The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1868-12-24
enRIsTmAs Day.
Its Origin and Observance.
Christmas Gifts.
Christmas Times Poetry and
Prose ThereOn-@The
Christmas Tree.
A ..lIerry ChrIslnla.s, !. o AIl. Z
~ heard sho boliason Christmas dsy. -o-
4hs old familiar carol play,
Add. Wild sod sweet,
Ths words repeat

Add WUd snd sweet,
Ths words rspeat
Ofpsaes on sarths good VIII b men"
Tomorrow Morning will bring an
other anniversary Of that day held sa-
cred throughout ChristendOm for the
birth in Bethlehem Of the founder Of
the Christian religions Though near
ly two thousand years have past since
that event, the day IS stin a way
mark in the year, day Of sacred and
pleasant memories, Of kind, forgiving
thoughts, Of generous, heart-Warming
actions; a day which makes men and
women and children happier and bet
ter for its coming.
For many days the bustle Of prep
aratiOn for this holiday has been
heard throughout every hamlet aud
city in the Christian world. IN diff
ferent climes and nations, in different
tongues and ways, By people Of va
ried creeds and customs, the old sto-
ry is brought to mind. 1t Is a pleas
ant thought, in the midst of our re-
jOicings, that from polar region to
tropic plains, all around the broad
earth, the millions who call themselves
Christians have this one common tie
however unlike in anything else
in the celebration Of one common an
niversary. From cathedral, church
and chapel, organ and choir viii peal
forth the solemn mass or exulting
anthem, home hearth-stOnes will
blaze with unusual VAIN h and light,
/ and about tables spread with abun-
dance Of good cheer, viii gather hap
Py families, to rejoice in the blessings
Of a bOuntiful Providence, and in the
gifts which the hand offriendshipan and
affection has freely bestowed. Truly
it is day Of worldwide peace and
good will.
CHRIsFMAs-ITs ORIGIN AND OBJ
sERvANCE.
The observance of Christmas, in one
form or another, is universal. Where
ever Christianity holds sway, the
birthplace Of a common Savior is eele-
brated as a festive occasion. True it
is that Of late years, many Of the pleas
ant and unique superstitions of the
Olden time have nearly disappeared,
while many of the ruder and grosser
usages that formerly marked the Oh
seEvance of Christmas as a revel and
&. .earnusal, have happily become quite
obsolete. The Ancient R5lecH Rupert
of the Germans has given place to the
more modern German Santa Claus ih9
one a modification Of the other, and
with the gift making Characteristic
fairly and fully inherited. To this
characteristic-this agreeable and de-
lightful practice more perfect civ
/ lizatiOn and an increased enlighten-
ment cIings with a pertinacity worthy
ofits trust. Christmas is, in fact, the
only day when presents are allowable
when gifts may be exchanged with
out offending good taste, or infring-
ing upon the eonventionalities Of 50
ciety. Let Us be thankful that there
is one day in the year when gift-a
token Of friendship or regard-may
/ be bestowed and received without a
fear Of the motive being niscOnstrued.
/ oh, the souvenirs Of friendship. that
Christmas brings! Oh, the f0ysy the
delights, the pride that are inspired
with the arrival of these silent but el-
Oquent messengers that come and go
upon the wings Of friendshipl Obi
and young alike share the feeling, and
if there is a time when it is "mOre
blessed to give than to receive" that
time is Merry Christmas.
The first celebration Of mass q Chris .
mas day, IS said to hav e been ordered
in a decree of Pope TelesephOrusy
about the year 127, but as different
authors and leaders IN the Church as
cribed the birth to different days It
was not so generally observed as ex--
pected, and as generation followed
generation, it fell into general disre--
pute. In the fourth century, howev--
er, there sprung up a series Of devoted
and learned authors and missionaries,
who saw the necessity Of having the
birthday of Christ definitely settled,
so that all the people could join in
doing honor to the annually recurring
anniversary. A cOnvocatiOn, called.
the "Urgency," composed Of wise
Christians of jerusalem, under the
patronage Of the church Of st Cyril,
was accordingly. held, in which pc.
tition was made to Pope Julius ]. for
| a commission to investigate the evil
denee, and report to the Chucrh, at
what time the Savior was BORN The
Pope favored the investigation, and i'm
due time the report was made, fixing
the 25th day Of December as the Bctu-
al birth day of Christ. The evidences
were p principally the tables in the ar
chives Of the Roman eensors, which
were considered sufficient, and from
then till now, the day has been uni
versally recognized by Christians as
the natal day Of the Savior Of
I mankind. It was an early tradition,
generally believed, that Christ was
born about the middle Of the night.
The custom in the Roman Catholic
countries of ushering in Christmas day
I by the celebration Of three masseSt
first at midnight, second at early dawn,
and the third in the evening, dates
I from the 9Th century. The day was
considered in the double light Of a
holy cOmmemOratiOn and a cheerful
festival, and was accordingly distin-
guished by devotion, relaxation from
business, and universal merriment.
i During the middle ages it was eele-
brated by the gay, fantastic spectacle
I of dramatic mysteries and mOralities,
performed by persons in grotesque
masks aud singular costumes. The
Il scenes usually represented an infant
] in a cradle, surrounded by the Virgin
Mary and St. JosepIA by bulls head,
eherubs, eastern AIagi, and manifold
ornaments.
The custom OF lsincing clnlicIns ON