, 1866-12-21
cHRIsTMAs DAY.

MAN Christmas day Will have come and
gone, and hence Il is proper that We should
indulge 10 4 brief reference to its origin,
and the glad event it Is intended to conf
mennonite. Is institution il attributed to
Pope TslesphOrus, who died A. D. lSs, and
from that day TO this, 1t has been one Of the
most noted Of Christian Solemnities. At
6rst it was the most movable Of the Christ
ian festive days, often cOnfOunded with the
Epiphany, and celebrated by the Eastern
Churches in the months of April and May.
In the 4th century, an investigation was
made concerning the day of Christ'S nativ.
ity. The result Of the enquiry BY the theO.
lOgians Of that day was an agreement upon
the 25th Of December. The chief grounds
for the decision we're the tables of the Gem
sOrs in the archieves of Rome and although
in the opinion of one Of the fathers, there
was not authentic proof Of the Identification
of the day, yet the decision was uniformly
accepted, and from that time the nativity
has been celebrated throughout the Church
on the same day. 1t has also been the eomA
mon tradition that Christ was born about
the middle Of the night. The day was csn>
sidered in the double light of 4 holy com,
memoration and a cheerful festival, and was
accordingly distinguished by devotion, b
vacation from business, and BY merrimeAt.
During the middle ages, it was celebrated
by the gay fantastic spectacle of dramatic
mysteries and mOralities, performed by per-
sonages in grotesque masks and singular
costumes.
The custom of singing canticles at ChristN
mas, called carols, which recalled the songs
of the shepherds at the birth of Christ,
dates from the time when the common people
ceased to understand Latin. The bishop
and the clergy often Joined with the popu'
lace in carrolling, and the songs we're euli.
vened by dances and by the music of tam>
bours, guitars, violins and organs. Fathers,
mothers, sons and daughters, mingled tol
gether in the dance, if in the night, each
bearing in his hand lighted taper. Pre-
paratOry to Christmas, the bells are rung at
midnight throughout England and the cons
tinent, and after the solemn celebration Of
mass, for whicn the churches Of France and
Italy are magni6cently adorned, it is usual
for the retellers to partake of 4 collation.,
that they may be able to sustain the fatigues
Of the night. In the Protestant districts Of
Germany and the North of Europe, Christ
mas is called the "Children's Festival" and
Christmas eve is devoted to giving presents.
especially between parents and children, aud
brothers and sisters by means Of the so called
Christmas tree. A large yew bOugh is erec-
ted in one of the parlOrs, lighted with ta~
pers, and hung with articles designed for
presents. Each of these is marked with
the name of the person for whom it is in
tended, and when the whole party is assem-
bled, the presents are distributed around the
room, according to their labels, amid joyful
acclamations and congratulations.
In England, from which country we main
y derive our customs, Christmas from time
immemori-l has been the season of joy and
domestic affection. The season when fami-
lies assemble, when children come home
from school, when qulrrels are made up,
when carols are heard iu every street, when
every house is decorated with evergreens,
and every table loaded with good cheer. AT
this season all hearts not destitute Of kind>
ness are enlarged and softened At this
season the poor are admitted to partAke
largely of the OverAOWings of the wealth Of
the rich. At this season the interval be,
tween landlord and tenant, master and ser,
want, is less marked than through the rest
of the year, and the anniversary Of the Sa,
vior's advent is made the occasion of uniS
versal joy and festivity.
In our own country, composed as it is Of
representatives Of all nations and creeds,
Christmas is observed in many different
ways, but with all it is regarded as an Occa>
sion of JOY and festivity, and its recurrence is
looked forward to by old and young as a
season of delight. And now having ex-
cecded the space at our disposal, we conclude
BY Wishing our readers, one aud ALA
Merry CHRISTMAS
ScGN MIa-Dariug the last week our citizens