Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-12-24
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0HRIsTMAS.


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christ. IL was therefore supposed
that Christ was born on the 2bth Of
December, but there is no history 20
sustain the inference. On the contra.
~ Christmas was not celebrated un~
I'll the year SO A. D. The first cele.
oration is said TO have occurred on
. Dec 20, yet history says Christmas
~ nrst was one of the most movable
of Christian festivals. Some held
Christmas in April; some in May :;
some in Januarv. DR.. Adam Clark
says the birthday OF Christ has been
held by Christian sects in every
month in the year.
Luke says And there were shep-
herds in the same country Ike, ping
watch over their focks by night"
Now unless 1t was much warmer in
Palestine formerly than il is now, or
ia this country in the same latitude,
the shepherds would have a cold
time TO watch.
| The question arises why do We
celebrate this day instead of day in
the summer time, which is more
likely 10 have been the true day
There WAS no uniformity in time
from its first celebration in the year
SO A. d., till about the year $50 A,
ID. About this time st. Cyril, Arch
Bishop of Jel ussIem, petitioned the
Pope OF Rome, julius lst, 10 order gu
investigation concerning the day, aud
the council OF the theologians decid-
ed on Dec. 25 as the day of Christ's
nativity, and ever since ii has been
uniformly kept by Christians, PEE
Rod OF some 1920 years. The reason
the council determined on this day
was that it was the day on which
the ancient Pagans and Romans cell
ebrated the nativity of their god, Sol
or Sun. They supposed the sun 10
have been born Dec. %, as that is
he time the Gun begins to return
from its winter solstice. We see
Dec. rs TO have been originally q
heather festival day.
The habit of fashion of decorating
at Christmas is TO have come from
the Druids, who used evergreen TO
attract their gods INTO their houses
and churches to keep them from
freezing in the winter time, through
superstitious kindness TO the Gods of
the Woods. We use it to beautify
our churches aud houses, and 10 keep
in memory the time. honored custom,
handing down from the ancient Gel
tic races of Northern nations.
There is another custom, az ancient
as that of decorating, which is max
ing presents TO children and friends
at Christmas time. This custom
originated in Germany about the
year 800 or 326 A ID previous 70
its being established on Dec IS
At this time lived the good man
Saint Nicholas, who devoted his
whole lite to doing good to others
was friend TO the sailor, prisoner,
and travt Ter, and 10 special manner
did he devote his time and means in
relieving and pleasing the youth. SO
great wss his reputation in life that
be was considered patron saint and
canonlzed 1T his death. 1t soon be-
came fiction that he visited chill
dren a. Christmas time with his
presents. At first Saint Nicholas,
now for short, or for English, Santa
Claus.
A legend is told Of St Nicholas in
his life time, that be was invited To
an entertainment by man who was
in the habit of stealing children and
sailing them, to be eaten by his
guests. When the dish was ! laced
before the Saint, he detected the hor.
rible crime, went TO the barrel whore
the remains of the children were
sailed. made over it the sign of the
cross, and they all arose to life, Tbs,
with other similar stories, were told
of him and believed by many.
Great reverence was paid to St.
Nicholas tor many centuries, but he
10 now only an ideal being with
Protestants, but real distributor of
gifts TO tho children on Christmas
eve.
Many superstitions have been at
tached to Christmas. One was that
witches were harmless--no ghosts
were out. La Hamiet, Shakespeare
says:
9av attr