Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-12-24
Concerning Christmas.

"Yawning for Cheshire cheese"
is mentioned ia the Spectator as q
Christmas gsmbol.
1t was customary for the Kings OF
France To give presents 20 their sol.
diers at Christmas time.
1t was formerly thought that bread
baked on Christmas Eve would not
turn mouldy.
Within the last hundred years the
festivities appropriate to Christmas
have much fallen eff
In the north of England a goose is
always the chief ingredient in the
composition of q Christmas pie.
10 the earlier ages of the churches
the bishops were accustomed, on
Christmas Day, to sing carols among
the clergy.
The young girls 10 Russia are the
heroines of the Christmas festivities,
which seem invented but for their
amusement.
In the Roman Catholic church
three masses are performed at Christ
mas-one at midnight, one at day.
break, and one in the morning.
The Christmas festivities at one
time lasted, with more or less bril-
nancy, until CandIemas and with
great spirit till Twelfth day.
Christmas Day, in the Primitive
church, was always observed as the
Sabbath day, and like that proceeded
10y an eve or vigil.
Gloria in Excelsis," the we'll
known hymn sung by the angels to
the shepherds at the Lords nativity,
was the earliest Christmas carol
Christmas was called the Feast of
Lights in the Latin church, because
they had many lights or candles at
the feast.
IL is saying in Lincolnshire, Eng
land. that il there is as much ice be-
fore Christmas as would bear u goose,
there will not be so much after as
will bear duck.
The yuIe.Dough was kind Of
baby, or little image of paste, which
bakers used formerly TO bake at
Christmas time, and present TO their
customers.
MistIetoe was abolished in the
Christmas decking Of chuic hes be-
cause it was found TO set the young
ladies and gentlemen a reading the
marriage service.
Mistletoe was formerly hung in the
kitchen or servants hall More re-
Gently it has been raised to the par
Tor and drawing-roon, without, how
ever, reducing the quantity ofkissing
in the lower regions
The Gentlemun's Magazine for Au
gust, 1890, says that at Rippon, in
Yorkshire, on Christmas Eve, the
grocers send each OF their customers
a pound or hsf-a pound Of currents
and raisins to make Christmas pud-
ding.
IN the Scilly Islands they have
custom of singing carols on Christ
mas Day at church, TO which the con-
gregation make contributions by
dropping money into hat carried
about the church when the per-
formaDce is over.
There is very curious custom OBJ
served by the Greek Church through
out Russia Ii is the baptism at
Christmas Of the patron saint Each
village and each city has it's particular
patron. 10 the larger towns. the
ceremony is performed by bishop
A cross is cut in the ice, and the
patron saint represented by u carved
wooden effigy, is baptized.
1t is the practice in England to
cut ashen fagots Oh Christmas eve.
The ash is said to be the only wood
that will burn green, and it is the
policy Of the wood.cutters to lay on
as many blinds" upon the tagots as
possible, as it is an old established
custom that every bind should re.
present jug of cider, not that this
is the limitation of quantity oonsum-
ed on the occasion only that this is
a part Of the ceremonial.
The beautiful custom of adjoining
the houses with evergreen during the
Christmas holidays, is ascribed to
various causes. Those who have
taken the Christian view Of the mat
ter refer to those expressions, so FREE
queutly met with in the prophetical
writings, where green boughs are
spoken OF as ornaments of the sane
tuary and signs Of rejoicing. Others
have affirmed that the custom had a
pagan origin, and refer to the beau
tiful druidical custom of hanging up
in the house boughs of green, TO
which the wood.spirits might resort
to shelter them from the nipping
blasts Of winter.