Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-12-27
CHRISTMAS CHIMES.
The Greatest Festival and its Religious
Observance.

The Greatest Festival and its Religious
Observance.
The Merry Christmas of the Olden
Time.
"Merrie Christmas" the most Joyous
feast of all the year, has arrived once
more, bringing with it those old asso-
Citations which make it the merriest of
all the festivals, for there is scarcely a
condition of life to which it does not
bring some happiness, more or less
This great festival of the Chu-ch,
observed in all Christian coun-
tries, is unlike Easter, for the
shadow of the Cross does not
rest upon it, and no strains of sor-
row mingle with the carols which COM
memorate the birth of the child, Jesus
of Bethlehem. Merry gatherings and
unbounded fun in our homes, ringing
hallelujahs in garland entwined church
es, join together on this one day in a
double devotion of joy. Around Christ
.mas-tide are clustered many supersti-
stitious fancies, but all Of them are
beautiful. One of the Oldest is that of
all powers Of evil are PROSTATE from
Christmas Eve to Christmas night.
Shakespeare says, in Hamlet:
Some say, that ever gainst that season
comes
Wherein our Saviours birth is celebrated,
L I'll of J,x 4 oil s~lk
And then, they say. no spirit can walk
abroad
The nights are wholesome, then no planets
No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to
charm,
So hallow'd and SO gracious is the time.
Christmas does not meet with the
same recognition here, nor is there so
much observance of it as in European
countries, but the fact that each year
there is 8 growing tendency to more
heartily celebrate the time is another
proof that history repeats itself, and
that the efforts of the Puritans to oblit-
crate it from the calendar, has been
futile, for although they denounced the
observance of all such days, excepting
Sunday, as superstitious and unscrip-
tural, and it had its effect for genera
tons, yet these old days which bring
before the memory the three great
events in the life of the "Man of
Nazareth" esp ecially the first, are re-
Stunning their influence over the people,
and a few years hence Merrie Christ
mas may be celebrated as heartily
among ourselves as it was in England
of ye olden time," when
All hailed with uncontrolled delight
And general voice, the happy night,
That to the cottage, as the crown,
Brought tidings of salvation down;
Twas Christmas preached the mightiest ale,
Twas Christmas told the merriest tale;
A Christmas Gambol oft could cheer
The poor mans heart through half the year.
Germany and England are the two
countries who pay the greatest atten-
ton to Christmas, and as it is from the
loins Of these two nations that America
sprung, it is not surprising that the Gel
ebration of this festival should be grow
ing in favor among her people. It is a
curious fact that In the two countries
mentioned there is a great diversity in
its mode of observance. Santa Claus
and the Krisskringle are entirely un-
known to the English children. They
get their presents in mere matter of
fact way, and expect all of their friends
to bring them "Christmas Box" and,
until the last few years, the glories of
the Christmas tree, had not Keen re-
vealed to them.
There is a very curious custom still
practiced in some parts of North Ger
many. The parents send all of their
presents to some man who has been Sc
lected for the purpose, and who is
called Knecht Rupert. He dresses
himself IN white robe, wearing a
mask and an enormous faxen wig, and
goes round to the house on Christina as
night, saying that Jesus Christ, his
Master, sent him there. He is received
with state and reverence, and the chill
dren are generally terribly frighten-
according to the way they have
behaved themselves during the
year, In which he has been instructed
by the parents. IF any child has be-
haved very badly, he Or she gets no
present, but the visitor gives to the
father birch rod, and recommends
him in the name of his Master, to use
it freely. In England, especially in
the northern part of it, some of the
customs of the day are very curious.
The waits are terrible nuisance, but
still they are tolerated. They 60
around after midnight for two or three
weeks before Christmas with instru-
ments and vocalists, and sing and play
in the front of the houses. AS the
singers are not Away distinguished by
having good voices, and as the
accompaniment is frequently a
trombone and a drum, the ef-
feet can be imagined. These men
keep track of the houses they have
visited, and on Christmas morning they
call and expect a donation, which they
generally get for fear they might take
revenge for non-payment by donating
a little more music ~. The carol
singers adopt the same plan, but they
are composed of children, and visit the
houses in the early part of the even
snu GrTho M1mmarS - are sti1I more