Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-12-25

goodies" Is with US once again. Las
night the great esnta sClaus with his sle'
laden with presents for the little ones, driv
ing his tiny deer-team, visited all the chill
Idren Of the city. How many pairs of tin.
stockingsswere hung upat the fire place o
on the bedstead last night we wonder
How many brave little ones whose heart.
palpitating with the slightest sense of mys
terry. Hast night resolved not to go to- be-
at all'but to sit up and watch Santa Claus
advent, or If they did that they would no
go to sleep, but would keep awake till h.
come. and yet went to sleep on the floor O
in their little nests to dream OF the won
derful stranger and his mysterious visits
How many pairs of little eyes, before day
light, this morning opened wide will
wonder, staring impatiently in the dark tt
discern the outlines of the well filled stock
ings? How many tiny feet ran with theil
musical patting, regardless of the. cold, tC
gaze, with eyes as big as saucers, on the
stores of good things awarded to theil
owners? oh, happy, happy childhood
when even life's clouds are beautiful, and
existence has no woes except in lily Learned
lessons and the consequent spankings. In
after years, when the child is dead forever
and the man and woman takes its place,
fond memory leads us back with kindly
hands to thy Christmas joys, and then
pointing to manhood's wealth, fame, or
honor, asks: Has the exchange of these
bright hours for these sordid heaps, these
passing bubbles, been happy one?
As appropriate to the time, we give the
following interesting facts in,regard to the
origin and observance of Christmas, which
we extract from the American Cyclopedia /:
/. Christmas Christ and mass) is festi-
val of the Christian church, observed on
December %, as the anniversary of the
birth Of the Savior. Its institution is at
tributed by the decretal letters to Pope
Telesphorus, who died A. D. 13S, and
throughout the subsequent history of the
church 1t has been one of the most noted
Of Christian solemniries..! At first it was
eonfounded with the epiphany, and cele-
brated by the Eastern churches in the
months of April and May. In the first
century the urgency Of st. Cyril of Jeru-
salem obtained from Pope Julius /, an or
der for an investigation to be made con-
cerning the day of Chr:st's nativity. The
result of the inquiry by the theologians OF
the East and West was an agreement upon
the 25th of December. The chief grounds
for the decision were the tables of the
censors IN the archives of Rome and, al
though, in the opinion of some of the
fathers, there was not authentic proof of
the identification of the day, vet the de-
cisionsw was uniformly accepted, and from
that time the nativity has been celebrated
IN rrrrt,0 0srk Nt 4h, l.
lt has also been common tradition that
Christ was born about the middle of the
night. The custom in the Roman Catholic
countries of ushering in Christmas day
by, the, celebration of three masses, one at
midnight, the second at early dawn, and
third in the morning, dates from the sixth
century. The day was considered in the
double light of holy commemoration and
a cheerful festival, and was accordingly
by devotion, by vacation
from business and by merriment. During
the middle ages was celebrated by the
gay fantastic spectacle of dramatic myste-
ries and moralities, performed by person.
ages In grotesque masks and singular cos
tunes. The scenery usually represented
an infant in O. cradle, surrounded by the
Mary and st. Joseph, by BULBS heads,
eastern magi, and manifold orna-
ments. The custom of singing canticles at
Christmas, called carols. which recalled the
songs of shepherds at the birth of Christ,
dates from the time when the common
people ceased to understand Latin. The
bishops and lower clergy often Joined with
the populace in caroliing, and the songs
were enliyened by dances and by the music
of tambours, guitars, viofins, and organs.
Fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters
mingled together in the dance; if in the
night each bearing in his hand lighted
RXc4peI.T SzrET gssTsskFE -4rrE - ~
Among the revels of the Christmas sea-
Son we're the so-called. feast of'fools and
asses, ,grotesque saturnaiia, which were
sometimes termed 'sDecembar liberties" !"
in which everything serious was bur-
lesqueds interiors personifying superiors,
illustrates the proneness of man to occa-
siOnally reverse the, order 0f,society and
ridicule its decencies. In the Protestant
districts of Germany and the North of|
Europe, Christmas is often called the s'chil-
1ren's festival, and Christmas eve is de-
voted to giving. presents, especially be-
tween parents and children, and brothers,
and sisters, by means of the sO-called
Christmas tree. A large yew bough is
erected in the parlors, lighted with tapers,
and hung with manifold gifts, sweetmeats.
apples, nuts, play things, and ornaments
Each of these is. marked with the names OF
the persons for whom it is intended, but
not with the name of the donor, and when
the whole family party is assembled. the
presents are distributed around the room
according to their labels, amid joyful iac-
and congratulations. A more
sober scene succeeds, for the mother takes
this occasion to say privately to the daugh-
ters, and the father to the cons, what has
been most praiseworthy and what most
faulty in their conduct. lni.. ia'rrsiti :
,i .Christmas has always been at once re-
ligious, domestic, and merry-making fes-
tiyal in England. equally for every rank
and every age. The revels used to begin
on Christmas and continue after the Can
dlemas (Feb. ~ every day being holiday
till twelfth-night (Jan.) In the houses OF
the mobiles 'slord of misruIe," or '.abbot
of unreason," was appointed, whose office
was Ito make the; rarests ,pastimes, to de-
light the sbeholder," and whose dominion
lasted from e"All hallow, eve''. .(Oct. 3l) till
candlemas day. The larder was filled with
capons, hens, turkeys, geese, ducks, beet,
mutton, pork, pies, puddings, nuts, plumst
sugar, andE honey. o The Italians have tn
following. .proverb: sHe has more busines
than English ovens at Christmas, Th
tenants were entertained at the hall; and
the lord of the manor and his family EN-
pioyed every art conducive to mirth, swflici
is thus described in an old English song:
On christmas ere the bells were ruug;s o ssis.H
& TN Uhristmas eve the mass was sung; si' -
That only night in all the year, HGLG1
! Saw the stolid priest the chalice rear. !tE
y Then open wide the bsron's hall. 1egs ~ te &c
,i To vasssl, tenant, serf and all; .asp squ- y"
Power laid his rod of rule aside, f'.. -szsI.stH
And ceremony doff ID his pride. ~ i.a HlH-a
> The heir. with roses in his shoes, - s W -s
lThat night might mig, village partner IT choose.
Il And general voice. the happy night, 1,1s1 al
That to the cottage, as the crown, Gfa. --Eaz
= Brought tidings of salvation down. 90" -f
England was merry England when . 10 -.H'il
. Old Christmas brought this sport again., .Itrf
ID Twas Christmas braached the merrIest tale:
A Christmas gambol oft would cheer 1,'r fa1-7i.
A poor mans heart for all the year. is.u ;.ns
A glowing fire. made of great logs, tn
principal of which was termed the yuli
log, or Christmas block, which might b.
burnt till Candlemas eve, kept out the Sc.
verify OF the weather; and the abundane
yzas sl.a rod mil ID rid