The Morning herald., 1876-12-25


the eharastsr Of the soil, and the advsr-
tagss psssssseA, TO b the themes for their
oonamunications.
CRRlsTAAs-ALLA ABOUT 1T.
The one day of the year which brings
to the hearth the merry sound Of gladness,
and sends an electric thrill Of merrimen'
into the souls of the young, and causes the
prattling babe to crow with joy a. the won-,
dsrs of Kriss Kringle's wallet is unfolded
to isbeaning eyes. Christmas, within the
domain Of Christendom, has come to be
grand social holiday, as we'll as religious
festival, Even our Hebrew friends take
occasion to make the holiday one OF
pleasant intercourse and gift making with
their Christian friends and employees.
We must look away into the very morn
ing Of history, to find the origin of the
Christmas sports, and amusements We now
indulge in at first blush one would nat
urally refer all to Christian origin
Such Is not the fact.-Away in the bowels
of the unannalled past the customs and
amusements of eur Christmas times, had
their origin. Before Rome had being
the amusements and abandon of the Satur-
MALTA, held high carnival in the marts and
castles of the Etruscans. In Samnite and
Sabine cottages, as in oaken groves-the
Druids sanctuary, usages and customs,
had their being, which now give joy to ou
children, and provokes the jocund Of ado
lescence. The mode Of celebrating Christmas
is one of the few instances, in which g
Franco-a German custom has modified, and
almost entirely changed the Anglo Irish
mode of celebrating the festivity Of Christ.
mas. The sports, festivities, and decoration
of houses in England and Ireland, il
trsceable to Druidism, and close research
carries US up to the cradle OF man in Asia
and We find such existing in great meas
sre in the patriarchal tents ofthe primitive
people, to whom Solomon declared
"Neither il any man able to say: Behold
this 10 new"
The Ch ristmas tree, which is one Of the
distinctive American Customs came to u
from Germany-its origin can be traced
up to Roman or Etruscan times. In all
probability the conquering legions Of Dru-
sus carried the custom Of decorating ever
greens with toys and fruit upon the feast Of
Saturnalia into the valleys Of the Rhine
We recsllect reading some time ago in g
religious journal, a pedantic article show
ing how this custom originated among thu
immediate followers Of Luther; it was &C
companied By a sketch OF the first Christ
mas tree AZ decorated for Luther and hi
frau Catherine. No doubt the lazy 0
illiterate author secured much commenda
ton for his research. Alas how far fror
the truth was he.
In Smiths Greek and Roman Ant
quities under the head Of "Oscillum," tn
curious may see cut copied from a
ancient gem Of box tree with masl
hanging upon its branches, and music;
instrument and crook lying at its foo
FIVE connect this with the Sabine trad
ton of the presentation Of green boughs
the Sabine King, with fruit pendant fro
its branches as a token of peace betwet
himself and Romulous, We very closely a
proach the idea which decorates the Ced
or White Pine, upon Christmas, a. a syr
Dol Of fsstivity, peace and good will
the Reman tree undoubtedly is the mod
of that to be seen in our day.
Our sports giving presents, street mi
qusrades, the din oftravested music, is an q
solute repoductiou in so far As manners Al
climate permits, az has habitually tax
placs.at each..re turning mid-winter, in t
ancient Roman and Etrucian times.
The Roman festival of Saturnus
whom the inhabitants of Latiun attribut
the introduction ofsgriculture and the a
of civilized life:-being coincident
time, with Christmas as authoratively fix
by Pope Julias is more than an accide
tai coincidence. The profound poll
of the primative Church led to t
puri6cation of the grossness Of popu1
festivals, Identifying them with the graz
Of religious ceremony, and retaining
Of those practices not obnoxious to faith