The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1860-12-20
g1lurp CHRISTMAS.
ALI, ABOUT CHRISTMAS AND
SANTA CLAUS.

Chrlstmas-l, G. ChrlSt.teaSt-ls teS- /
tival which was not observed by the ear
" Christians. To them the Nativity
was not an event Of superlative interest,
because they regarded the second birth |
as the only one Of religious significance. |
They therefore celebrated the anniversa-
nv of the resurrection, which was the
symbol and seal Of the second birth, .
while they passed by the other as of lit
Gle importance. We have no reason to
suppose that the day of CHRJsTs birth
was known to dRy one in the second cen
tury.
About the year 342, however, cir
Cumstances occurred which made it eZ-
ceedjugly desirable-to the Church in
Rome at least-to have a Christian fes-
tival near tho end Of September, and it
was in the Western part Of the Empire
certainly, for ought We know in Rome
itself, that Christmas was first instituted.
There we're two pagan festivals occur
ring between the goth Of December and
the 3d Of January, which by their at
tractive mngnifcence often allured the
Giniples eff CuRIsT's unostentatious re-
ligion. and soduced them into a commu-
n'Iv with their heathen fellow-citizens.
These we're tho Suturnalia, continuing
through seven days, and the Feast Of
the Sun. which commenced at the sol
stice, and generally continued for three
days. They both were celebrated with
great splendor. and it was deemed al
together cxpcdicnt to introduce some
Christian Observance. which occurring
at the same time, might serve to divert
the attention Of the younger members
Of Christian families from tho fascina-
tions Of heather rites, and secure it to
the true religion. Indeed, much Of the
gorgeous ritual Of the early Church may
be traced to the necessity imposed upon
her of coutending with the superb dis.
PLAYS of pagnism and idolatry.
The necessity Of feast day being
obvious, the next step was to determine
upon some event which might be APP
propriately celebrated at that time
Certainly, the season when the sun, hay.
ing reached the southern extremity of
his path, turned backward the
days began to grow longer and the nights
shorter--certainly this was the most ap
propriate season to commemorate the be
ginning of that other Sun whose rising
was to dispel the gloom which hung over
the nations, and whose beams we're al
ready destroying the Devils darkness
ndrapidly bringing in the perfect day
Then, too, it was universally customary
during the Saturnalia to make presents
to friends and relations. This beauti
full custom could MOTTO the sensitive
ly pious mind-bo other than a symbo
Of the greatest possible gift which Cor
presented to all men, upon the day
when His Son was born into the world
1t was desirable to convey spiritua
meaning through the instrumentaiity of
signs already familiar, and thus to re
tain as far as possible, those customs en-
deared by habits to the minds of tht
young. There could moreover be M
objection to appointing the Festival Of
the Nativity at this season. No on
could pretend to know when CHRIST 10a
born, for although one tradition point
ed to the Goth of May there was anoth
er of equal authority pointing to a da,
In March. Indeed there was no Ger
tainty about the matter, until KEEPER
Astronomical calculations fixed the dat
at which the star appeared to the East
ern Magi, and thus rendered it altOgeth
er probable that CHRIST was born upoI
the goth of May, which is now the prev
alent opinion among Biblical students
The Roman Christians however, know
ing nothing Of KEPLER, were conse
quontly ignorant Of the true date, an
sagcly concluded that one day was a
good as another. They selected tn
25th of December for the reasons men
toned above, and there is valid authori
ty for supposing that the festival con
tinued for twelve days, up to the da
Of the Epiphany. This then is the ori
gin of Christmas, and thus too, thoug
the Saturnalin vanished when the su
premacy Of JOvE passed away, it CAV
birth to the two most celebrated Of mod
ern festivals--the Caruival-and Christ
mas.
Having spoken of the origin o
Christmas, the next subject must o
course be ST. NICOLAS, for no one ca
think of the former without a simulti
ueous suggestion of SANTA CLAUS.
We propose, then briefly to state VIII
he was, and how he became connecte
with the day over which he reigns so,
ereign. la doing this we must be care
ful to distinguish our St. NICOLAS, 9Th
real genuine SANTA CLAUS" from til
countless Popes and small saints of tn
same name.
ST. NICOLAS was born in the earl
half of the fourth century. His iii
was one Of uuequalled pioty. AT h
birth when taken by his nurse to
washed, she found it impossible to e
at the soles Of his feet, because he won
insist upon standing upright, in the a
titude Of prayer. His sanctity was
great that when an infant at the brea
he would fast twice a week and oou
never be prevailed upon to touch pa
or Cruel more than once on Wedno
days and Fridays
San individual of such notable wort
could not fail to draw upon himself puI
lic and ecclesiastical attention, aud
his virtues increased with his years,
was eventually made a bishop and pol
ularly surnamed "the Good. AocorO
ing to one.tradition this epithet WI