Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-12-19
hri>tn,a>.

nineteen wears, / -t!i>E'd - MUCH
historical and traditional lore rela,
in, to Christmas. tia; Ne find II
extremely difficult 10 present. any
thin rev IL the subject. still to
allow IL, day 70 Tass without some
aUu,.ru 70 - ha.loNei orIsin All
iIaueuce. would be TO ignore tie
mo, nj sf;aL' epo,h q tie year
Probably much ot the Sympathy
aui tenderness manifested IL social
intercourse. al tbs season. : oSIrc
10 the hear uausst.ol from the old
to the rev year tine when every
body Oasis I,;IvsIec,.'e g.Anc,
Over IT,, incidents IL Which lie La-
figure dLuu- tie twel'e-moLtA
journey and -euela.ly forms IL
solves for improvement III the iu-
tur,. lat il cannot le DENIED that
it cLiei claim l. derived from The
sacrei memoIlc, il en>LIIu,> and The
beneiic,n; creed II Is designed 10
commemorate. MS must he al-
mitted ly all, whatever may he the
basis Of individual belief. rs few
months ago. We found occasion To-
commoud the faith which impellcd
our Jewish neighbOrs TO observe,
with due solomnity, their Day Of
Atouemont, SO now we believe the
same liberal promptings will induce
them to Join with the Christian
world in extending tue joyous greet
ines peculiar to this season.
A brief allusion to the origin and
growth of Christmas observances
must suffice. 1t was not until near
~ century and half after the
cruclfxion, that Pope Telesphorus
instituted the Catholic services of
special mass to commemorate the
advent of the Saviour. It was for
two or three centuries later nova
BILE holiday, often COMPOUNDED with
Epiphany, and celebrated by East
ern churches in April and May, and
it was not till the fourth century
that st. Cyril of Jerusalem obtained
from Pope julius I. an order for an in
vesgtiation to be made concerning the
exact day of Christ's nativity. The
evidence did not settle the question
absolutely, but was sufficiently con-
elusive to * the date secure from
change, and it now has been accept
ed by the Christian world.
1t was not till the middle ages
that the observances partook of
mirthful noture. Then the carols
and canticles indicative of JOY, the
proper expression of the advent of
a worlds Redeemer, took the place
of the solemn and impressive service
in the Latin tongue. They were the
spontaneous songs of JOY and praise
of the humber classes, and found
expression in the dialect of every civil
lized nation. The singing of them
has not yet ceased, and it is the Gus
tum in some parts of Europe for
Ministries to go about, from house
to house, on Christmas eve, in gro
tesque costume, and enlven the in
mates by heart-offerings of melody
and mirth. In England, at mid
night, on Christmas eve, the bells
were rung. Here it was season
more noted for the equality upon
which il placed the people than the
circumstances it was designed to
commemorate, but inducing, in an
eminent degree, the exercise of the
very elements of Christian love.
Kings came down from their thrones,
and the hall of every noble was
scene OF delight. No feudal baron
was too high to join with his vassels
on this joyous occasion. English
homes and inns were never dull OF
Christmas time, and a general hos
pitality was the GROWING feature
at every freside, and the tables fairly
groaned under the good things piled
upon them.
The change from the middle to
the present age has been less
marked. 1t is still a season of re-
joicing, but the children have at
tanned greater recognition in the va
rious rastimes and games of the
season. We probably pattern more
after the German customs than our
motherland; and for the reason that
they are better adapted for Young