Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-12-24
From Chanbsr., Eneyeloredia
ChRl0 MAS,

The day on which the nativity OF the StsiOuris
observed. The institution OF this festival is attri-
huted by the spurious Decretals to TelesphoIonS'
/ who hOuTlshed In the reign OF Antoninus flus
{lSS l6l A. NJ, but the first certain traces OF 1t
ase found shout the ttIhs # the Emperor Cam-
modus (lSO-l92 AM lb the reign Of Diecietlan
| (eS4-S05 A. n, while that-Enler Swas- keePlng
court at NlcOmedia, he learned that multitude
of Christiaps were asSemblod in the city to cele-
brate the birth day Of Jesus, and having ordered
the chulch-d doors 10 be cOeed, he set fire 70 the
/ building, and ell the woehippeTe Periohed 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 May or April, others In
January. 1t is, nevertheless, almost certain tnat
the 25th OF December cannot be the nativity OF the
Saviour for it Is then the height of the rainy sea-
con JUdea, and shepherds could hardly bs
watching their Aocks by night In the plains.
| G. not only became the parent OF many later
festivals, such as those OF the Virgin, but espscia
ly from thel5th to the Sth C., gathered around a.
as Il were, several other festivals partly old ana
new, 90 that what may be termed . ChFtstSsds
Cycle sprang up, which surpassed all other groups
OF Christian holidays in the manifold richness OF.
ts festal usages and furthsred. more than any oth
| er, the completion Of the orderly and systematic
distribution of church festivals over the whole
year. Not casually or arbitrarily WA the festival
Of the Nativity celebrated on the 18th Of December.
| Among the causes that co-operated In fixing this
period as the proper one perhaps the most power
l
gaIded the WinteT-solstice as most important
peint of the activity of the powers of nature, and
| of the gods who were originally merely the sym
bolical personihcatons OF these. In more Horth-
erly countries this fact must have made nseli pt-
| culiarly paIpable-heuce the Celia and Germans,
from the oldest times, eelebrated the season with
the greatest festivities. At the wintersostice the
| Germans held their great Yule-fcast (sec fULR),
in COMMUNICATION Of the return OF the heTy suh-
Wheel and believed that, during the twelve nights
90 In
| ary they could trace tie personal movements aud
interFerences earth Of their great deites, Odtn
Berrhta, &C.. Many Of the beliefs aud usages Of
The old Germans, and also oflthe Romans, relating
to this matter, passed over from heathenism TO
Christianity, aud have partly survived to the pres
/ ent day But the church also sought to combat
| and baniSh-and it was to . large extent success
full the deep-rooted heather feeling, by adding
i for the publication OF the heather customs and
feasts which it retaned-its grandly devised htnr-
Ry besides dramatic representation of the birth Of
Christ and the rst events of his life Hence sprang
the so-called 'Manger-songs,' and multitude OF
II c. carols, as we'll as c. drAmss, which, at certain
times and places, degeneratsd Into farces or fools
festivals "a. w. Hence also originated, at latter
period, the ChEisG-trees or C-trees, adorned with
lights and gifts the custom Of reciprocal presents
and of special c. meats and dishes, such as G. rolls
cakes. eunant-loAVes, dumplings, &C. Thus, c.
became q universal social festival for young and
old, high and low, a. no other Christian festival
conld have become.
i In the Roman Catholic Church, three masses are
performed at Gone at midnignt, one at daybreak
and one in the morning. The day Is also celebfat-
ed by the Anglo Catholic cChnrch-special spsalms
are sung, aSPecial preface ia made In the COmnnn-
ion Service, and the Athanasion Greed is said or
sung. The Lutheran Church, on the continent,
Likewise observes g.; but the Presbyterian church
es In Scotland, and the whole OF the Englsh dis
senteTs, reject il, in its religious aspect as u-
man invention and as 'Savouring OF PaPisticAl
Will-WOrship,' although in England, dISSenters as
well church men keep it as a social holiday, on
which there Is a complete cessation from all bnsi-
ness But within the last hundred years, the fes-
tivitIes once appropriate to c. have much fallen
of These at one time lasted with more or less
brillancy till Candlemhs and with great spirit till
TWelfth-day; but now q meeting in the evening,
composed, when possible, OF the various branches
and members Of family, is all that distinguishes
the day above others.