The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-12-28
CHRISTMAS.
How Observed in Richmond.
AT HOME AND ON
TIE STREET.
THE CHURCHES DECKED.
RELIGIOUS SERVICES.
T.GDAY FESTay TIES.


"Christmas comes but once q year."
| says the old song, and, Judging from the
| tired faces seen, and headaches felt on the
next day, it is very well that the happy
season does not last longer or visit lis Often
er. However, that it is very pleasant while
| it lasts, every right-minded, clear-headed
man must admit, and we have no sympathy
with the cynicism pervadine an article in
a late Saturday Rerictr ridiculng the OBJ
Seryancc of this timc-honorcd festival a
relic of primitivcncSs and provinclallsm,
| not in keeping with the present adj
vanccd stage Of civilization, and all
| that sort of thing. Nonsense We
agree with contemporary that it is not
that these critical fellows hate Christmas so
much rs it is that Christmas upscts them,
and hence they abuse what bile, dyspepsia,
or Indigestion, forbid them the pleasures OF
enjoying. This sort Of philosophy smacks
very much Of tic dos-in-thc-manser school.
They are incapable Of enjoying Christmas
themselves, and therefore try to prevent
others from doing so by snecring at Santa
Claus and laughing at his rcindeers, but no.
body's plum-pudding and turkey will taste
any the worse for their indigestiblc proper
ties having been bawled into their ears by
these ill-natured fault-fndcrS.
CHRISTMAS IN RICHMOND.
Christmas began here this year about
week earlier than usual. or rather the pre-
parations for the holidays did. All last
week the streets were alive with shoppers,
the stores were thronged. and the hearts Of
the shop-keepers were gladdened by liberia.
purchasers. Not since the war has money
flowed more freely, and although many
dealers had largely increased, or even
doubled. their stocks of holiday goods, many
found their shelves stripped very early in
the action, and few who took the precau-
lion of letting the people know what they
had will have on hand at the close of the
holidays more than they know what to do
with.
With Christmas Eve the merry-making
commenced. The harvest of the shop
keepers was at its height, egg-nog began
to flow, the children hung up their stock
ings, the streets were Illuminated with
ascending rockets and Roman candles,
while nervous people were frightened
almost to death, and everybody enjoyment
Of the occasion was marred not by the pop
ping of iirc-crackers and torpedocs, nor by
the discharge OF firearms, though the latter
| was Objectionable, but by the hullabaloo
created by squads Of horn-blowing don
KEYS, who from twilight until dayhreak pa
| radcd the streets, making night hideouS by
| their uncarthly mockerr OF stage-drivcrS
and canal-hoat men. This horn-bl0wing is
Of recent introduction here, having come
| South since The war: but Il second Christ
mas experience OF its beauties has been
enough to make peacc-loving Richmond
vote it . nuisance, and we hope that before
| ihn next recurrence Of the Christmas holi-
lav> our municipal authorities will fol-
| low the example Of the Philadelphia Com
mon Council, and treat it accordingly.
| Let Us hay" tirc-crackcrs, torpcdocS, rock
ct<, and pistols, il you please: but - dash
| tLc tin horns.
CHRISTMAS MORNING
dawncd rather murkily but notwithstand-
| ing lowering clouds and occasional drop
| pings Of rain, Young America WAS cnthu-
| >ia>tic. and from MANY \ GcEy OF little ones
| there arose eXclamatiuns oI delight 1T what
Santa Claus had brought and what kind
| friends had given with the compliments Of
| the season. The older ones generally en-
tered into the spirit II the festival; and
| there were few homes in Richmond III
| which there were not scenes of merry
making, even before the bell summoned old
and Young TO the brcakiast-tablc, with its
! tcnnting steaks and sauSa2cS and Steaming
| buckwheat cakes.
After breakfast the streets were filled with
people in their holiday apparel, and the
stores were almost universally closed. But 1T
about noon steady, dripping rain COM
mcnccd to fall, and pedestrians, being driven
from the streets, most persons were obliged
10 spcud the rest OF the day at home, save an
hour or two perhaps spent by The devotional
at church, or. b. those otherwise inclined,
over the conviVial bowl 1t night.
CHRISTMAS At CHURCH.
Services appropriate to the day were held
al both OF the Catholic and all the EpiscO-
pal churches.
The old custom Of decking the houses
and churches al Christmas was generally
observed. This custom Is supposed to be
derived from ancient Druidca practices.
II WAS IN old belief that sylvan spirits
might flock to the cyergrcens and remain
ilnnippcd BY frost till Il milder season. y
quaint old writer thus spiriti;tlizcs the piac-
ticc of Christmas decorations so our
churches and houses dcclied with bays and
rosemary, holly and ivy, and other plants
which are always green wlntcrand summer,
signify and put IL in mind OF Ills Deity,
that !, child that was born was God and
man, who should spring up like tender
plant, should always be green and flourish
ing, and live loreyermorc." Festive carols,
we are informed. used 10 be chanted at
Christmas in praise of the cyergreenS so
The decorations remain in the churches
from Christmas to the end of January. but,
in accordance with the ecclesiastical c1non-,
they must all be cleared away before the I'd
Of February or Candlemas day. The same
holds good rs 4 custom with regard To prl-
vatc dwellings, superstition III both cases
rendering it Il fatal presage il any of these
sylvan ornaments are retained beyond the
period Just indicated. In q poem, by Sher-
rick, he thus alludcs to the popular prcju-
dice :
"Down with the rosemary, and -
Down with the bale, and mStctoc.
Down with the holly. ivic all
lthcrcwtth Hc !rcet The Chrlstn nall
That SO the sapcrstitious fad
No one least branch there !c!t behind,
Few look how many leaves there be
Neglected. there, GaaiC.s trust me,
so many g0tlins you sha! scc.'
sr. PETER's CATHEDRAL.
At ) o'clock Christmas morning mass was
celebrated ut It. Peters in presence OF a
large assembly OF dcvout Catholics by Rev.
Father Mulycy. Two other masses were
said almost Immediately afterward by the
same venerable divine, and al 10 O'Clock
high mass was celebrated by Rev. Father
Brady. The choir sang in fine style the
"kirie Eleison" and "Gloria Excelsis," :"
from MoZart's Twelfth Mass, and the re-
malnder from Mercadante. The remarks
of his Reverence on the occasion were ap-
prOpriate and highly interesting.
ST. PArRlCk's CHURCH.
At this church, on Twcnty-tifth street.
several masses were said in the morning by
Rev. Father Hagan, and the attendance
was very large, notwithstanding the incle-
ment weather. Many persons not of the
Catholic faith were present. After high
mass meeting of the parishoners was held
to devise means for paying the balance due
on the rcctory of the parish, and steps
were taken which will probably result in
the early Humiliation of the debt.