The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1862-12-24
McGREGOR, IOWA. WEDNESDAY, DEC a. 1862
$50 now is come our joyful'st feast,
Let every man be jolly,
Each room with ivy leaves Is dres't,
Ana every post with holly -

Candles Of an uncommon size were light
ed, under the name Of Christmas candles
an enormous log, called the ,yule log Of
Christmas block, was laid upon the FIRE and
the people sat around, regains themselves
with beer. In the coursc OF the night
small parties went around from house to
house, singing what was called Christmas
carols--simple popular illusions to the
great gift of Rcdeemer. 4 mass was com.
menced' in the churches at midnght-a
custom still kept up in the Catholic church.
At one period the people had custom Of
wassailing the fruit trees on this evening !;
that is they took wassal bowl, threw a
toast from it to the tree, and sung song,
expecting thus to secure good crop OF
fruit the next season. 1t was thought that
during the night all water was for a short
time changed to wine, and that bread baked
on this eve would never become mouldy.
Shakspear ailudes to these superstitions:
s.Some say that over against that season comes,
Wherein oar -syior's birth Is celebrated
The bird OF dawninS, singsth ali night long;
And then, they say, no spirit can walk abroad;
The nights are wholesome then no planet strikes,
No fairy takes nor witch hath 20 Ssrs to charm :;
Sc gracious and so hallowed is the time.
Hor. So have l hard and do in part believe it,"
The religious service of Christmas day
received I small share Of attention from old
writer's; in fact the day was chiefly distin
guished by the popular festivities. Its
grand natupe was feast abundance, and at
which few particular dishes regularly ap-
pearcd, above all, The plum pudding and
mincc pie. In every great hall, whether a
man of rank or Of q great corporation,
there was boars head ushered in with
great ceremony and with minstrelsy.
1t was customary for the rich and noble
to treat their dependents, and to meet with
them on terms Of equality, as considering
that all men were regarded alike by the
religion of Him whose natal day they were
observing. Indeed, sort Of license pre-.
vailed. A branch of the mistletoe being
hung up in the hall or over the doorway,
the youths were understood to have right
to kiss any maiden whom they might in
veigle under it. At York, the freedom of
the time was SO extreme that there were
regular proclamations allowing women of
evil repute and gamblers to come to town
and walk about openly for certain number
Of days. 1t was also customary to elect a
person IS Lord IF IKisruIe, who went about
taking the lead in every kind of extravs.
CANT sport. The manageme t of the plays
usually acted in England at the Halls and
Colleges en- Christmas fell to the care of
the Lord Of Nisruls. In Scotland, before
the Reformation, the religious houses had
Il similar officer Tor the Christmas reyels
called the Abbott Of Unreasoa, whose par
ticular functions are graphically portrayed
by Scot, in his novel Of The Abbott"
Of all the old holidays, there are none so
dear in association, and so worthy of uni.
versal observance, as Christmas. 1t is
commemorative Of the greatest event re-
corded in the annals Of ths world. 1t ap-
peals to the heart as no other holiday can.
There is pathos in all that relates to it,
"qualled only by the momentous interests
it affects. Its advent was welcomed by
celestial rejoicing sach as the world never
saw before. II there is any virtue in holi-
days to awaken and cherish the memory of
events, Christmas should be the last fest-
val surrendered. Then, if ever, the heart
that IS rightly attuned will beat warmer
and stronger, and feel little of that glow
of cxulta,ion that awakened those shouts
OF joy that ushered in it's divine original.
There is something delightful in the old
custom of adorning eItan places on this
occasion. When everything is ''sere and
withered without there is something en-
iivening in Witnessing the evergreens taste
fully arranged in the church or the parlor
apcstrng old and familiar objects, they
seem to invest those places, always SO sa-
cred, with new and peculiar charms. The
fire seems to burn brighter and 5 nd forth
more genial heat as We gather around it,
and the congratulations Of friends and kin
dred seem to be deeper and warmer, as if
partaking se..ewhat Of the feelings Of "good
will to men, that were announced at the
advent
The beautiful pictures Of the Merry
Christmas Of Old England, given US by
Washington Irving in his sketch Book," +"
and in "Bracebridge Hail. are familiar to
evcrybo1 y. Such a festival is Christmas
no longer the CHEEKY geni, lty and the
warm merry making time, are no more
We merely eat our turkeys and consider
the dag observed.