The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1857-01-13
CHRISTMAS.

It was required of the Israelites of old to
give to their children reason of their OBJ
servances, when asked, tswhy do ye this Z"
but, how many, either old or young. could
give any reason for observing the 25th of
December in commemoration of the birth
of our Saviour? When we recur to the his
tory of the great event, it seems utterly inn
possible, to say the least, that it should
have occurred at this season of the year.
/. It would be a very inconvenient time
for making the enrolment spoken OF; and a
very unfayorable season for travelling.
2. 1t is not likely that shepherds would
remain in the fields tending their focks so
late in the year.
With regard to the weather in that climate
we learn that december is the first win
ter month the cold is piercing and some
times fatalto those not Injured to the climate,
bat rain is more common than snow. -
Rob. Calmet. page 242. Another writer
says. s'during the months of November and
December, the rains continue to fall heavi-
ly; afterwards they return at longer inter-
Wales, and not so heavy"
It's observance did not originate in the
early church. "There is no mention in the
early church of any such observances. till
between the 3rd and 4th centuries. and then
the day could not be found out with any
certainty" And the day has been in all
probability left in doubt, on purpose to
prevent any superstitious regard being paid
to it.
The sacred writer's were undoubtedly in
spired what to omit, as well as what to &c
press. Eusebius, in 4th century, in the time
of Constantine the great, in his Ecclesiasti.
cal History, has chapter on THE times
of our Savior's manifestation among men,"
in which he would naturally fix the date if
known, but he gives us nothing more thau
we have in the Bible.
Nor does the origin of this day called
Christmas recommend it to our regard
Like many other observances it was bor-
rowed by the Catholic church from the
heather. The well known Pagan festival
of the Saturnalia, instituted in honor of
their tabled diety, Saturn, was celebrated
by them with the greatest splendor, extrav-
agance and debauchery. 1t was during its
continuance season of freedom and equali-
ty: the master ceased to rule and the slave
to obey the former waiting at his own ia
BILE upon the latter, and submitting to the
suspension of all order, and the reign of
universal frolic. They began on the 10Th
of Dec. by lighting profusiou of wax can
dies in the temple of Saturn and by sus-
pending in their temples and in ali their
habitations boughs of laurels and various
kinds of evergreens. The christian church
appointed festival in honor of her
masters birth, nearly about the same time,
for the purpose of superseding it. In do
ing this, the policy was to retain as many
of the habits which had prevailed in the
Saturnalia, as could in any way be recon-
ciled with the purity of christianity. They
made their new festival therefore season
of relaxation and mirth, of cheerful visiting
and mutual presents. They lighted candles
in their places of worship and adorned them
Thus did the Romsh church borrow from
Pagans some of her most prominent obser-
vances." The same parallel between the
two is drawn in Smiths Dictionary of Greek
and Roman Antiquities under the word Sa-
turnalia.
The birth of Christ is not made an era
from which to reckon time in the Bible,
though his death is, in Daniels prophecy
of70 weeks. And no one proposed to make
it an era, till Dyonisins Exignius in the 9th
century. A great variety of other eras
were employed by ancient historians. And
when they began to reckon from this, they
did not go back to the true date as it is
now generally believed. The real Annus
Domini is now placed differently by diff
ferent men.
Browne in Ordo Saclorum fixes conjec-
tural date 5 years earlier. Justin Martyr
in I'd century makes remark from which
we infer that he thought it about S years
before our A. d. Irenaus who also lived
in I'd. century, says that Christ was born
in the 41st year of Augustus Caesar, which
would make it years before. Turtullian
seems to have believed it or years ear
lier. Some fix upon 2 ora years further
back. DR.. E. Robinson in his Greek Har-
mony. page $50, says ''that this our COM
mon era begins in any case more than 4
years too late that is from to years at
least, and more probably from 6 to years
after the actual birth of Christi This era
was first used tn historical works by the
Venerable Bede, early in the 9th Century.
Thus we see that the whole matter is in
volved in doubt. No one knows the gear.
the month nor the day of Christ's Birth
DR.. Lardner conjectures about the LIST of
Oct. They then who pay any religious
respect to Christmas, are in so far promot-
ing superstition Greensboro Times.
u There is no truth in the report that
the Supreme Court has come to a conclu-
Al