Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1860-12-22
CHRISTMAS.

Christian, the anniversary of the birth
of our Rcdccmcr. From that most
valuable of recent publications, the new
American Encyclopedia and Popular
Dictionary of General knowledge, edi-
ted by George Ripley and Charles a.
Dana, we copy at length the following
article:
NJ Christmas Christ and mass), a fcsti-
fNal of the Christian Church, observed
on December 25tl, as the anniversary
of the birth of the Saviour. Its insti-
ton is attributed by the dccrctal letters
to Pope Tclcsphorlls, who died A. D.
1873, and throughout the subsequent
history of the Church it has been one
of the most notcdof Christian solrmni-
ties. At first it was the most movable
of the Christian festive days, often con-
founded with the Epiphany, and cclc-
bratcd by the Eastern clurclc; in the
months of April and May. In the
fourth century the urgency of st. Cyril
of Jerusalem obtained from Pope JUL
us l. an order for an investigation to
be made concerning the day of Christ's
nativity. The result of inquiry by the
thcologians of the East and the West
was an agreement upon the 25th of
December. The chief grounds for the
decision were the tables of the ccnsors
in the archives of Rome and although,
in the opinion Of some of the fathers,
there was not authentic proof of the
identification of the tlny, yet the ,lccis-
ion was uniformly accepted, and from
that time the nativity has been cclcbrl-
ted throughout the Church on the same
day. 1t has also been a common tLa'li-
ton that Christ was born about the
middle of the night. The custom in
Roman Catholic Countries of ushcring
in Christmas day by the celebration of
three masses, one ut midni ght. the see
ond at early dawn, and the third in the
morning, dates from the sixth century.
The day was considered in the double
light of II holy conmcmoration and Il
cheerful festival, and was accordingly
distinguished by devotion. hy vacation
from business. and by mcrrimcnt. Du-
ring the middle ages it w;'s celebrated
by the gay, fantastic spectacle Of dr.-
matte mysteries and moraliticS, per-
formed by pcrsonaScs IN grotcsquc
masks and singular costumes. The
scenery usually represented an infant
in cradle. surrounded by the Virgin
Mary and st. Joseph, by bulls heads,
chcruls, Eastern magi, and manifold
ornaments. The custom of singing
canticlcs at Christmas, called carols,
which recalled the songs of the shcp-
herds at the birth of Christ, dates from
the time when the common people
ceased to understand Latin The bish-
ops and lower clergy often joined with
the pOpulacc in caroling, and the songs
were cnlivcncd by dances and by the
music of tambours, guitars, violins, and
organs. Fathers, mothers. sons, and
daughters mingled together in the
dance; if in the night, each bearing in
his hand Il lighted tapcr.i Many col
lections have been made Of these me-
di@val carols which filled the hours be-
tween the nocturnal masses, and which
sometimes took the place of psalms in
the churches. OF perhaps the Oldest
of these collections, only a single leaf
remains, containing two carols, pre-
served in the Bohemian Liaary, in Il
volume of Christmas Carols" prin-
ted by Wynkin tlc Worlc in 1921. Da-
'vies Gilbert published volume of
"Ancicnt Christmas Carols" with the
tunes to which they were formerly
sung in England, and William Sandys
made moro complete collection QIon-
don, 1889 The carols of the Welsh
arc especially celebrated, and their
LaW CarolaM (Book of Carols) con-
tains sixty-siX, and their Bluicugc,tM
CymnM (Amtliology of Walcs) contains
forty-cight. The German carols were
collected by Wcinhold (Gratz, 1859,
and one Of the best Of the many cdi-
tons of the French carols (oorls) was
published at loiticrs in 1924. TDuring
the last days preceding Christmas it is
still the custom for Calabrian minstrcls
to descend from the mountains to Ma
pies and Rome, saluting the slrines of
the virgin mother with their wild music,
under the poetical notion of cheering
her until the birth-timc of her infant
at the approaching Christmas. In
picture OF the nativity by Raphael he
has introduced Il shepherd at the door
playing on q sort of bagpipc. Prcmr-
atory to Christmas the bells arc rrng
at dead midnight throughout England
and the Continent; and after the SOL
emn celebration of the mass. for which
the churches in France and Italy are
magniticcntly adorned, it is usual for
the jewellers 10 portakc Of q c.,l),t;un