The Portland daily press., 1883-12-25
SENTERED AS sECONDS
eCLASS MAIL MATTERS

very likely the idea of celebrating the birth
day at all is pagan, and the choice of the
supposed equinox is probably the same, for
the early church was very lenient toward es-
tablished social castoms, and even Luther
changed popular love songs into hymns ad
dressed to Jesus. In any event, Christmas
is probably the latest of all Christian festi-
walls, and has not been celebrated by the en-
tire church longer than fifteen hundred
years. The medieval church kept two,
three or four Christmas days; in western
Europe two Christmas holidays are common,
and in secular life the holiday season lasts
much longer. The revival of Christmas in
New England is quite recent, and proves
that we have outgrown very honest preju-
dice of our fathers and ancestors. In any
event, our celebration of Christmas has
nothing to do with Catholic customs, for
whatever may be the full truth about the
day, Christians may well celebrate the birth
day of their Saviour, and all people may
well unite in making holiday of midwin-
ter
1t would be interesting to trace in detail
how Christmas has been celebrated from
century to century and throughout Christ
endom. But such an undertaking is too
elaborate for Christmas sketch. The era
of fifteen hundred years ago has been men
toned. At that time the Roman empire
covered the known world; but the Christian
religion was the official religion. The Goths,
our own remote ancestors, had made them
selves felt, and Bishop Ulfilas had given
them Bible in their own language; but he
excluded the two books of the Kings, lest
his people might become too warlike under
the Inspirations of the Old Testament. The
odosius, who reigned in 1888, had served
in England and among the Cloths; he obeyed
Ambrosius, the bishop of Milan, whose Te
Deum is still sung in churches, while his
musical arrangements have been superseded.
Just fifteen hundred years ago, while Jerome
revised the Latin translation of the Bible,
the Germanic people began the migration of
nations, and Roman senator begged pite-
ously that the statue of victory in front Of
the senate chamber might not be DESTROYED,
as it had been erected by pious faith which
had conquered the world and established
the Roman empire. The first martyrs of ex
piring paganism had fallen a prey to the
Christian zealots, and Hypatia was soon to
be executed by Bishop Cyrillus. At that
time, while most Of the Christians spoke
Greek or Latin, England was Roman prov
ince inhabited by Celts only, and New Eng.
land was inhabited, if at all, by a people
which has left no traces. The capital of the
Christian world was Constantinople, not
Rome; there was no Pope, and Christmas
was greater novelty in Rome than it is now
in Portland or New Orleans. Yet we have
splendid Christmas sermons of those DAYS,
when Constantinople, Antioch, Alexandria
and Carthage were the centres of Christian
eloquence.
Three hundred years changed all that.
Antioch, Jerusalem, Alexandria and Car
thage stood under Mohammedan rule. Kali
rouan arose where ST. Augustine had once
preached in flawless Latin; and the Kopts
of Egypt have remained under the tyranny
of Islam these twelve hundred years. In
6S3 Lombardy had adopted its German
name; so had An 1alusia and Monza then
contained what it now owns-the iron
crown which is supposed to have been made
OF nail from che cross on Calvary. The
Byzantines fought their vain battle against
Islam, and the Latin church began to drop
into those Christmas superstitions which
survive to this day. For when reason is de-
throned, folly reigns; and when learning
and letters are not priced, religion itself de-
Gays. In the year 6S3 England had become
Saxon and Christian; but the Saxons had
introduced their own Midwinter supersti-
tions, which the Christian. missionaries
could not and the Pope would not extermi-
nate. York fourished, Canterbury was yet
to rise, England had not as yet it's yule
logs; but its Saxon inhabitants celebrated
the winter equinox by drinking ale, and by
using green's for the ornamentation of their
humble huts and their less humble churches.
The Roman emperor had nominal success
sor in the Roman pope, whose authority,
however, was disputed. For in 9S3 Ohio,
the emperor of Germany, called himself
king of the holy Roman empire. The por-
phyry block, under which he was buried.
is now the baptismal font in st. Peters at
Rome, where Charles the Great had been
crowned the master of the world py the
Pope on Christmas day. In 9S3, England
had added the yule log to It's Christmas
customs, and adopted other such usages. but
never joined in the medieval quarrel which
tried to give the body of Christendom to the
German emperor, and the soul of Christen-
dom to the Roman pope. In 1888 Christmas
superstitions reigned in nearly all English
churches, as the records show; but in 1888
the Reformation had triumphed over all op
position, and the coarse Christmas customs
yielded to refining influences. At that time
no Christmas was celebrated on this CONT
nent, save in Mexico, and perhaps by few
persons in Santa Fe. But in Mexico the
children of Montezuma had adopted the
Spanish way of keeping Christmas, and the
natives of South America were treated TO a
Christmas exhibition at which they must
have wondered, for the newborn Saviour
was exhibited to them in person, or at least
in efigy. While Europe abandoned the
former usages of Christmas, they were
taught to the unfortunate Peruyians and
Mexicans, who still cling to them as to ven
cradle customs. But since true Christmas
marks in all things the progress from night
to light. and from darkness to moral free
dom, even South America NAV have n NOR