Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-12-24

~ ~ tne Wealtny, IL peneTatos Hhe Tue
q II sunlight of heaven TO the heSrths Of
the poor and the wretched, and lghtens the
darkness of their misery; it breaks down
social barriers erected by seltshness and
pride, and brings home to every
soul the eternal verify of the brotherhood OF
mankind. From ten thousand pulpits on
this Sabbath morning, In every Christian
community, win be proclaimed the grand
Old mystery, ever unsolved, ever new to the
succeeding generations Of men, of the incar.
nation OF the Deity; and hearts win be hum
bIed at the thought that It was no lap Of
luxury, but The "manger of Bethlehem,
that Graded the infant King.
The history Of the festival which the
Christian world will celebrate tomorrow is
s'a tale that is told" and very few aye unfs-
riliar with the traditions and customs elus-
tering about il. Authorities are divided as
to the date of the first general celebra-
ton, among Christians, Of Christmas.
! No doubt as early as the days of the Tapos-
ties there were private reunions among the
followers of ''the new religion" and the day
was observed with appropriate ceremonies.
Some historians give Pope Telesphorus
credit for having proclaimed il Christian
festival in the early part Of the second CEN
tury, but nospecial day was fixed for holding
it till near the close of the fourth century,
when, it is supposed, Pope Julian 1. named
the 18th Of December as the birthday of
Christ. From that day 10 the present time
the date remains unchanged, although there
have been controversies as to its correctness
at all times amongst Christians. In those
early days of the history of the Church,
while it was struggling for its very existence
against PaganiSm, great difficulty was ex-
perienced by the priesthood in preventing
the laity from joining in the heathen festi-
vals Of their neighbors. 1t was found impos-
sible wholly to restrain them from indulging
IN the Roman saturnalia, and a compro
mise was agreed upon. The laity were
permitted to engage in such of the sports
of the satnrnalia as were not in conflict
with the principles of Christianity, and to
this happy arrangement we are indebted for
most of the pleasant customs which we as
sociate with the Christmas festival. When
the religion spread over Europe and was
received by the Northern nations, each one
engrafted some of the pagan customs which
had become endeared to them by usage,
into the Christian holiday. Thus, from
the worship of the Druids we derive the
custom of decorating houses and churches
with eyergreens. Time has modified many
Of the pastimes which our fsrefathers asso-
ciated with the day. The whistle Of the
locomotive, the click of the telegraph, and
the clatter of the press, have frightened away
the genial spirits that once Joined with men
In celebrating this festival Of festivals, and
little more than their memory exists with
US. Still, enough remains to make 1t the
brightest and best day Of all the year.
In Europe, each nation honors the day
with ceremonies of its own, and in no two
deed, in our own land each section Of the
Union has some special mode of observing
the festival. In the New England States,
where the inf6ence of Puritanism is still
felt, the day passes almost unobserved. The
old Puritans were race little inclined to
mirth and social enjoyment, ana despite
their many excellent qualities, those who
have been accustomed to regard Christmas
as season Of innocent pastime, cannot
help regarding the stern old Pilgrims as
"a sect whose chief devotion lies
In odd, perverse antipsthies,
That with more care keep holy-day
The wrong, than others the right way,
Still so perverse and opposite,
As if they worshipped God for spite"
= While the descendants of the pilgrims
may not have inherited this bilious religion,
they certainly have not learned yet to re-
pard Christmas as other christians do, and
the day brings to the New Englander's
mind none of those pleasant memories
which render il hallowed festival to us.
1t has been remarked, however, that the
most progressive. communities are the
geast influenced by the traditions and
customs of the past, and viewed in
this light, it is possible that our
New England countrymen may have
reached point in CIVILIZATION
at which they have become too
enlightened to dissipate their energies
or direct their attention to anything but
money-getting. In the Southern, Middle
and Western States, however, where the
heart is no less cultivated than the head,
and man is measured by some other
standard than the mere length Of his purse,
the Christmas pastimes Of Europe have
taken reot and flourish in kindly soil.
With all the activity of the people, and
amid the rush q commerce, sufficient time
Is found to rest from the cares of business,
and enjoy the Christmas holiday in socia
way. 1t is greeted with no heightened Wis
age and empty stomach, but is welcomed as
a day of fsasting, a season Ofhappy family
He-unions, and interchanges of good will
amongst all classes. 1t comes at a time
when the keen, bracing breath of the North
inyigorates while it bites, and bestows a
~6aiLn OF dnlLndi spHlIS Oh 1'iO ANJOAc
masses. Keen appetites await savory
dinners, for on Christmas day poor indeed
must be the family that cannot cford
feast.
But to the young, Christmas is very
harvest Of JOY, looked forward to for months
in advance, and the theme of comment fol-
weeks after it has passed away. Santa
Claus, or Christ Kindlein (Or as he is better
known, "Kris Kringle"O that mysterious
visitor whose step is so light and whose form
is so ETHEREAL that he descends the chimney
unheard, and fills each little stocking with
some appropriate present-hOw dear to the
Juvenile soul is this wonderful parsonage
and how sweet the memory Of the Illusion
In after life. If We owe nothing else to
Germany, she deserves our gratitude for
having given us, among her emigrants,
Christ Kindlein.
TIE Catholic missionaries 10 labor among
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