Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-12-25
woRoEs TER
MONDAY. DECEMBER ss, 1871.
Christmas.

We are in the habit of congratulating our
selves each year, as the occasion occurs, that
throughout all our states and territories, our
annual festival of thanksgiving, an occasion fol
special recognition of the divine goodness, for
hearty enjoyment of the good things, materia
and social, of this world for family gathering.
and for kindly remembrance of those less ia
vored by Providence, is celebrated on the SAINT
day. OF New England origin, the custom o
celebrating this day is now formally recognized
ifit is not heartily accepted and valued through
out all our borders. To-day we celebrate in
common not only with all our countrymcn, but
with the whole Christian world, the anniversary
OF the event which all who are willing to be
called Christians, however diverse their creeds
or rituals, agree in holding TO be the most i'm
portant and interesting that has taken place on
this earth. From the whole Christian world.
however, we should have excepted the Russians,
who, stil adherng to the Julian calendar, arc
twelve days behind other people in their reck-
oning. For them the 25th of December is the
day which we call the 9th of January.
II is not certain, or even probable, that the
day, which has now for many years been celc-
brated by the common consent of Christendom,
is actually the anniversary of the day on which
Christ was born. For some centuries Christmas
was not one of the church festivals, and when
it began to be observed, there was no uniform
ity in the day selected for the purpose by the
different churches. 1t is said, with great APP
pearance OF probability, that the time which
finally obtained general acceptance was chosen,
not so much through preponderance of evidence
in favor Of that date, as because it occurred
within the limits of season observed by imme-
mortal custom by nearly all the nations of El-
rope before the introduction of Christianity;
that all the races which inhabit Europe cele-
brated in some manner, with religious rites and
social festivities, the period following the winter
solstice, is certain; that this circumstance de-
termined the time of the great Christian festival
is at least probabe but its origin is a matter of
small moment compared with the general
agreement in the event it commentaries and the
spirit it cherishes.
From the various peoples TO which Americans
trace their ancestry, we derive the customs which
enter into the celebration of Christmas among
us. From the English we have the substantial
feast, which John Bull thinks a necessary con1i
ton of festivity; from Germany the Christmas
tree, with its ornaments, which bring fairy land
itself within reach of the little ones; from Ho
land, Santa Claus, the iolliest of saints, who
muni6cently rewards the good children and sell
dom discriminate too harshly against the
naughty ones. All these delights are combined
in American homes, TO make Christmas here, as
it is elsewhere also, emphaically the festival OF
the children. 1t comes this year, not with bitter
cold, fields white with snow, and roadways crisp
with Frost but with genial skies and airs as bland
as those of early spring. Let us observe it glad
ly and thankfully, with kind words and deeds
not forgetting to do what we can for those TO
whom comfort and plenty are infrequent visit