Article January 2, 1932 Issue

Signs of the Times

[From the New Outlook, Toronto, Ontario, Canada]

There is a story, whether legend or fact we cannot say, which tells us that in certain German communities in days gone by it was the custom of the people to make New Year's Day into a kind of day of reconciliation. If there had been any quarrels or estrangements during the year between friends or relatives, mutual visits were interchanged on the first day of the year, kindly greetings were given and received and, in the warm glow of a day of rejoicing and good will, the effort was at least earnestly made that everything disagreeable and divisive should be forgiven and forgotten. The story is certainly good enough to be true, and if the custom ever really did prevail it is a thousand pities that it should fall into disuse. And Germany is not the only place in the world where such a good custom might be followed with very great profit.

A grudge of any sort is one of the very poorest and meanest sort of things that anyone can carry around with him, and to think of taking it over into the freshness of a new year does seem so utterly foolish and shortsighted. For its possibilities for destroying peace and comfort and satisfaction are just about beyond reckoning. And the pride or stupidity or whatever it is that might prevent our initiating this good old custom and exorcising from our hearts and lives the last and least remains of ill will and unkindliness toward any fellow being, could not be called anything but the least worthy and seemly thing about us.

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