The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-12-25
CHRISTMAS.

Christian, in every land and OF what
ever tongue. 1t is observed this year
as the lS6Sth anniversary of the birth of
our Savior. The Institution Of Christ
mas as a festival of Ihe Christian church
is attributed to Pope TeIesphoTus. who
died A. d. l3S. AT first, it was the most
movable ofthe Christian festive days,
often confounded with the Epiphany
and celebrated by the eastern churches
in the months OF April and May. In the
fourth century Pope Julius l. ordered
an investigation 10 be made concerning
the day OF Christ's nativity. III" result
of the inquiry by the theulcSiaus OF the
East and West was an agreement upon
the 25th of December. The decision
was based chiefly on the tables Of
the ceusors in the archives OF Rome;
and although In the opinion of some of
the fathers, there was not authentic
proof Of the identification Of the day,
the decision was uniformly accepted,
and from that time the nativity has
been celebrated throughout the church
on the same day. 1t has been "A com
mon tradition that Christ was born
about the middle of the night.
The Catholic custom of ushering in
Christmas with three masses, one at
midnight. the second at early dawn,
and the third later in the morning ,dates
from the sixth century. The day was
celebrated both rs holy commemora-
tioa and II cheerful festival, and was
distinguished by vacation from bnsi-
ness. devotional exercises and merri-
ment. During the middle ages it was
celebrated by fantastic spectacles of
dramatic mysteries and moraliiies, per.
formed by persons in grotesQue cos
tunes. The custom of singing caniicles
or carols, dates from the time
wnen the common people ceased
to understand Latin. During the
last days preceding Christmas, it
Is. sill the custom for Calabrian min
strels 30 descend from the mountains
To Naples and Rome, sAluting the
shriues Of the Virgin with their wild
music. under the poeljcal notion for
cheering her until the birth-;ime of her
infant at the approaching Christmas.
Preparatory to Christmas the bells are
rung at midnight throughout England
and the European continent. This GUS
tom which dates far back is chronicled
in the old song
"On Christmas eve the bells were rung:
On Christmas eve the Mass was sung, &C.
Among the revels of the Christmas
season were the Geasts of fools and of
asses" grotesque saturnaIia In which
everything serious was burlesgued and
ridiculed. In the Protestant districts
ofGermany and North Europe, Christ
mas is often called the children's festi
val, and the eve is devoted to giving
presents, especially between parents
and children and brothers and sisters,
by means of the Christmas tree. This
custom also prevails in nearly all
parts OF the United States. For
merly in Northern Europe, and
still in some small villages of
north Germany, the presents are all
sent to some one person, who In high
buskins, white robe, a mask and an
enormous 1sxen wig, and known as
hHecht Rupert goes from house to house
and being received by the parents with
great pomp and reverence, calls for
The children and bestows the intended
gifts upon them according to character
which he hears from the parents after
severe Inquiry. Our own children's
tradition Of Santa Claus seems to have
been derived from this curious forma-
lily. 1t is an old Swedish tradition
that at the Christmas festival men
living in cold northerly regions are
strangely metamorphosed into wolves,
and that multitude meet ut an ap-
pointed place during the night and
attack men, and other creatures not
fierce by nature, SO fiercely that the
Inhabitants OF such countries suffer
more from their attacks than from the
natural wolves.
In England Christmas has ALWAYS
been at once religious, domestic aud
rnerry-making festival, for all ranks
and ages. American traditions of
Christmas mostly come from England,
and II Is esteemed and celebrated here
much as 1t is there. THE common
custom Of decking houses and churches
with evergreens is derived from ancianI
Druid practices. It was m old belief
that sylvan spirits might flock to the
evergresns and remain unnipped by
frost Till milder season. II was an
other old English superstition that on
Christmas eve the oxen were ALWAYS
found on their knees, IA In an attitude
OF devotion, and that arter the change
from old TO new style they continued TO
do this only ondhe eve OF the old Christ
mas day. Another tradition, alluded
to by Shakespeare, was that MIDNIGHT
spirits iors"ke the earth and go to their
own confines at the Growing oftI,.,ool,
and that
-Ever igainst that Ielson Comes
Whe.ein our EHViOTs birth IL celebrated
Tue blrd OF dawnlnH slngetn all night lnns
The Christmas festivals in England
have lost their primitive boisicrous
character, the ganIboIs aud carols are.
nearly gone. and family reunions and
evergreen trimmings are nearly all that
remain Of the rough merrim.uts Tint
used 10 distinguish the day. 1t has
never been the practice to observe the
details "f the old English Christmas in
this country, and here az there It is
yearly becoming more and more "A
friendly aud social anniversary aud los
ing gradually IFS distinctive religious
character. II comes Mt the close of
the year, after the harvOsts arc all