The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-12-25
Christm

Christmas.
Christmas has come again. 1t al
ways comes around about this time of
the year, and brings with it tho Same
scenes, the same occupations, the
same merry-makings for the day, and
the same headaches to the old folks
and the same other sorts Of aches to
the little people tho next morning.
Who would be without Christmas, II
time when everybody can get young
aud shoot fire crackers and blow tin
horns and cat turkeys and other good
things, and forget cares and troubles
for one day in the year at least? Let
us all turn out to-day to do honor to
Santa Claus, and to enjoy the good
things he has brought us.
The celebration Of Christmas, the
birthday Of our Lord, is of ancient
origin. Tho institution of the festival
is ascribcd to Tclcsphorus, who flour
ishcd in the reign of Antoninus Plus
III the second century, but tho first
traces Of it are found in the reign of
Commodus, Il few years later. Dio-
clctian, i'll the third century, is said
to have set fire to church III Nicomc-
dia in which multitude Of Christians
had assembled to celebrate the festival
and TO have prevented any of the un-
fortunate victims from escaping from
the flames. Neither Diocletian, how
ever, nor any other prosecutor, nor
even the Pnritans, under Cromwell.
succeeded in abolishing this scmi-tle-
yotional feast, and Christmas will be
observed rs long as there arc young
people OH the earth, and old people to
give them the whcrcwithal to make
Inerry.
Among tic carly churches there is
said to have been no uniformity in the
period Of observing the nativity.
Some held the festival in May, some
in April and others in January. 1t is
argued that tho birth of the Savior
could not have occurred on tho 25th Of
December, because that is the height of
the rainy season in Judca, and shop
herds could hardly have been watch
ing their flocks by night, and the
wise men might not not, probably,
have seen the new star rising over
Bethlehem. Gradually, however, the
25th Of December was selected, chiefly
for the following reason, it is said.
The winter solstice was regarded by
the hcathcn notions as that point Of
the year ut which begins tho renewed
life and activity Of Nature, and its
coming was celebrated with great
rejoicing, especially among the Cclts
and tho Germans in the North. at this
season the Germans held their great
Yulc feast, in commcmoration of the
return of the fiery sun wheel, and
they believed that during tho twelve
bbTFf}tS biF Is S ES"1Shtn" Sht H tn" 2i Tav
trace tic personal movements and
lnterfercnccs Oh earth, Of Odin,
Berchta and their other great dcities.
When Christianity penetrated these
wiids it found great difficulty in pre-
serving the worship Of the true re-
hgion incontaminatcd by old hcathcn
customs. Learned scholars hold that
when the festival Of Christmas was
adopted, its date was mado that of the
CID Yulc feast. TO eradicate these
pagan customs the church strovc earn
cstly, and originated it's "mangcr
songs" its Christmas carols and
Christmas dramas, which subscoucnt-
Il
~ degcncratcd into farccs and fools,
FESTIVALS. Hence also arose tho GUS
tom OF Christ trees or Christmas trees,
adorned with lights and filed with
gifts. During the seventh and eighth
centuries, particularly, several other
festivals, partly old and partly new,
were added to the original day, and a
whole week or moro was given up to
roasting aud joy. In course of time
christmas has become universal
festival, and although some churches
reject 1t in its political aspect as q
human invention, and as "sayorino
OF papesticnl will worships," still as n
social holiday it is everywhere OBJ
served. In the North it is yielding in
nohor to New Years day, but the
oouthcrn people, white and colorcd.
sun chns to the old traditions, and
cal tor their "Christmas gifts"
After this profound dissertation on
tho origin of tho day, wo wish our
readers merry Christmas, with the
nope they may enjoy many returns Of
this joyous Yulc tide.