The Hartford herald., 1879-12-10
Christmas Obseryances.

We give space this week TO a lengthy
article on .Xmas ohservances. The ar
ticle is well written and contains much
valuable information, and as all minds
are now filed with the anticipated fes-
tivities, we presume many will he glad
10 get such information.
The Saturnalia were observed in COM
memoration Of the peaceful and happy
period in which Saturn fiourished, which
the poets have celebrated as the Golden
Age. Universal joy and harmony pre-
vailed during the time of the celebra-
ton. No serious business was per-
mitted; the schools were closed; war
ceased; and all kinds of famusements and
indulgence prevailed. License was un-
bounded. The lowest slaves had tenn
porary equality with their masters, who
patiently bore every freedom of remark
from their menials, and even submitted
To the kcencst sarcasms. One day only
Was at first devoted To the celebration
of the festival, but Augustus gratified
the people with two additional days OF
sport and festivity.
The out groupings of the freedom and
license of the Saturnalia are visible in
many forms of Christian observances.
In Italy at the present day, masters and
servants meet at a common Christmas
table, and are seated together. And
among the English aristocracy, at the
time respecting which Scott sang of the
Christmas-tide, the "huge hail table"
"Bore them ON it, surface broad
No mark 10 part the squire and lord"
The Feasts of Foals and Asses in
France and England We're more of those
"December liberties" born of the same
stock. In those grotesque Saturnalia
every thing serious was burlesqued; in
feriors personified their superiors, and
sedate men became frolicsome. In a
modified degree the idea has come down
through Protestant England and Puri-
tanical Scotland Ia modern days.
The most OF our modern Christmas
ol,seryances can be tracked back To the
old worship of OdiIL The names have
simply lseen changed, and the custom
has received the right of Christian bap-
tism. The Christ-child with his gifts
and marked attendants, is a product OF
the German antiquity. Mistletoe and
holly, lule log and Yule candle are
classed i'm the same category. Decking
the houses and temples with evergreens
at Iule tide was Druidical practice.
Holly and mistletoe were the favorite
hangings. The mistletoe was particu-
larly venerated. Its berries of pearl
were symbolical ofpurity and We're thus
associated by them with the rites OF
marriage. .Chaplets of the mystic flower
We're worn about the head, u practice 10
which the phrase "whispering under
the mistletoe, and kissing under the
mistletOe," are illusions. Our pagan
progenitors also kindled bonfires upon
the hills during this festive season, and
i'm their homes burned great logs and a
mammoth candle. Hence the applica-
ton of these ohservances to the Christ
mas tide. 81 ..li
The Christmas tree is also of German
origin. Its pagan prototype was the
Ygdrasil, a great tree whose roots We're
hidden deep i'm the ground, but whose
top reached to. Walhalla, the old Ger
man paradise, where its leaves nour-
ished the goat upon whose milk fallen
heroes restored themselves. During the
Twelve Nights a fir tree to represent
the Ygdrasil was decorated i'm honor OF
Berchta, the Goddess of Spring. When
Christianity was introduced i'm Germany
Christmas usurped the custom of the
Twelve Nights, and the Tree of Berchta
became the Christmas tree. So the
evergreen tree, emb,ematic of spring
time, became symbolical of an eternal
spring. No longer the symbol of a
heathenish principle, it has been borne
wherever German civilization has pene-
trated. Laden with rich varieties OF
golden fruit and radiant with light, the
tree has taken root, and now lifts its
gay branches under every sky, flourish
ing alike amid Norwegian SHOWS and
beneath Italian suns, ON the banks OF
the Neva and Thames; the Hudson and