Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1881-12-22
CHRISTMAS CUSTOMS.

The Origin OF Chrfsrmna. ns n HoIIdny--rh
HManner of IT. Celebration In eDineren
Countries.
4 The 25th of December is the dav d
which the sun is nearer the mos
southern point in its apparent annua
journey, and for SO long as we have bis
torica1 record, it has been celebrated b,
ceremonies and rejoicings.
The Hindoos on this day decoratl
their homes with garlands of foweri
and papers Of gold and tinsel, and the
custom Of making presents to relatives
and friends is universally observed.
The Egyptians recognized it by thei
festival in honor of the birth of thei
! god Horus. -
In China it is general holiday, th'
shops are shut and the courts closed
No journey would under any circum
stances be commenced on this day.
The Persians kept it as the birthday
of Mithras the Mediator, a spirit Of the
sun, with ceremonies Of uncommon
splendor.
The old Romans held high festival
in honor Of Bacchus, rejoicing with
him that the sun was about to return
and revivify the vineyards. They
designated the day the birthday of the
| snvinniIIa run
There is no record that the birthday
Of Jesus Christ was observed till the
second century. At the suggestion oi
Pope Telesphore some of the Eastern
churches recognized the 9Th Of January
as the day. while those Of the West
added it to other celebrations in the last
week of December.
In the fourth century Pope Julius
made an order assembling the chief
theologians of the time, for the purpose
Of examining all evidence bearing upon
the date Of the birth Of Jesus, that
they should, if possible, fix the day. in
order that its observance might be uni
versal. After due deliberation they
decided that it was on December 25th.
This decision was, at the time, believed
by many of the fathers in the church to
be erroneous, and they went SO far as
to assert that the examiners had been
biased in their decision by the desire
to please the public, to whom this day
had already become to be noted one.
Popular feeling, however, sustained the
council in their decision, which was
finally universally accepted and CON-
memorated, although it is now gen.
orally believed to be wrong. On the
publication Of the decision the Roman
church deereed and instituted special
prayers to priests, to be said on that
day, which are known as Christ masses
But we find another derivation fol-
the name. The old Saxons bad a word
Mcssa, by which they designated all
days free from labor, whether holidays
or fast days. The holidays kept in
remembrance of the birth of Christ,
were Christ Dlessa.
The spread Of the Christian religion
carried with it the observance Of Christ
mas as o religious festival with which
became connected other observances
varying with the customs and habits
Of different nations.
With the Germans, Christmas is
esteemed the " Children's Festival, " and
with them originated the word-famous
myth of "Saint Nicholas, alias ''Santa
Claus, alias Kris Kringle. the patron
of the Yule-tide and the friend of all
proper boys und prettily behaved girls.
Happily the reforms in the observance
Of the day, which began in Germany,
reached and was copied in Other
portions of Europe. Christmas is also
now "Children's Day" in England and
France. In toys and CONNECTIONS fol
the perir the children are distinctly
remembered in italy, and in America
the Christmas tree, the stockings
hung by the chimney with care" and
the harmless merry games and innocent
glee Of childhood supplant much of the
boisterouscar which once rendered
to render the day rollicking and
riotous. 1t was formerly the custom, and
is still the practice in some of the small
villages in North Germany, to commits
sion the parsonage Of g Knecht Rupert,
corresponding with our Santa Claus,
to distribute all the presents made by
parents to children. Disguised by g
mask, wearing an enormous faxen
beard, clad in long white robe, and
shod in tall buck-skins, "Knecht
Rupert" went from house to house, was
received by the parents with greal
ceremony, called for the children, and
after the strictest Investigation into
their deserving, dispensed gifts accord.
ingly. +" Santa Claus" we all know
reports himself differently.
The Mosquitoes Of LapIand.
In these latitudes the snow has