“Here’s to thy pretty face, and thy white horn,
  God send thy master a good crop of corn,
  Both wheat, rye, and barley, and all sorts of grain,
  And next year, if we live, we’ll drink to thee again.”

After which the verse is chanted in chorus by all present.

They then dash the cider in the cow’s face, when, by a violent toss of her head, she throws the plum-cake on the ground; and if it falls forward, it is an omen that the next harvest will be good; if backward, that it will be unfavourable.  This is the commencement of the rural feast, which is generally prolonged till the following morning.

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CHRISTMAS IN MEXICO.

“Christmas is in Guadalaxara,” says Mr. Hardy, “a season of great diversion.  The portales (colonades), which are much better than those of the city of Mexico, and infinitely more numerous, are all well lighted up with candles, surrounded by coloured paper shades, standing on little tables, which display a great assortment of sweetmeats and fruits.  The ladies and gentlemen walk about, finely dressed, under the portale, and convert it into a fashionable promenade.—­From seven till ten, there is not perhaps a single family in the whole town which has not taken a few turns in their gayest dresses, to witness the sweetmeat exhibition—­to see and to be seen.  It may be well to give the traveller a gentle hint with respect to the 25th of December:  nothing borrowed on that day is ever returned.  It is, in short, to the Mexicans, who call it.  ’La noche buena,’ what April fool-day is to us.  Therefore, traveller, beware!  It is the occasion of much frolic and amusement.”

W.G.C.

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NEW YEAR’S GIFTS.

The custom of New-year’s Gifts is very ancient, and was formerly carried to a great extent.  The sovereign used to accept gifts from his courtiers and principal favourites, and was also in the habit of making presents to certain individuals; the prince, however, always taking care that the presents he received greatly exceeded in value those which he gave.  It is recorded of Bishop Latimer, that on one occasion he presented to his master, Henry VIII., instead of a sum in gold for a New-year’s Gift, a New Testament, with the leaf folded down at Hebrews, ch. xiii., v. 4.—­on reference to which the king found a text well suited as an admonition to himself.  Queen Elizabeth supplied herself with wardrobe and jewels principally from new year’s gifts.  Dr. Drake has given a list of some of these presents;—­amongst the items we find the following:  “Most of the peers and peeresses of the realm, the bishops, the chief officers of state, her majesty’s household, even as low as the master of the pantry and head cook, all gave her majesty a Christmas-box,—­consisting either of a sum of money, jewels, trinkets, or wearing