Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1858-12-24
CHRISTMAS.

once made our childish hearts, Tor with
Christmas were associated thoughts of
freedom from school, of merry greetings
and gatherings, stockings full of sugar
plums, toys, and more substantial pre-
sonts, while visions of roast turkey, plum
pudding, and lots of fun, fitted before
our enchanted vision but with advancing
years these fancies have given place to
more serious realities.
Although Christmas is by many OBJ
served as the anniversary of the Saviour's
birth, there is no good reason for sup
posing that the 25th of December was
the actual day Of his nativity. The
Encyclopedia Americana states, that Sin
the fifth century the Western church Or
dered it to be celebrated forever on the
day Of the old Roman feast of the birth
Of the Sun, which was the 25th of De-
cember." In the East it was celebrated
on the 9Th of January. The greatest of
church historians, NEANDER, evidently
considers the date Of our Lords birth as
entirely conjectural, and quotes the BIZ
shop of Odessa, in the seventh century,
declaring that nobody knew on what
day Christ was born" He also says ::
"this feast first makes its appearance as
one generally celebrated in the Roman
Church, after the middle of the fourth
century" CLEMENT, one of the earliest
writers after the Apostolic age, is said by
Neander, "to consure such inquiries as
idle and Improbable, in which, more
over, it was impossible to arrive at any
certainty"
As to the manner Of observing this
festival, there can be no doubt that many
OF the customs which are still practiced
on Christmas day, were but the customs
Of the pagan feasts transferred to the
Christian world. In Mosheim's Church
History, we read that :" many of the
Western nations transferred to this festi-
val many of the follies which prevailed
in the pagan festivals at the same season,
such as universal feasting and merry
making, Christmas visits and salutations,
Christmas presents and popularity, and
Christmas rcvelry and drunkenness
We cannot, then, have the least revo.
renee for Christmas day, as suck, ond
slill less for the utterly auti-christiar
manner in which multitudes evince thGil
resaIaaGTr it. It may be well to be re
minded anDuolly Of the greatest era il
;bo wefld's history. Great men have
before and since that event, entered oui
world men who, by their genius anC
wisdom, have elevated the human race
enlarg : its knowledge, increased it
comfort, and UNNECESSARILY advanced it
progress but never man was so grand il
his own character, or so benefcent il
his gifts, as the babe Of Bethlehem -
Well might the sweet tones of the ANGEL,
anthem bail his advent, and the star sheC
its silver rays over the lowly cradle o
the King of Kings. 1t was the anthem
of Joy to SIM stricken world, the solitary
star of hope for the lost millions of man
kind And well may we now, though
eighteen centuries have passed, look bacl
to that hour with adoring gratitude anC
solemn Geyotion. How touching tn,
language of Messiah himself in references
to his advent: d" Having yet, therefore
one son. his well beloved, he sent hin
also last unto them, saying they will rev
erence my son." The Father might hav'
sent him, like the destroying angel II
Egypt, with the flaming sword Of dealt
in his hand and the universe would hav
trembled under his wrathful step; bu
now that he has come with the rainboy
of mercy, with the olive branch of peace
in his hand, and the message Of infnit
love on his lips, "shall we not much IA
ther do him reverence, and live ?"
Let the day, then, be dedicated t
praise. Let us echo the angels ascrip
ton of "Glory to God in the highest,
and Join with the Apostle to the Gentle
in the glowing expression of his heart
"thanks be unto God for his unspeakabl
gift"
But % spend the day as many do, il
frolickilg and feasting, in utter forget
fulness IF the claims Of propriety, and il
devotion to Bacchus, in gluttony ant
drunkenaess-is not this rather to desc
crate than TO honor it? How long shall
it be ere our Christmas holidays are N
more cursed with such intemperance?-
Even professors of religion seem to ina
CINE that on that day, at least, they ma!
relax from their usual sobriety, and crow
their festivities with the sparkling Ma
dcira, or bubbling champagne, or scduc
tive egg-togg. And woman, who ough
to win the sterner sex to purity and yir
tue, employs the hours sacred to thu
memory of her Saviour's birth, to pre-