New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-12-25
CHRISTMAS.

TIME was when the appfQacD OF thliotHh'i' was "
seasbn Of immense hustle and commotion, not alone
;n t6o shops and thoroughfares, as it IS now but
mole especially in the farmyards and markets for
4be festival was then rather day for banquetng and
ocal gathering than for the giving of presents as It
$ now. The standard dish at the Christmas feast IN
England was Drawn. Properly speaking, this Is the
flesh of the wild boar; but when that famous animal
became extinct, and gallant knights ceased to hunt
the fierce monster through the forest sort OF lmta
ton Drawn came into fashion, which bore the same
relation to the genuine old muscular meat that sud
ing bears to gold This false Drawn is manufactured
from the flesh OF hogs which suffered to i've IN
half wild state and, when put up to Iatten' are
strapped and beted tight round the principal parts
cfthe carcass in orcr to render the hesh dense ana
br2wnv II comes to the London market IN rolls
about two feet long and ten inches in diameter
packed in wicker baskets There is an old
story to the effect that a quantity of 1t
1eH into the hands of the French when they took
Calais from the English. They tried many ways Of
cooking it before its merits were discovered. At last
the great culinary secret was unvaled 1--WE honestly
confess that we don know ourselves how it ought
70 be prepared and Drawn stood confessed in all it's
majesty and sweetness "Haw cried the monks;
d" what 3 delightful Gsh!' and Immediately added il
60 their fast-day yiands Bless u.s. exclaimed the
Jews. this is too good ever to have come from
swine and it was thenceforth TeCkoned among the
dishes which the Jews hold clean. Drawn eaten
with mustard and the liquor most in favor as its &C
compartment was, next TO the historic Wassall the
plmOst equally historic malmsey. In Old times the
bOars head used 10 be carried into the banquet hall
with great state the bearer being person of cOnse
quence, trumpeters going before him. and ChanteTs
In procession singing festive verses.
BE glad, lords. both more ana less
For this hath ordained our steward.
TO RS Ssf ga, n s 9 4i, S4 matIarS
There was great OF course Of turkeys chickens,
geese and all smaller game and last OF all came the
plum pudding, respecting which there IS an ancient
EeVEatiOn now unh0ppily out of date that II must
be boiled by day-breal, or else two young men must
take the maiden H. the coOk] by the arms, and run
her round the market place till she is ashamed of her
,azineSs.o Whether the pudding had to be eaten at
Haybreak we are not positive; but tOI the cTedt or
bur ancestors we are willing to believe that IL was
deserved till more proper hour. Ium-puC4lng is
dish which never has hOurished except IN England
md America and right proud ought both countries
20 be of possessing It, Ii Is related OF French King
THAT, wishing to pay particular compliment TO an
English ambassador on Christmas DAY. ne got re-
Celpt for pum-puCding, and ordered his cook to
make one, with strict regard to the directions The
chief of ms majeSty's kitchen mixed the ingredients
with due care and boiled them the prescribed length
pf time; everything was attended TO except one tribe
The King forgot the cloth; and the result was
curious sort of soup served mp IN tureens.
The most important thing for the Christmas board,
however was the wasSail-bOWl, whose very name is
synonymous with jOllity, if NOT with something much
worse The word Is derived from the saxon lgaS-
halle. equivalent to l drink your health. " was
sa says Leigh hunt Is gOOu-i5al4Ie'l ooNL lelI
accommodates itself to the means OF all classes men
and poor You may have II OF the cOStheSt VINE or
The humblest malt liquor. But in no case must the
roast apples be forgotten" 1t should be composed
by those who can afford it, of rich wine, highly
bDccd and sweetened with roasted cTab apples uOa-
gDgOn the surface. But ale more commonly
substituted for the wine, mingled with nutmeg,
ginger. sugar, and toast. ,
Still more important of old than the setting forth
of the festive board, the hauling and lighting OF
Che Yule log on Christmas Eve.
{ This was monster log of trewOOd, which III the
days OF blazing open 1res IL was me pIaCCo no i
Che sound Of music There Is song Ol heIilcAs
which begins:
Come. bring with noise,
The Christmas log to the firing;
While my good dame she
And drink to Your hearts desiring"
The log must be lighted with brand saved from
4s predecessor of the year before II must be lighted
with clean hands-a direction to which no careful
housewife could Obect-and If II went ont during
ihe night bad luck was pretty certain to betal the
house This log appears to have been regarded as
bort of charm which protected the mousse from eFll
bpirits. Christmas Eve was time when all ma
ture was full Of omens and supernatural lhHu-
And then they say no spirit dares stir abroad.
The nights wholesome then no planets strike
No fairy takes no witch hath power to CHARM
Oxen were supposed. as midnight approached 70 |
6uee in their stalls If IN alteration of the Savior
born at night in Bethlehem; and traveller IN Can
ada tells of meeting an Indian creeping through the
forest one bright Christmas eve to watch the deer
kneel as the solemn hour drew near How the super
etitiOn was transmitted across the ocean from the
British peasant TO the Tedsknned savage Is not ex-
WeU We have outprown these old beliefs and we |
have forgotten many of these pleasant customs The |
Jolly rOllickng, red-faced Christmas OF our English
ancestors has not been fully preserved IN tins coun-
try where the busy eanestness that characteifHeS |
{he national life has infected the national holi-
days The merry carols, the changing mldmgnt |
chimes the fast aud furious Tevels. the boar head
carlanded with sweet rosemary and bays and with
The roguish mustard dangerous to the nose,
sack. and the well sPieed hpPoeT,as the s wine
PorrIdge with plums and turkeys with the chime
Sfhe blessed mistletOe beneath whose mystic branch
kissing pretty CARL was never an onense3ai tlgss
Christmas have faded away from u.s. hui why ian |
talize ourselves by calling them to mlnd are nOt |
tbe older customs of the festival all tenpIngy SET
forth by Irving in his Sketch Book and BTdce97dge
HoU and the more recent ones by Charles Dickens |
in those charming little Christmas books And VINO
does not remember the Christmas which DIT. PICK,
wick spent at Dingey Dell Win tne ss SIS VI
Weller and the young lady with tho fur-topped |
boots or the Christmas when Old ScroOge WOKE up |
from bis wonderful dream, ana MI FeZziiWlg Cut /
those astonishing capers with his legs and the young
Cratchets screamed over the goose, and topper ran
after the plump sister with the lace tucker; or the
Christmas when poor ITOttY Week had such nlghIOI
nwith 1.-The Chimes PWe know all these stories by /
heart and il Irving and the old English authors /
have not taught us how TO be Jolly, and DICKENS mas
not taught how to be 1uu OF nlrLh anu CndiIty'
end benevOlence and all the smiling dOmesuc NItues
then we are past reformation, and there IS nOthng
better for ma 10 do than 10 buy few more west In
dian earthquakes and all be swallowed upln Oouy;
Charity with the old English Gentleman as ne stoO1
q his gate and superintendent the dlsJLlDuuOh OF /
sins Ia the aged and destitute, presided over inc
hastings Of his tenants IN the hall, was heDIst uuy
Nthe day and whatever else we may nave Iorgots
Ten about the festival, we are giad 10 nave PROOF
that y have not forgotten this Yesterday we pub
llsbed catalogue of charities upon Whlch tne De
hey0ent could appropriately beStow some OF theit
surplus dollars IQday we alo nSI ~ y,,b snfern0