Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1858-12-29
Mistellantous.
christmas IN THE oLDEN TIME

WIN sefNltors lighting him with torches to
the door, where the squire, in spite of the
tempeststands ready to receive him.
Most OF these old customs have been
long disused even in England, while few
OF them ever existed at all in America. As
the pastimes of our ancestors, however,
they have an interest tc us, which the fire
queDt illusions of the poets have increas-
ed. We will consecrate a page or two,
therefore, 20 an account of the ancient
games, customs and observances of Christ
mast-ume, graphically alluded to in the
well known lines ofScott:
"The fire, with well dried logs supplied,
Went roaring up the chimney side;
The huge hall-table's oaken face,
Scraped till it shone the day of grace,
Bore then upon its massive board
No mark to part the squire and lord.
Then was brought on the lusty bawn
By the old blue-coated serving man,
Then the grim boar's bead frowned on
high,
Decked out with bays and rosemary.
Well can The green garn'd ranger tell,
How, when, and where the monster fell !;
What dogs before his death he tore,
And all the batting of the boar;
While round the merry Wassail-bowl,
Garnished with ribbon, blythe did trowl. d"
The custom of adorning houses, church
es, dc, with branches of Mistleto Holly,
and other winter shrubs and trees. is per-
haps of older date than any other Christ
mas observance. 1t had its origin in Eng
land with the Druids, who were the priests
of ancient Briton lorg previous to the in
vaslOn OF that country by the Romans un-
der julius Cesar. 1t was their wont, at a
certain season of the year, to resort to the
forests in which grew the largest oak trees,
! followed by great cOnCouTse of people of
all degrees. There with many ceremonies
they proceeded to cut down a quantity of
the branches of the mistleto growing on
the oaks, which, having divided into
small pieces, they distributed amongst the
religious students and votares who had
accompanied them, and who, consider
ing these branches so many emblems of
good fortune, adorned their dwellings
with them. There was sacredness at
tached to the custom which preserved its
ipractlce for long period, and we find it
mentioned in many of the old records. A
peculiar sanCtity was attached to the Mis-
tletoe.
"Chistmas, the joyous period of the year!
Now bright with Holly all the temples
strew,
With Laurel green and sacred MistlctoC. "
The Druidical custom appears to have
survived the shock attending the incur
sions of foreign races, and the overthrow
of the old established religion; and Chris
/ tianity, leth to wage war with every am
| cient usage, consented to retain this one
as the most innocent of them all. Indeed,
! green bOughs seemed to have been almost
universally looked upon as emblems OF
purity. Stowe, the old English Chroni-
cler, relates that not only the parish
church, public offices, and houses were
adorned with holme, ivy, bays, and other
greens of the season, but that condui.s
and standards in the streets were likwise
! garnished.
The custom of burning the YuIe-Log,
was, it appears of Anglo>Saxon origin.
| That race of people were in the habit of
celebrating fe st at the Winter solstice,
which they called the JUL, or Yule, and
on this occasion they were wont to burn a
! log of wood, as an emblem of returning
| light and heat, the sun being then at its
! furthest point from them. From that
! feast the burning of the log became trans
| ferred to the eve of Christmas Day and,
as such, was never omitted till the early
part Of the present century. 1t is now
rarely to be met with, and then in very
remote rural districts.
The Nule-Log was the stem of one of
the largest trees that could be foundon the
estate of the proprietor in whose halls it
was to raise its cheerful flame. 1t was
hewn down on the Candlemas Day, in the
month of February of the same year /;
then kindled where it fell, and suffered to
burn until sunset, when the fire was eX-
! tinguished, and the log laid in a proper
place until it was required at Christmas.
/ At the appointed time it was carried into
the mansion hall by n number of dOmes-
tics, amidst much rejoicing, and kindled
! on the hearth with much mirth and merry
making. 1t was generally large enough
| to last during that night and the whole os
I
the following day.
The Wassail- Bowl, like the Yule-Log,
had its origin amongst our Saxon forefa-
TIERS In the old legend Of Vortigern and
Rowena, we find the first mention of the
custom Of Wassailing. At a feast given
by Hengist, the Saxon chief, to Nortigern,
the British King, the royal guest was be-
witched with the young and beautiful
her knee, the fair Saxon damsel present.
ed the.wine cup to theBritishMonarch, ,ex-
claiming 'Iieyer Kyning Wasshael" or,
as we should express it, "Your health,
lord kingw ~ Vortigern, not understand
ing the custom, had il explained to him
by one of his suit, who tells him according
to the poetical legend, that it was a COM
plement paid him 10y the fair maid =