practically the beginning of a new year[941]. Of the Kiwai Papuans Landtman writes to me:--The year has no beginning, since there is no term to describe this, and it cannot be said that one season more than another marks an occasion of greater importance. The people begin their list of months sometimes with _keke_, the first month of the dry season, sometimes with _karongo_, which marks the transitional period between the dry and the rainy seasons.