The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1880-12-25

The day on which the nativity Of the
Saviour is observed. The institution Of this
festival is attributed by the spurious Decret-
ais 10 Telesphorus, who hourished in the
reign Of Antonius Plus (l38-I6l A. D.), but
the first certain traces Of il are found about
the time of the Emperor Commodus (ls0-
1872 A. D.). In The reign of Diocletian (2s4
-3O5 4. D.), while that ruler was keeping
court at Nicomedia, he learned that null
titude Of Christians were assembled in the
city to celebrate the birthday Of Jesus, and
having ordered the cnurch-doors TO be closed
he set FIRE TO the building, and all the wor-
shippers perished IN the flames. Il does
not appear, however, that there was any
uniformity in the period Of observing the
nativity among the early churches some
held the festival in the month Of May or
April, others in January. II is, neverthe
less, almost certain that the 25th of Desein-
Der cannot BE- the nativity of the saviour,for
il is then the height Of the rainy season in
Judea, and shepherds could hardly be
watching their aocks by night in the plains.
Christmas not only became the parent Of
many later festivals, such as those Of the
Virgin, but especially from the 9th TO the |
Sth century, gathered round II, as II were, |
several other festivals, partly old and part |
ly new,s so that what may be termed Christ |
mas Cycle sprang up, which surpassed all
other groups of Christian holidays in the |
manifold richness Of its festal usuages, and |
iurthered, more than any other, the compile |
ton of the orderly and systematic distribu
ton Of church festivals over the whole year. |
Not casually or arbitrarily was the festival
of the Nativity celebrated on the 26th Of
December. Among the causes that cooper |
ated in fixing this period as the proper one, |
perhaps the most powerful was, that almost
all the heather nations regarded the winter |
solstce as a most important point Of the
year, as the beginning of the renewed life
and Satiyity Of the powers of nature, and of
the gods, who were originally merely the
symbolcal personfcations Of, these. In
more northerly countries, THIS fact must
have made itself peculiarly pabe-henee
the Celts and Germ8 ns, from the oldest times,
celebrated the season with the greatest fes
tvities. At the winter solstice, the Ger
mans held their great Yule-feast, in COM
memoration Of the return of the fiery sun
wheel aud believed that during the twelve
nights reaching from the 25th December TO
the 9th January, they could trace the per-
sonal movements and interferences on earth
Of their great deities, 0din, Berchta, &c.
Many of the beliefs and usages Of the old
Germans, and also of the Romans, relating
tu this mAtter, passed over from heathenism
TO Christianity, and have partly survived TO
the present day. But the church also sought
to combat and banish-and it was to large
extent successful-the deep-rooted heather
feeling, by adding-lor the publication OF
the heather customs and leasts which ii re-
talned-its grandly devised liturgy, besides
dramatic representations of the birth of
Christ and the first events of his life. Hence
sprang the so called "Manger- Songs" and
multitude of Christmas carols, as we'll as
Christmas dramas, which, at certain times
and places, degenerated into farees or Fools
Feasts. Hence also originated, at later
period, the Christ-trees, or Christmas-trees,
adorned with lights and gifts, the custom of
reciprocal presents, and ofspecial Christmas
meats aud dishes, such as Christmas rolls,
cakes, currant loaves, dumping, &c. Thus,
Christmas became universal social festival
for young and old, high and low, as no 9TH
er Christian festival could have become,
In the Roman Catholic Church, three
masses are performed at Christmas-one at
midnight, one at daybreak, and one in the
morning. The day is also celebrated by the
Anglo Catholic Church-special psalms are
sung, special preface Is made in the Com
munion Service and the Atbanasian Greed
is said or sung. The Lutheran church on
the continent, likewise observes Christmas
but the Presbyterian churches in Scotland,
and the whole of the English dlssenters, re-
ject it, IN its religious aspect, as "human
invention" and as "savorlng of paplstical
will worship" although in England, dissent
ers as we'll as churchmen keep it as a social
holiday, on which there is a complete ces-
sation from an business. But within the
last hundred years, the festivities once ap.
proprate to Christmas have fallen off. These
at one time lasted with more Or less bril-
liancy till Csndlemas, and with great spirit
till Twelith-day; but now a meeting in the
evening, composed, when possible, of the
various branches and members Of family,
is all that distinguishes the day above others.
Chambers UniUersaL Rno,oiedge.