The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-12-25
Christmas Customs.

Christmas, or any other holiday. The
Chinese have feasts which correspond to
our Christmas. 1t is popular festival
devoted almost entirely to the amuse-
ment of children, and in offering sacri-
fees and paying homages to certain del
ties, male and female, who are supposed
to take interest in the welfare Of the
young. Special honors are paid 70 the
"Seven Star Mother" or "Mother of the
Measure" who is supposed to dwell
among the Seven stars which form the
dipper in the Great Bear constellation.
This goddess is believed to have power to
give children long years of life, and her
favor is especially sought.
r The cakes they eat at this time must
be round, like the moon; and the can
dies, of which they devour great quanti-
ties, 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 pagan ceremonials are still INDUCED
in. SThe courts are closed; old quarrels
settled; old feuds forgotten; while Oh
the Yule evening the shoes, great and
small, of the entire household are set
close together in row, that during the
coming year the family may live together
in peace and harmony. Isn't there some
thing particularly pretty and appropriate
in that custom? In ancient Rome all
walls of separation were broken down
during the Satturnalia, or feast of Saturn,
which corresponds with our Christmas
holidays; and in Italy, at the present
day, masters and servants not unfrequent-
ly meet, and are seated at common
Christmas table.
In the time of Queen Elizabeth the
Christmas holidays lasted over month ;
everybody made merry under the mistle'
toe bough, and fun and frolic ragged fu-
riously.
The Germans have grated many of
their ancient religious observances upon
their present mode of celebrating Christ.
mas, and all their ceremonies are SYM
bolical. They beat the fruit trees, or
shake crumbs about their roots, that the
year may be fruitful, and are much given
to professions in which the Christ-child
figures conspicuously.
st. Nicholas is the Santa Claus of Hol-
land; in a certain part of Switzerland he
has wife who is known as St. Lucy.
She distributes gifts to the girls, and be
looks after the welfare of the boys. In
many parts of Switzerland, Germany and
the Netherlands, St. Nicholas still distri-
butes his gifts on st. Nicholas eve-the
fifth of December-instead of on Christ
mas eve.
In Belgium, on the eve of the good
bishops voyage among the chimney tops,
the children polish their shoes, and fill
ing them with hay, or oats, or carrots, for
the saints white horse, then put them on
the table, or set them in the fire-places.
The room is then carefully locked.
Next morning it is opened in the pres
ence of the assembled household, when,
wonderful to relate! the furniture is
found to be topsy-turvy; while the little
shoes, instead Of horses fare, are filled
with sweetmeats and toys for the good
children, and with rods for the bad ones.
In France, though New Year is gen.
orally observed rather than Christmas
for the distribution of presents, it is the
Christ. child who comes with an escort of
angels loaded with books and toys with
which to fill the little shoes so carefully
arranged by the fireplace.
In Poland, and elsewhere, it is believed
that on Christmas night the heavens are
opened, and the scene of Jacobs ladder
re enacted but it is only permitted to
the saints to see it. Throughout north
ern 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 orr
gin, and is the principal feature of the
majority of the Christmas festivities in
some parts of our own country. All our
customs have been transplanted from the
old world.
The Bambino is the Santa Claus of
Italy, and Is representation of the in
FAINT Saviour, being nothing more nor less
than large doll very richly dressed aud
cherished with exceeding care.
The singing of Christmas carols is a
very pretty custom still practiced, to
some extent, in parts of England, Ger
many and Scotland and Americans VIZ
iting 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