Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1872-12-19
Christmas.

Everybody is looking forward to
Christmas which will SOON be here. Al
ready the little ones are enjoying in
blessed anticipation the many gifts OF
friends which that day reveals. The
store windows are brilliant with toys,
trinkets and more costly articles, which
will find their way into many home,
and make many a heart glad by these
tokens of love.
Christmas is festival of the Chris
tain church, observed on the 18th of
December, as the anniversary of the
birth of Christ. Its institution is at
tributed to Pope Telesphorus, who died
A. d. 13s, and throughout the subse-
quent history-of the church it has been
one of the most noted of Christian So
lemnities. At first it was one Of the
most movable of the festive days, often
confounded with the Epiphany, and Gel
ebrated by the eastern churches in the
months of April and May. In the 4th
century the urgency of st. Cyril of
Jerusalem obtained from Pope Julius 1,
an order for an investigation to be made
concerning the day of Christ's nativity.
The result Of the inquiry of the theolo-
gians was an agreement upon the 25th
of December. The chief grounds for
the decision were the tables of Censors
in the archives of Rome; and although,
in the opinion of some of the fathers,
there was not authentic proof of the
Identification Of the day, yet the deci-
sion was uniformly accepted, and from
that time the nativity has been celebra-
ted throughout the church on the same
day. 1t has also been a tradition that
Christ was born in the middle of the
night, and the custom in Roman Catho-
lie countries Of ushering in Christmas
day by the celebration of masses, dates
back to the. 9Th century. During the
middle ages it was celebrated by the gay
fantastic spectacle of dramatic myste-
ries and moralities, performed by per-
sonages in grotesque masks and singu-
lar costumes. The custom of singing
canticles at Christmas, called carols,
which recalled the songs of the shep-
herds at the birth of Christ, dates from
the time when the common people
ceased to understand Latin. The bish-
ops and lower clergy often Joined with
the populace in carolling, and the songs
were enlivened by dances, and by mu-
sic of tambours, guitars, violins and
organs.
In the Protestant districts of Ger
many and the north of Europe, Christ
mas is often called the "children's festi-
VAL" and Christmas eve is devoted to
giving presents, especially between par
ents and children, and brothers and sis
ters, by means of the Christmas tree
somewhat similar to the Christmas trees
our own young folks have seen, and en-
ioyed here. A large evergreen bough is
erected in one of the parlors, lighted
with tapers, and hung with manifold
gifts, sweetmeats, apples, nuts, play
things and ornaments. Each of these
is marked with the name of the person
for whom it is intended, but not with
the name of the donor, and when the
whole family party is assembled, the
presents are distributed around the
room according to their labels, am i'd
Joyful acclamations and congratula-
tions. A more sober scene succeeds,
for the mother takes this occasion to
say privately to the daughters, and the
father to the sons, what has been OBJ
served most praiseworthy and what
most faulty in their conduct. In many |
places throughout our own land the
German custom has been kept up. Al
most all our young folks know and ap-
Dreciate what Christmas tree is. The
Christmas tree should be the Home
to the family, around
which gather old and young, linked to
each other by loving remembrances. 1t
seems to lis that parents should en-
their children to make presents
Is well as to receive them-presents to
Zach other as well as to the older mem
oers of the family also. Let the wants
Of the recipient be studied. There are
hings that make present valued. 1t
must be given out of pure liking-not
because the givers feel that they must,
,r to show ostentatious patronage, or in
'eturn for previous gifts. A gift is
LOUDLY valued if it is "just the thing l
wanted most" This note of gladness
loes not mean pleasure at selfish graf
fication; It signifies that the recipient
himself or herself to have
some share of the giver's
thoughts, and that affectionate care has
been exercised in studying what. little
hing, or great as the case may be,
would especially promote their happi-
hess. If these conditions are attended
%, it makes no difference whether the
,ift is wrought by the giver's own
lands or is purchased with the giver's
money, the good intent is there, the
owing heart is seen. We hope that our
many young friends scattered far and
vide throughout our land may have a
Kind return of many happy Christmas
lays, and may they ever keep in mind
the glorious event that gave name to
this day-namely the birth of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
Fair and Festival.
The ladies of the Presbyterian Church |
L. ~. -,