The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-12-29
CHRISTMAS.

Was the 25th of December the birthday OF
Christ? We have read many dissertations
upon this very question, and as there is no
positive proof that this was the very day,
learned men have not been in accord upon
this issue of date. The conclusion from all
investigation and research is that bis birth
occurred in the spring Of the year. But what
matters it to us whether the spring or winter
was the season of his first appearance upon
earth. The fac. Of his birth and actual pres
ence is beyond all doubt.
Acquiescence for centuries that the 25th Of
December was the beginning of Christianity
is sufficient. We may dispute about the day,
but there can be no dispute about Christiani-
ty. We make these comments only az pre-
face to the recent lecture of Henry Ward
Beecher, in Plymouth Church, on Christmas
He says:
The celebration Of the beginning of Chris
tianity is a matter Of history From simple
celebration it has passed into matter of dis
pute and division. There is nothing in the
realm of Christendom that has not had blood
shed about it, and about the date Of the birth
Of Christ the whole Christian world was split
in two, but finally they came together and
agreed on a day, although it is not likely that
they hit it by rod.
It is not probable that we celebrate on the
25th day Of December the real anniversary Of
the birth of Christ and it makes no differ
ence. l have piece of wood from a null
berry tree that Shakespeare planted. know
it is the same tree, because nobody can prove
it is not and it is enough for me. think a
good deal of it in sneaking kind of q way.
The thing of itself is of no value. The whole
value consists in association. Let q given
day be appointed and followed out, and that
establishes it.
So it is Of no consequence about the birth
of Christ we have agreed that it was on the
25th day of December. In every household
there is q domestic almanac all filed up with
births and deaths, and on these respective
dates comes remembrance Of them, and it is
good it is on that ground that Sunday is
celebrated, we agree to stop and rest, and
other holidays.
Strangely, in the hands Of the superstitious
Church Christmas became the jolliest day in
the year. Now in the early periods of ma
tional life such celebrations have value and
significance they gradually lose. The same
thing has taken place with regard to Thanks
giving Day. In my boyhood Thanksgiving
Day stood out with exuberance of stomach:
on that day we had three or four kinds of pie
and pudding, an unheard-of thing on other
days; now We live ordinarily as we used to
on Thanksgiving; it is not that Thanksgiv-
ing has grown lean, but the: rest of the year
has grown tat, and SO Christmas has grown
finer and finer, and now even in old England
they have no such Christmases as they had
one hundred years ago. They dress their
houses with holly evergreens: by the by, that
was borrowed from the Druids, as we borrow
good many things from those we damn.
Well. it is Gay Of JOY that is right; it is
day for the interchange of presents in memo
ry of the greatest gift man OVERHEAD
To me Christmas is foreign day, and
shall die SO. When / was boy wondered
what Christmas was. knew there was such
time, because we had an Episcopal Church
in our town, and saw them dressing it with
evergreens, and wondered what they we're
taking the woods in church for; but got no
satisfactory explanation. 4 little later un-
derstood it was
A ROMISH INSTITUTION
kept up by the Romish Church Brough. up
in the strictest State OF New England, brought
up to the most literal style of worship, brought
up where they would not read the Bible in
church because the Episcopalians read it so
much. l passed all my youth without any
knowledge of Christmas, and so have no as
sociations with the day. Where the Christ
mas revel ought to be, have nothing 1t is
Christmas Day, that is all. Yet it is a custom
by me heartily approved. l think it day
that should be memorabilia day that we
ought to consider the anniversary Of the birth
OF our Lord.