Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-12-15
ALL ABOUT CHRISTMAS.

Earliest Celebration OF the Day-CustOms
and Observances-Christm Carols
Origin of the Use OF EverEreens.
From the earliest records on the SUBJ
iect, VIC learn that some Christian COM
munities celebrated the festival of Christ
mas on the first or sixth of January
others, again, adopted the period of the
Jewish Passover, the twenty-ninth OF
March while yet third body recog-
niHed the twenty-ninth of September, or
the Feast OF Tabernacles, as the proper
period.
Two very popular observances belong
ing to Christmas-the hanging up of
the mistletoe, and the burning of the
yule log-are more especially derived
from our pagan ancestors. The first of
these practices owes its origin to the
veneration in which the mistletoe was
held by the Druids, and the latter to a
ceremony performed by the Scandina-
vians, who, at their feast of Jul, about
the winter solstice, burned huge fires in
honor of their god Thor.
All through the Middle Ages, and
down to the time of the Reformation the
festival of Christmas continued to be OBJ
served with great rejoicing. On the
adoption of new system of faith by
most of the Northern nations of Europe
in the sixteenth century the celebration
of Christmas and other festivals, was
still continued by the Lutheran and An
gllcan Churches, although absolutely
denounced by Calviuists, who declared
the observance of any day save Sunday
as superstitious aud unscriptural.
The practice of singing Christmas
carols appears to be as ancient as Christ
mas itself and bishops, we are told,
used to sing carols on this day among
their clergy. The earliest specimen
which we possess of the medieval carol
is to be found in the British Museum.
it is composed in Norman French and
belongs to the thirteenth century. In
point OF composition some OF the first
carols were quite rugged if not crude
and it was not until the commencement
of the sixteenth century that any i'm
provement in this respect was notice
able. The following, belonging to this
latter period, is now sometimes sung in
England on Christmas morning by chill
dren who wander from door to door.
When Christ was born OF Mary free,
Ia Bethlehem, in that fair lie,
Angels sang there with mrth and glee,
In Excelsis Gloria.
Herdsmen beheld these angels bright.
70 hem app airing with great light,
Who raid Gods Son is born tom ht,'
In EXceIsis oils.
Tdis King has coma to save mankind,
As IL. Sculpture truth We find
Therefore this s png We have in mind,
La Exctlsis Gloria.
"Th9n Lord, for Thy great grace
Grant us the ths- to see Thy face
Where we may sing to Thy solaee
Ia Exc,ls Gloria"
The decking of houses, churches ant
shops at Christmas with evergreen
seems to have had its origin in custom
long prior to the revelation of Chris
tianity observed by the Romans during
the Satnrnalia, when they ornamentet
their temples and dwellings with greer
boughs. This appears the more oh
vious from the fact that we find nor,
than one early ecclesiastical counci
prohibiting the members of the Churcl
from initiating the pagans in thus deco
rating their houses. This prohibition
was OF no avail, however, "a the use Of
flowers and Summer branches is in
stinctive amongst nations: and as Chris
himself entered Jerusalem amid wavin,
sprays OF palm and great rejoicing, for
al and arboreal decorations have OBJ
tanned in connection with the ceremo
MES of the Church until the presen
day and are likely to continue as sucl
for all time to come. --,Smday Maya
sine.