The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1871-12-23
THE CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL.
an Interesting Historical Sketch.


The institution of the Christmas fes-
tlval is attributed by the spurious De-
cretals to Telesphorus, who fiourlshed
In the reign OF Antoninous Plus 13S-
ISL A. d. } but the first certain traces
of it are found about the time of the
Emperor Commodus, 0S0-192 A. D.
In the reign of Diocletian 004305 A.
ID, { while that ruler was keeping court
at NicOmedia, he learned that multi
tude of Christians were assembled iii
the city to celebrate the birthday of
Jesus, and having ordered the church
doors to be closed, he set fire to the
building, and all the worshippers per-
ished in the flames.
1t does not appear, however, that
there was any uniformity in the period
of observing the nativity among the
early churches some held the festival
in the month of April or May, others
In January, 1t is, nevertheless, almost
certain that the 25th of December can
not be the nativity of the Saviour, for
it is then the height of the rainy season
in Judea, and shepherds could hardly
be watching their focks by night in the
plains.
Christmas not only became the par
ent of many later festivals, such as
those of the Virgin, but especially from
the 9Th to the 9Th century, gathered
round it, as it were, several other fes-
rivals, partly old and partly new, 30
that what may be termed Christmas
Cycle sprang up which surpassed all
other groups of Christian holidays in
the manifold richness of its festal US
ages, and furthered, more than any
other, the completion of the orderly
and systematic distribution of church
festivals over the whole year. Not cas-
ually or arbitrarily was the festival of
the Nativity celebrated on the 25th of
December. Among the causes that CO.
operated in fixing this period as the
proper one, perhaps the most powerful
wus, that almost all the heather ma
tons regarded the winter-solstice as a
most important point of the year, as
the beginning of the renewed life and
activity of the powers of nature, and of
the gods, who were originally merely
the symbOlical personifcations ofthese.
In more nOrtherly countries, this fact
must have made itself peculiarly palp-
able-hence the Celts and Germans,
from the oldest times, celebrated the
season with the greatest festivities At
the winter -solstice, the Germans held
their great Vule-feast in commemora-
ton of the fiery sun-wheel and be-
heved that during the twelve nights
reaching from the 25th of December to
the 9th of January, they could trace the
personal movements and interferences
on earth of their great deities, Odin,
Berchta, &c. Many of the beliefs and
usages of the old Germans, and also of
the Romans, relating to this matter,
passed over from heathenism to Chris
tianity, and have partly survived to the
present day. But the church also sought
to combat and banish-and it was to
a large extent successful-the deep
rooted heather feeling, by adding, for
the publication of the heather customs
and feasts which it retained, it's liturgy,
besides dramatic representations of the
birth of Christ and the first events OF
his life. Hence sprang the so-called
Manger-songs," and multitude OF
Christmas carols, as well as Christmas
dramas, which, at certain times and
places, degenerated into farces or fools,
festivals. Hence, also originated, at q
later period, the Christ trees, or Chris
tmas trees, adorned with lights and
gifts, the custom of reciprocal presents,
| and of special Christmas meats and
dishes, such as Christmas rolls, cakes,
currant-leaves, dumplings, &c. This,
| Christmas became universal social fes-
tlval for young and old, high and low,
us no other Christian festival could have
become
In the Roman Catholic Church, three
masses are performed at Christmas
| one at midnight, one at daybreak, and
one in the morning. The day is also
celebrted by the Episcopal Church
special psalms are sung; a special pre-
face is made in the Communion ser
vice, and in England the Athanasian
Greed is said and sung. The Lutheran
Church likewise observes Christmas :
but most other denominations reject it,
IN its religious aspect, as " human
| INVENTION and as ''savoring of papis-
teal will worship" although everybody
keeps 1t as a social holiday, on which
there is a complete cessation from all
business. But within the last hundred
yesrs, the festivities once appropriate
to Christmas have much fallen off. In
England these at one time lasted with
more or less brilliancy till Candlemas,
and with great spirit till Twelfth day /;
out now, a meeting in the evening, com
posed, when possible, of the various
branches and members of a family. is
all that dlstlr guishes the day above
others.