The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-12-25
t.Cl,sist,aias--Its Misaory.

Christ occurred on the twenty-ffth day
OF December, or few days earlier or
lister, % ID matter of no great moment.
The Significance of setting apart day,
conslstz In the, fact that all Christians by
general consent accept specified time
for the celebration Of this event. The
tirst celebration OF Christmas, of which
nnentont ID made in history, was that of
0m1lkithde Of Christians who assembled
at Miopdepis some time during the reign
OF the Emperor Diocletian, (284-3O5),
while that ruler was holding his court
there. On hearing Of the fact that these
people had assembled to celebrate the
birthday OF the Saviour. he ordered the
church aoots TO be closed and the build
ing TO- rb6, burned. All the worshippers
persisted in the flames According to
some authorities this happened either in
April. OF May, for in the early days of
the ChrfStian era there was no uniformi-
ty, the day being celebrated by different
communities in different months. It
wss not until the fourth century that the
10Th OF December was appointed as the
day To- be observed and it is held by
many Biblical antiquaries that the birth
Of che, Saviour could not have occurred
on that day, for in Judea it falls in tho
very worst part of the rainy season,
when shepherds could hardly be Watching
their hocks by night in the plains. The
first certain. traces Of the festival of
,Christmas are found about the time of
the Emp peror Commodius (18O-192.) The
frst Christmas passed by the Norman
conaqerors In Britain witnessed the coro-
nation of King, William in Westminster
Abbey, The English people had not yet
Sscoyered from the stunning effects of
the battle of Hastings and the overthrow
of Harold, their King and when they
we're ordered to attend the coronation
their obedience was mechanical, and they
did not realize the full Significance and
Importance of the ceremony. Allaround
the Abbey armed men were stationed to
guard against any violent expression of
national il-will that might burst forth.
and within the building was thronged with
the new Kings friends and supporters.
.Afbtbei appointed hour the Bishop of
Constance saskod the Normans whether
they would have William for their King,
and the Archbishop of York went
through the form of putting tho same
question TO, the English, of whom there
were, Q few present. The, answer was o
shout 80 loud that the sound was heard
outside the Abbey, and the soldiers,
felgnang to- believe that the tumult was
.cansed. BY an attack on the Normans
within! the church. forthwith set upon
the upafending people of Westminster,
slew many Of them, and plundered and
burned many q house before they could
be atQpped., This was sad Christmas
Day9os the prosecuted people, who were
now being, Taught that wanton spirit
had entered the hearts Of their CONQUER
ors. an j!
I'm Pagan Rome, there was a yearly
celebration. called the Saturnalia, or Fes-
tival of Saturn. which was marked by
the prevalence of a universal license and
merry making. The slaves were then
permitted. to enjoy period of freedom
inEpeeeh and behaviour every one feast
ed and -reioiced work and business
were entirely suspended houses were
decorated with laurels and evergreens !;
presents were made by parents and
friends. and all sorts Of games and amuse-
nents were INDUCED in by the citizens.
La the early ages of Christianity, its
minister's frequently experienced diff
Guilty in inducing the converts to refrain
from indulging in tho popular amuse-
ments, which were SO largely partici-
pated in by their Pagan neighbors. At
Ae.So AAAnH9noCNS ParGiy ny Inc lDeLuCacy
Of denupciations, and partly by the idea
that the spirit of Christianity might
thereby be advanced, the Church On
deavored to amalgamate, as it were, the
old and new religions, and sought, by
transferring the heathen ceremonies to
the solemnities Of Christian festivals, to
make them subservient to the cause of
religious piety.
Engrafted thus on the Roman Saturna-
lias christmas festivities received, in
England, further changes and modifca-
tions,; by having superadded to them,
fret, the Drnidical rites and supersti-
tions, and then, after the arrival of the
Saxons,' the various ceremonies prac-
ticed blythe ancient Germans. The re-
sult has been the strange medley of
Christian and Pagan rites, which con-
tribute to make up the festivities of
the modern Christmas Thus, oere-
monies, rites and symbols, once
full OF meaning to Pagans, have been
transferred, without their meaning,
to Christians, and have come to have an
entirely new and different Specification.