Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-12-18
CHRISTMAS CUSTOMS.

No two nations, two families, or TWO per-
SONS have the same way Of celebrating Christ
mas, or any other holiday. The Chinese have
feasts which correspond to our Christmas.
It is popular festival devoted almost entire
ly to the amusement of children, and in offer
ing sacrifices and paying homages to certain
deities, male and female, who are supposed to
take interest in the welfare of the young.
Special honors are paid to the "Seyen Star
Mother" or "Mother of the Measure" who is
supposed to dwell among the Seven stars
which form the dipper in the Great Bear con-
stellation. This goddess is believed to have
power to give children long years Of life, and
her favor is especially sought.
The cakes they eat at this time must be
round, like the moon; and the candies, Of
which they devour great quantities, are made
into all sorts of queer shapes This Chinese
festival takes place early in October.
The Christian idea of Christmas, with its
love, charity and forbearance, is most fully
realized in Sweden, where some Of the pa
gan ceremonials are still INDUCED in. The
courts are closed old quarrels settled !; old
feuds forgotten; while on the Yule evening
the shoes, great and small, Of the entire.house-
hold are set close together in row, that dur.
ing the coming year the family may live to-
gether in peace and harmony. Isn't there
something particularly pretty and appropri-
ate in that custom In ancient Rome all
walls of separation we're broken down during
the Satturnalia, or feast Of Saturn, which cor.
responds with our Christmas holidays; and
in Italy, at the present day, masters and ser:
wants not unfrequently meet, and are seated
at common Christmas. s
In the time of Queen Elizabeth. the Christ
mas holidays lasted over month; !; everybody
made merry under the mistletoe bough, and
fun and frolic ragged furiously.
The Germans have grated many Of their
ancient religious observances upon their pres.
ent mode Of celebrating Christmas. and all
their ceremonies are symbolical. They beat
the fruit,trees, or shake crumbs about their
roots, that the year may he fruitful, and are
much given to professions in which the
Christie figures conspicuously.
St. Nicholas is the Santa Claus of Hol-
land in certain part of Switzerland he has
wife who is known as St. Lucy. She dis.
tributes gifts to the girls, and he looks after
the welfare of the boys. In many parts OF
Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands,
St. Nicholas still distributes his gifts on St.
Nicholas eve-the fifth of December-instead
of on Christmas eve.
In Belgium on the eve of the good bish-
ops voyage among the chimney tops, the
children polish their shoes, and filling them
with hay, or oats, or carrots, for the saints
white horse, then put them on the, table, or
set them in the fre-places. -
The room is then carefully locked. Next
morning it is opened in the presence OF the
assembled household, when, wonderful to re-
late the furniture is found to be topsy-turvy;
while the little Shoes instead of horses fare,
are filed with sweetmeats and toys for the
good children, and with rods for the bad ones.
In France, though New Year is generally
observed rather than Christmas for the dis
tribution of presents, it is the Christ.child
who comes with an escort of angels loaded
with books and toys with which to fill the lit
tie shoes so carefully arranged by the fire.
place. -.
In Poland, and elsewhere, it is believed
that on Christmas night the heavens are open
ed, and the scene of Jacobs ladder re-enact-
ed but it is only permitted to the saints to
see it. Throughout northern Germany the
tables are spread, and the lights left burning
during the entire night that the Virgin Mary,
and the angel who pass when everybody
sleeps, may find something to eat.
The Christmas tree is Of German origin,
and is the principal feature Of the majority
of the Christmas festivities in some parts of
our own countrys All our customs have been
transplanted from the old world.
The Bambino is the Santa Claus Of Italy,
and is representation of the infant Saviour,
being nothing more nor less than large doll
very richly dressed and cherished with ex-
ceeding care.
The singing Of Christmas carols is a very
pretty custom still practiced, to some extent,
in parts@f England, Germany and Scotland !;
and Americans visiting those countries during
the holiday season are particularly impressed
with the sweetness of the songs that break the
stiffness of the wintry night, and regret that
the custom is not more generally observed.
Our own Christmas-tree comes from Ger.
many our Santa Claus from Holland; the
Christmas stockings from Belgium or France !;
while the "Merry Christmas" and "Happy
New Year" were the old English greetings,
shouted through the streets in the long, long