A Gala Day For Matchmakers

A Canadian New Years

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The way in which New Years was celebrated in Canada was quite unique.  While New Years Eve was, even then, a night for dancing and attending lavish parties, New Years Day was for 'sparking', and was considered the most opportune time to begin a new relationship.

A day set aside to pay tribute to the ladies, most single girls turned their attention to love and checking out the prospects, while young men made their round of  'calls'.  Of course, it was not only the young and unmarried who took part in the festivities, but if you had a daughter to 'market', it was now that she could strut her stuff; and any young man in need of a bride could spend the day window shopping, without the risk of a slap in the face. The only ones exempt from the activities, were gentlemen in their first year of marriage and those who were ill or infirm.

The day began about ten in the morning, when the men would begin their rounds, either singly, in couples or in groups of three or four.  They came in carriages, sleighs or on foot and covered as much ground as possible until the close of the day, which was about nine in the evening.  The length of a call was from five to fifteen minutes, so you could make quite a few visits in a single day.

If a gentleman was unaquainted with a certain lady, introductions were made, but neither could presume to further the acquaintance, based on that introduction.  Gentlemen arriving at a house on New Year's Day left calling cards in a basket at the door; but it was considered vulgar to have New Year Greetings, or other embellishments printed on the card.  They were then ushered into the reception room and invited to remove their overcoats,  but according to John H. Young in Our Deportment, printed in Paris Ontario in 1883:  "It is optional with them whether they do so or not, it is also optional whether they remove their gloves". While it was not customary for a bride-groom to make calls the first year after his marriage, being allowed to remain home with his wife, he should at least pay tribute to the ladies within his social circle.  Again, according to Mr. young:  "A gentleman who wishes to drop an inconvenient acquaintance, has only to omit calling up his friend's wife and daughters on New-Year's day, without making a suitable apology for the omission of the usual act of courtesy, and the hint is acknowledged by a direct cut the next time the parties meet in public".

Refreshments were provided and offered, including such things as oysters; raw and scalloped; cold meats, salads, fruits, rich cakes, sandwiches, wine, and hot tea or coffee.  In 1857, however, the Complete Rules on Etiquette, advised "too much wine and an excess of hot whisky punches, hence big treats on New Years, have fallen into disfavor".

Bill Of Fare For New Years Day Scalloped Oysters Marbled Veal Tenderloin Salad A Good Dressing Indian Pickles Rhubarb and Fig Preserves A Nice Cake with Almond Icing Ginger Coridal

The following are from Tried and True Recipes, published in Kingston, Ontario; about 1890; and are instructions on how to prepare a typical New Years Day spread, that young gentleman callers might be offered.

Scalloped Oysters

Two cups oysters, one-third cup melted butter, one cup cracker or bread crumbs. Put layer of oysters in dish, then buttered crumbs, pour on some white sauce, season each layer of oysters. Have layer of crumbs on top and bake in oven until brown.

Marbled Veal

Trim all the roots and tough parts from a boiled pickled tongue, which chop and pound to a paste. Have two quarts of cold roasted or boiled veal chopped and pounded to a paste. Mix two table-spoonfuls of butter and a speck of cayenne with the tongue and with the veal mix four table-spoonfuls of butter, one of salt, one-fourth of a teaspoonful of pepper, and a speck of mace. Butter a deep earthen dish. Put layer of the veal in it and pack down solidly; then put spoonfuls of the tongue here and there on the veal, and fill in the spaces with veal. Continue this until all the meat has been used, and pack very solidly. Cover the dish, and place it in the oven in a pan of water. Cook one hour. When cold, pour melted butter over it. Cover, and set away.

Tenderloin Salad

One tenderloin, one-half bunch celery; cook tenderloin until tender, cut into small cubes, season with pepper and salt, add celery diced; mix with salad dressing, garnish with lettuce.

Maud Allan's Good Dressing

One table-spoon sugar, one table-spoon salt, four tablespoons butter, one teaspoon mustard and one table-spoon of flour, one cup milk, one-half cup vinegar, three eggs. Melt the butter, add flour, stir until smooth then add milk and boil.  Beat eggs, add salt, sugar, mustard and vinegar; stir into the boiling mixture; cook until thick.

Indian Pickles

Two gallons vinegar, one-quarter pound ginger, one-half ounce each of ground cloves and chillies, four ounces black pepper, two ounces each of garlic and eschalots, one-quarter pound mustard seed, two ounces allspice, four ounces salt, one ounce alum. Boil ingredients half an hour. Mix half a pound of mustard and one-quarter pound tumeric, smooth with a little vinegar and add to the above pickle, let it come to the boil, then put it into the jar and put in the vegetables as they come in season.

Rhubarb and Fig Preserves

Three pounds of rhubarb, two and one-half pounds of sugar, half pound of figs, two ounces of candied peel; wipe rhubarb, cut in lengths, place in large dish, chop finely figs

and peel. Scatter over rhubarb, let stand twenty-four hours. Boil slowly for one hour or longer, adding small pieces of ginger.

A Nice Cake

One-quarter pound of flour, one-quarter pound of ground rice, half pound of fine white sugar, five eggs, lemon to taste. Mix the flour, rice and sugar thoroughly; beat the eggs, yolk and white separately, twenty minutes, add the yolks to the whites, then sift in the other ingredients. Bake in a buttered tin from thirty-five to forty-five minutes according to the heat of the oven.

Almond Icing

Rub half pound shelled (blanched) almonds to a cream, whip white of three eggs, mix and thicken with pulverized sugar; flavor with essence of almond.

Ginger Cordial

Six lemons sliced, one quart proof whisky, one quart water, one ounce whole ginger, one pound white sugar. Put the lemons, proof, and ginger in a jar for forty-eight hours; boil the sugar and water together for a few minutes, when cold add the lemons, sugar and ginger. Strain and bottle. If too strong, a little more water may be added. Pare the lemons or the cordial will be bitter.

After all the calls had been made; the food eaten and the cordial sipped; the gentlemen went home and the ladies tallied the results.  The more cards in your basket, the more popular you were, and naturally everyone wanted to lay claim to having the most.

"New Year's day...", according to the Complete Rules of Etiquette; "...is the gala day for matchmakers among the ladies.  All the country cousins, and young ladies in the matrimonial market, are marshalled and drilled to make the best possible appearance - in short, to put on their most bewitching and fascinating smiles - and we are happy to add that casual acquaintances thus made often end in new friendships, and not unfrequently in closer ties".

However, once the exhausted Cupid retreated, Complete Rules of Etiquette, adds:  "The two or three days succeeding  New Years are the ladies' days for calling, to pass the compliments of the season.  This custom has now become quite as popular as the New Years calls of the gentlemen. The ladies discuss with each other the number of their gentlemen visitors on New Years, the new faces they have seen, and the matrimonial prospects for the year. It is customary on these occasions to offer wine and other refreshments, and to drink each other's health and prosperity".

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