The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-12-25
The Christmas Holidays.
HISTORICAL AND TRADITIONAL.

The good people throughout Christendom this
day celebrate the 1S66th anniversary of the birth of
CHRIsT, the Saviour Of mankind. This season has
always boon set apart as of rejoicing; in some
countries of tho most riotous merry-making-in
Others as the occasion Of great religious festival
but IN all as the time for Joy and gladness-for
opening heart home and hcarth-for bringing
sunshine and glimpse Of heaven into this drearv
world Of labor and Of sorrow.
Christmas is blessed stopping place to the
weary pilgrim On tho great highroad Of life; but
thrice blessed and 9 hundred times welcome docs
it como to the young and the innocent, who still
stand on the threshold Of life, and can drink the
cup Of pleasure without tho warning consciousness
Of the bitter lurking il the lees.
SANTA CLAUS,
the supposed Saint of Christmas Eve is the one
great Christian fairy implicitly believed in, under
one name other, by the children of every Chris
tian land.
The 9th Of December is properly the day Of ST..
NICHOLAS, the Confessor, who somehow, in mod
ern times, has become hopelessly entangled with
The Christmas holidays. He lived in the fourth
century, and was native of Putara, in Lycia
The legend says his pious tendencies were brought
to the attention Of those around him at very
early period Of his existence, inasmuch US he re-
fused to suck on Wednesdays and Fridays tile fast
days of the Church He entered the monastery
Of Sion, near Myra, where, in the course of time
he became Abbott, and afterwards Archbishop Of
Myra. He shared in the persecution under D1o-
cIEsIAN, although ho did not suffer actual martyr-
dom. His relics were preserved at DIyra till the
end Of the eleventh century, when they were stolen
BY Christian merchants Of Bari on the Adriatc,
and carried to Italy. No saint perhaps, has On
joyed q more extended popularity than ST..
Nrr1r rNvA 1tr 1o,.o41- V~i1~
with each other to burn incense on his shrine
He is the patron saint Of Russia. In England no
less than s72 churches are named after him. He
is regarded as the special guardian of virgins, Of
children and Of sailors. Many legends are told Of
his iberality and from this, doubtless, comes the
custom, SO honorable to the saint Of giving pres
ents at this time, and imputing the same to the
munlhcence of ST. NICHOLAS. In converts the
young lady boarders used, on the same occasion,
to place silk stockings at the door. Of the apart
ment Of the Abbess, with paper recommending
themselves to ssGreat ST. N1CHLLAs Of her cham
ber." Next morning they were summoned sogeth-
er to witness the results Of the Gherality of tho
saint, who had bountifuly filed the stockings with
sweetmeats His festival is celebrated with great
pomp at Bari, where, we have said his remains are
preserved.
In Germany he is called PE1z-N1cKE1, or ssN1oH-
cd wrapped in furs. With great injustice to the
good old Saint, his modern German representation
is kind of scare-crow to the children, coming
fighHu-ly masked and grotesquely apparalled,
with switch in hand to punish bad children. He
is accompanied by the CHR1sr-K1NDcHEN Corrupt
ed in this country to K7Ssainkel), ssThe Christ
child, who brings presents andrewards to the good
Sometimes the two are united in one person. The
customs vary in the minor particulars with almost
every locality.
a CHRISTMAS EVE IN ENGLAND
cannot be better described than We have it in MAR
MON:
On Christmas Eve the bells were rung;
On Christmas Eve the mass was sung; ~
That only night, in all the year, .@
7.1, Saw the soled priest the chalice rear.
The damsel donned her hrtle sheen; IL
The hall was dressed with holly green;
Forth to the wood did merry men go,
To pGther in the mistletoe.
Ffs Then opened wide the baron's hall
To vassal, tenant serf and all;
Power laid his rod Of rule aside, -s5
And Ceremony dotted his pride.
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