The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1884-12-31
Oririn of Christmas.

~
Christmas looks out at us from the dim /
shadow of the groves of the Druids who knew ,
not Christ, and it is dear to those who now
renounce the name Of Christian. The Christ
mas log, which Herrick exhorts his merrle,
bovs to bring with a noise to the firing, is but
the Saxon Yule-log burning on the English
hearth, and the blazing holiday temples Oh
Saturn shine again in the illuminated Chris
tian churches. 1t is the pagan mistletoe IN
der which the Christian youth kisses the Chris-
tian maid. 1t is the holly of the old Roman
Saturnalia which decorates BracebrldGe HAL
on Chritsmas eve. The huge smoking baron
of beef, the flowing oceans OF ale, are but the |
suryivials of the tremendous eating ana drink
ing of the Scandinavian Walhalla
The Christian and Christian feeling
blend in the happy season, and the. Christian
observance mingle at every point with the
paran rite. 1t is not easy to say where the
paTanism ends and the Christianity begins
The carols and the wassail, the prayers and
the games, the generous hospitality, hooDy-
Horse and the Lord Of Misrule, Maid Marian
and Santa Claus, are curious medley OF the
old and the new. As the religious thought oil
all ages and countries, when 1t reaches GET
tain elevation, flows into an expression winch
makes the Scriptures OF the most divergent
nations harmonious, the history Of this happy
festival Is evidence Oh lile SOllIiA4oii AN'-----
of the earlier and later races; and the stranger
in Bracebridge Hall, musing by the glowing
hearth on Cbristmas-eve, as he watches
the romping revelry beneath the glstenlng
berries and listens to the waits carolllng out
side in the moonlight, or as he is Weakened on
Christn,as morning bv the hushed patter oil
children's feet in the passage, and the shy
music OF children's voices at his door, may
we'll seem to hear more celestial straln' ah'
TO catch deeper meaning IN the words DE-
fore Abraham was, am
Our modern Christmas is made up oil
strange medley Of Christian and fagan illes
After the conversion OF britain 10 ohlls.i1 NJ
ty, the teachers could not entirely Tree ID
converts from their cherished superstition
and obseryapces, and SO engrafted tho rites
the Christian religion upon the old heathe
ceremonies. No festival Of the year show
moro Mainly such an interminglng tina
Christmas. These festivities were orlglnalI
derived from the Roman Saturnalia, an oC
casion tbat was marked with rejoicing, al
where ezen the slaves, allowed 10 be Tree L
the time, were waited upon by their master
Afterwards came the ceremonies observed
the British Druids, and, still later, incorpoTa
ed with the grim mythology oil the ancie
Saxons. .,
So came the mistletoe, regarded with I
who went forth with pomp and rejoicing
gather the mystic bough. So came the IL
log from our scandinavian ancestors, W
drew it in triumph from its resting place
the woods. sure that its fame would burn {
old wrongs and from its ashes would ar
better promises for the future. so, too,
trimming wassail bowl, in whose liquid
pths old feuds and enmities were sad TO
buried forever. An ancient belief is sun Il
in some parts Of England, that at midnight
Christmas Eve the cattle IN the Stalls
down on their knees IN alteration Oh 'ne
FAINT Saviour who was laid in manger, !
bees sing In their hives, and bread then ba
never becomes mouldy-that all nature IN
in celebrating the birth Of Christ. :,
In the Roman Church, masses were hell
midnight, at daybreak, and at later hour
superstition prevailed that at this time
powers of darAness could exert no evil II
cpco. The Growing Of the cock through
darkness put them all to fight. This ide
expressed by Shakespeare.
1t faded on the growing of the cock,
Some say that ever 'gainst that season come
Wherein our Sayiour's birth Is celebrated,
The bird of davning singeth all night long
And then, they say, no spirit can walk aoro;
The nights are wholesome; then no planets s. Il
No fairy takes, nor witch hath power 70 Gu
So halloEed and SO gracious IS the time
An ancient custom is the singing Of ca
In the early ages ofthe Church they were
by the bishops on Christmas Day, but late
the children going about on Christmas N
ing. Jeremy Taylor, referring to the sor
the angels, thus gives the authority Tor
custom: "As soon as these blessed ehorl
had sung their Christmas carols, and "a
the Church hymn to put into her offices
ever, they returned into heaven" And 81
if the angels song got lost somewhere,
should not children find the echoes and
sing the refrain?
When Christ was born Of Mary free,
In Bethlehem. in that fair cite,
Angels sang there with mirth and gee
In eIcelsis gloria
Our own Christmas tree and Santa
have been handed down from the middle
They come to rs from Germany, where u
mas has always been especially Joyful
son for the children. Here the tree was
plendent with light, and gifts were broug
a parsonage bearing the name krish XII
a corruption Of Christ Kinklein, or the
child. Later on, sterner spirit brought
rods Of correction for the naughty ones
finally. the two we're united in the ger
heart. beaming face and kindly soul
own St. Nicholas.
NJ. -. Ale hairs of hath uaean and 9