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New Year is celebrated on 31st December through to 1st January
SEE ALSO: Christmas
St Helena follows the Gregorian calendar, so the year runs from 1st Jauary until 31st December, normally containing 365 days, with an additional day (29th February) normally every four years. New Year is therefore celebrated in the period from the evening of 31st December to the morning of 1st January. (Other New Year information on the Wikipedia.)
New Years Eve celebrations used to be more restrained but in recent years there has been an increased emphasis, perhaps led by the bars who benefit from the additional trade. There is now a New Years Eve party on The Bridge (photos below) which marks the change of year, starting in the early evening of the 31st December and going on sometimes until well after 2am on 1st January{1}. It is mostly recorded music played for dancing, but some years local live bands feature (The Big Easy always played ). Some years there are fireworks at midnight. Champagne is not widely drunk, due to the expense; alcohol in many other forms is consumed in great quantities!
Another New Year, more New Year Resolutions, hopes, wishes and intentions - sometime earnest ones.{b}
1st January is one of those dates in the year on which changes often come into force - for examples, see History (below){2}. Certain seasonal fishing restrictions come into force on 1st January each year.
People of St Helena sometimes feature in the New Year Honours.
New Years Day sports on Francis Plain, 2010
In the period when Napoleon was here there was held a New Years Eve Ball, to which all the Important People were invited. Until 1941 St Helena operated on Solar Time, which was determined by the islands longitude (15°5524.3S; 5°433.5W{3}) and hence the island celebrated New Year approximately 23 minutes behind the UK. In the before days, before partying and fireworks took over, the New Year was marked by the ringing of handbells at midnight. There used to be Church Services on New Years Day, but now only if the day is a Sunday. When the RMS St Helena (1990-2018) (and before that, the RMS St Helena (1978-1990)) served the island, the day was celebrated on board. There used to be celebrations and sports on Francis Plain on New Years Day, known as the New Years Day Treat - see the article (below), but with the greater emphasis on the New Years Eve celebrations nobody now has the energy! The Governors Cup is run from late December to early January, so it is not unknown for yachs to arrive on New Years Day. Curiously, it is not uncommon for bins to be emptied on New Years Day! Apart from the hospital, police and other emergency services nothing else operates, but the refuse schedule takes precedence over Public Holidays, it seems, and in 2018 a Bin Lorry crashed, injuring the driver (not dangerously) - good job the emergency services were also operating!
Events for your choice of dates on our page Chronology.
Events for your choice of dates on our page Chronology.
After a day of recovery (1st January is a Public Holiday) its time to go back to work until next year!
Some people observe Dry January, in which alcohol consumption is eliminated or significantly reduced below normal for the month after the Christmas excesses. (Other January events are listed on our page This Year.)
Below: Article: New Years Day Treat Article: Napoleons Gift
New Years Day Treat
Published in the St Helena Wirebird{6} January 1959{5}
Perhaps it is true to say that the biggest event during the month of January was the Childrens Treat and Sports which were held on Francis Plain on New Years Day.
That ground - the chief sports field on the Island - has seen many of these events for an annual day for all school children has been held there for more than fifty years. For many years this big occasion was held later in the year - May or June - but because of these months falling within our rainy season, someone very wisely suggested that New Years Day would be a more favourable time and how very true this had proved. The weather this year was perfect for the occasion.
Long before the events of the day were due to start, as a matter of fact from about breakfast time, crowds began to gather on the Plain and by the time the sports started the ground was a mass of colour - ladies in their pretty dresses and some of the opposite sex in their multi coloured shirts, not forgetting the red litter bins, with their large white letters, demanding the refuse from the car boots carrying the holiday makers luncheon baskets, etc.
During the early part of the morning one could see teachers drawn from all the schools, busy in the canvas shelter, sorting the food and making ready to distribute the buns and sandwiches with orange squash as wash down at lunch time. Participating in this task was Sam in one corner, grinning while carving away at the hams to make the sandwiches and in the other corner was Jack, not 393 in the box, but seated on the box, resting his weary legs after his previous days toil of packing the food for transporting to the Plain. It must really have been a headache for him to get together so much for so many.
The sports events started at 10:30am and the mornings events were certainly interesting, the flat races being interspersed with novelty events. Here we must mention that the programme was for the second year in succession, prepared and arranged by Mr. A. J. Evans, Head Teacher of Levelwood School.
The Pillow Fights were certainly amusing and much enjoyed by competitors and spectators alike. The shortage of water prevented the competitors in tire obstacle race from finishing with a bucket on their heads but nevertheless, this event was still full of character and amusement.
At 12:30pm and after the Bishop had said grace, lunch was served to approximately 1,300 children. The lunch interval continued until 2pm and during this time parents picnicked round the Plain.
Immediately after lunch the sports programme was resumed.
His Excellency the Governor and Mrs. Alford who were witnessing their first annual Treat on St. Helena, arrived at 2:30pm.
The afternoons events proved as interesting and enjoyable as the mornings part of the programme.
Several finals aroused great interest and added much to the fun. The holiday feeling was added to by the St. Helena Band which played selections of popular pieces during the afternoon.
Great interest was shown in the events for adults especially the tug-of-war which included a team of overseas residents.
At the conclusion of the sports the children paraded in front of the Pavilion to receive their well-earned prizes. The Education Officers (Mr. C. G. Dixon) introductory speech included a thank you to all who had made the day the success it was. This was followed by a short, but stimulating speech by His Excellency the Governor. In conclusion His Excellency called for three cheers which were heartily given, for Mr. Edward Constantine, Head Teacher of Sandy Bay School, who had that day been appointed a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
The shields were next presented.
The General sports day Shield was won by the Secondary School and the junior Shield by Country Junior School. The Janisch Cup was won by the Secondary School; so was the Police Challenge Shield for Tug-of-war. The presentation of money prizes to those who had been successful in the sports was made by Mrs. Alford.
The day was rounded off by the serving of tea to the children in the meals enclosure.
This ended a perfect day, enjoyed by all but it was the beginning of the exodus from the Plain which continued until late that night with many of the taxis doing a real shuttle service because of the large number of people to be taken home.
Congratulations to the drivers who did a wonderful job without even the slightest form of accident. We also congratulate the regular Police Force and the Special Constabulary who played a great part in directing the traffic.
Napoleons Gift
From Recollections of the Emperor Napoleon, published in 1844. You can read her book, published under her married nameⒾ.
We always made a point of riding to Longwood every New Years Day, to wish the emperor a happy new year, and we dined with him or Madame Bertrand, though more frequently with the former.
I recollect one New Years Day I had been anticipating a present from the emperor all the morning, and as the day wore on, my hopes began to wax faint, and I was beginning to make up my mind to have nothing new and pretty to feast my eyes upon, when Napoleon himself waddled into Madame Bertrands room, where my sister and I were seated, and perhaps rather enviously viewing some elegant souvenirs of which the emperor had made the countess a present that morning. In his hand were two beautiful Sèvres cups, exquisitely painted, one representing himself in Egypt, in the dress of a Mussulman - upon the other was delineated an Egyptian woman drawing water. Here, Mesdemoiselles Betsee and Jane, are two cups for you; accept them as a mark of the friendship I entertain for you both, and for your kindness to Madame Bertrand.
Oh, how delighted I was with my beautiful gift! I would not trust it out of my hand, but rode with it wrapped in cotton all the way home, for fear of its being injured. It always brought a smile to Napoleons countenance whenever he gave pleasure to the young around him.
{c}
Credits:
{a} Alfred, Lord Tennyson{b} Columnist in The Independent, January 2016{c} By John T. McCutcheon - The Mysterious Stranger and Other Cartoons by John T. McCutcheon, New York, McClure, Phillips & Co. 1905, Public Domain (SOURCE: Wikipedia)
Footnotes:
{1} If you are staying in lower Jamestown you might as well go along because you have no chance of getting to sleep!{2} The other day is 1st April, the start of the financial year.{3} Location of Jamestown according to latest GPS data.{4} The four Wirebird publications should not be confused.{5} @@RepDis@@{6} The Government newspaper{4}.