The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-12-25

country, Is name which has lost us origin,
and which was formerly celebrated with
ceremonies that were more imposing, bois-
ferrous, and full OF hlarity than this age Of
modern progress can possibly understand.
The first preparation for the proper obser-
vance OF yule was to secure huge oaken
log. well seasoned, and which was hauled
with due ceremony to the great open fire.
place, where, previous to its being set on
fire, each member OF the family would take
seat on the block and quatf horn OF ale
to the occasion. The old song by Herrick
may not be amiss here:
"CoIne bring with noise,
Ny mcrrie, merrie b0yc..
The Christmas log TO the firing;
While INV gooi dame, She
Bids C all be free
A.d drink 10 your hearts desiring
"Wtih The last ycrrs brand
sight the new block, and
For good succcs,c In his spending,
On your psaliries play,
That sweet luck may
Come while ;he log Is t.eu:ing [burningl.
"Driuk now tho strong beerc,
Cut the white lOatc here,
The while the meate is slreadlng;
For The rare mlnCe-plc
And The piuius stand by .
To I'll The paste that's kncading.'
As will be seen in the second stanza,
great stress was laid on the saving OF last
weary brand with which TO light the pres
ent wears yuIc-log. The custom was to
.Kjndc the Christmas brand and then
TIL set let II bur;c:
Which qucncht, then lay IL Up agen
TIL Christmas next rctarhe.
Part mus, be kept whcrawth to tcend
The Chris tmas log next yrarc:
And whcu Us nfuly kept. The fend
Can do no mischief there"
q From this it will be perceived that the
suncrstitions which were connected with
the yue-log were of the most primitive
character. 1t being thought that unless me
brand was preserved for the lighting that
no " rood luckn would rest upon the In
mates OF that house during the year, ana.
besides, it was thoroughly believed that
where the yule brand was, that dwelling
was safe from fire. After the performance
of drinking 4 cup Of foamins ale to Il
&C Mcrric Christmas and 4 Happy New
Year" prior to the great feast OF the day,
yule cakes were distributed around, upon
which were stamped or marked the h@ure
OF the infant Jesus.
THE CHRISTMAS TIDE
commenced upon yulc sand lasted untll
Twelith-Dav, aud was kept with splendor
and a continued hilarious time by the
Court, and Christmas-day was ushercd IN
with hcralds and trumpete4S, and lord OF
misrule to preside over their sports, ana the
urayest offence which could be given was TO
be serious during this time OF general 1olll-
fcation. Christmas feaSts also were graccd
with the boar's hcad-the iavoritc dish OF
olden tme-which was brought in IN great
state upon Il salYer Of massive silver, tue
head crowned with holly and mistletoe,
while lemon was forced into its mouth.
The attendants carried it III with great
pomp and ceremony, singing the ancient
carroll:
"Thc bore's heed In hand bring |,
With garlunS gay and rosemary;
pray you all synGe meriiy,
Qui estis In conrSflo"
1t was at this feast that the song, the tale,
the Jest, and ready repartee went round,
and the brown ule Of old England was
ouatfed in honor Of yule. And 1t was ut
this feast that the "wassail bowl" was
prepared with steamns, hiSh-havored
bunch, or spiced ale, while floating on its
surface were roast craO-apples, and as the
roval beverage went round the tongues
were unloosed. and 1t was said that the dull
est of men grew eloquent when they quar-
fed ut this bowl. Games OF all deScrip-
tons followed, and OF which the time
houored bind-mau'S bun was one OF
the chief amusementS. But Christmas
festivities were abolished by a Puri-
tan Parliament, and holly and ivy be-
came almost synonymous terms with Sedl'
ton, until after the restoration, when the
festival and sacred obseryanceS OF Christ
mas were immediately resumed anu court
reyels recovered their former splendorS.
However, toward the end OF the sixteenth
century these boisterouS celebrations
ceased, and there was general abatement
OF all Christmas festivities rs far as state aud
public observances were concerned. The
last memorable appointment OF lord OF
misrule is said to have been in 1927, and IN
reference to these it may be said that the
guilds OF London, the corporations, and the
barristers elected their respective
~, LORDS OF MIsEULE,
who sometimes were surrounded with al
most as much pomp as royalty Itself. Laws
were even made from time 10 time to aboi.
ish some OF their privileges, and they found
adherents enough TO even resist the en-
forcement Of those laws, but gradually all
Christmas celebrations in England lost their
primitive character, and the sports and
carols, one by one, came to be numbered
among the things e2 the past, and very lit
tie is now left but the traditions and the
beautiful custom OF decorating homes and
churches, the exchange OF presents, and
the solid English CHRISTMAS dinner, as
which the monster plum.pudding, with its
,prig OF holly at the summit, in lieu OF the
,oar's, head, graces the festive board.
From Germany comes the custom OF the
which has taken such
troRg hold upon the hearts of oil! young
Ameriea. Kris Kringle, as he Is called IN
be northern portions Of Germany, is known
q the Netherlands as the Kneeht Rupert,
nd In the latter place gees from house 70
! fowjnp roS,es and snowy beard. and as