The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-12-24
Christmas Chimes!
AND WHY THEY RING OUT 50
MERRILY.
The Festival Now and in
the Past.
The Way Cincinnati Means to
Make Merry Tomorrow.
With Incidental Comments on Christmas
IN General and This One in
Particular.

masses. In it are blended as in an old
mosaic the religi us sentiment that clns-
ters around the mystic incarnation and
birth OF the Savior-that wonderful tale
that sways unconsciousy tile hearts of all,
whether Christian or infdel. as also those
phases of our social life that seem to have
had their birth among our Saxon an
cestors who give us the delightful Christ
mas tree upon whose branches children are
reminded of the affectionate generosity of
parents, parents Of children, and friends
of other friends; likewise the more
strictly English merry makings
borrowed from the ancient Druids that
in former years gathered about the yule
log, the festive board and beneath the
holly and mistletoe branches in one long
round of gayety from Christmas Eve to
Twelfth Night January 6thA when fun
and frolic and music and wine and feast
ing and good cheer were the part of all.
1t is curious to see how interviewer are
the remnants OF Christian and Druid and
Scandinavian in the Christmas we cele-
brate to-day. The festival of Christmas
as religious observance is of course of
Christian origin, and is designed to com.
mtrate the birth of Christ. Its institn-
ii n is attributed to Pope Telesphorus who
died A. d. 1888. At first it was not fixed at
a particular date and was celebrated by the
Eastern Churches in April or May, as fire.
quently at the Epiphany as any other date.
In the 4th century Pope Julius at the
urgent request of Cyril 81 Jerusalem, issued
an order to have an investigation set on
foot to ascertain if possible the exact da
of the nativity of the Savior. The result of
this was to fix that event on the 25th OF
December by mutual consent of the Eastern
and Western churches. The chief grounds
for decision were the tables of the censers
of the archives of Rome; and although in
the opinion of some Of the fathers there
was not authentic proof of the identified
ton of the dav. yet the decision was uni
formly accepted, and from that time the
nativity has been celebrated on that day.
In Germany and through all Scandina-
Wan Europe Christmas is the season of
present making, and the Christmas Tree
with all the delightful associations it en-
braces for us had its origin there.
This pleasing feature is now about as
much a part of the Christmas festival
itself as the religious rites that called it
into being. In England the Christmas sea-
son among our ancestors was period of
unrepressed and continuous jollifcation
and from Christmas to Twelfth Night. Janu-
ary 9Th, every day was holiday, while the
feasting and carnivals were frequently pro-
longed until Candlemas February 2d) In
the powers of the mobiles an "abbot of un.
reason" or "lord Of misrule" disappointed
whose dominion lasted from "All Hallow
Eve" October 31st till Candlemas Day
February 2l.) The castle was supplied bv
this officer with capons, hens, turkeys,
geese, ducks, beet mutton, pork, pies, pud-
dings. nuts, plums, sugar, honey, ETC., and
during the festivities that opened on
Christmas Eve the most unbounded license
prevailed; feasting, revelry, dancing
and every species of amusements prevailed
in which high and low, rich and poor, all
participated. At the beginning of the feast
the yule log or Christmas block was lit
with great rejoicings and ceremonies that
had been handed down from the ancient
Druid,cal times, and this it was desirable
should be kept lit till Candlemas. Great
fires kept out the rigors of the wintry blast.
while boughs Of holly and mistletoe were
hung about the hall where there was music,
conjuring, riddles, hot cockles foolplough,
kes, laughter, repartees, for
feits and dances Wassail bowls and bowls
of punch stimulated the rollicking humor Of
the reyelers continually, and man was
deemed churl who did not join in
these boisterons amusements The favorite
dish on Christmas Dav was q soused boar's
head, which was borne to the princi pal table
with great state and solemnity upon
silver platter with minstrelsaye." This an
tique custom still prevails at Queens Col
lege in England, where the dish is brought
in to the chant of an old half Latin ditty:
Caput apr defero a
Reddens laudes Domino.
The b ar's head in hande brngI I,
With garlauds gay and rosemary,
Ipray you all synge merrly,
Qui estis III conviv.0.
The custom of decking houses and
with evergreens at Christmas Is of
Druidical origin, il being an old superstition
that sylvan spirits flock the evergreens and
C continue unhurt by the wintry frosts. The
favorite trimmings consisted of holly, ivy,
bay. laurel and mistletoe, which
were not removed till Candlemas. Chaplets
Of these were worn in the revelry and |
merry-making like the wreaths represented |
upon the statues of Bacchus in ancient |
But whether Christian or Pagan, the
pleasant Christmas time is delightful to us
in all its entirety in the festive board, the |
Christmas tree and the interchange Of !