The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-12-26
MERRY CHuisrMtS.

In every country in the civilized world,
except in Scotland, perhaps, the 25th Of
December is day of rejoicing and fes.
tivity the Scotch celebrate New Years
Day instead
The first traces of The celebration Of
Christmas are found about the time of
the Emperor Commodus Qs0-192 A. D).
In the reign of Diocletian C2si-305),
while that ruler was keeping court ut
Nicomediu, he learned that number of
Christians were assembled in the city to
celebrate the birthday of the Founder of
Christianity, and having ordered the
church doors to he closed he set fire to
the buildings, and all the worshippers
persisted in the flames
It does not appear, however, that there
was any uniformi'y among the early
churches in celebrating the Nativity
some held the festival in the month of
April or May, others in January. 1t is
nevertheless certain thut the 2jth of
December cannot be the anniversary of
the birth of Christ, for it is then the
height of the rainy season in Judea, aud
shepherds could hardly be watching
their flocks by night in the plains. The
custom of Celebrating the Nativity on
the 25th of December we derive from the
hcathens, who regarded the winter sol
stice us most important point of The
year, as the beginning of the renewed
life and activity of the powers of nature
and of the gods who We're originally
merely the symbolicll personiiications of
these. At the winter solstice the Ger
mans held their great Nule feast in com
momoration of the return of the fiery
sun wheel, and believed that during the
twelve nights reaching from the 2jth Dee.
TO the 9Th January they could trace the
personal movements and interferences
on earth of their great deities, Odin,
Berchta, &c. The church sought to
combat and Danish this deeply.rooted
heathen feeling, by adding its grandly-
devised liturgy, besides dramatic repre-
sentations of the Birth of Christ and the
first events of his life. Hence sprang
the so-cailed Manger-songs and n multi
tude of Christmas carols. Hence also
originated, at later period, the Christ
trees, or Christmas-trees, adorned with
lights and gifts, the customs of recipro-
cal presents, and Of special Christmas
meats aud dishel s;.ah no Christmas
rolls cakes, dumpliEgs, NC, Thus
Christmas became universal social
festival for young and old, high and
low, as no other festival could have
become.
Our Anglo-Saxon ancestors made
great deal of the day. King Arthur
gave II royal feast on Christmas Day at
Carlisle, when he entertained man and
beast, according to their rank in
proper style" The bill of fare consisted
OF salmon, venison, and wild boar, hogs
heads of honey, sheep, fatted beeves, and
bacon swine plum -puddings, pancakes,
applepies and custard, with which they
drank good Gascon wine, mead, home
brewed ale and cider.
IAN sorts of people were seen together
All sorts of characters all sorts of dresses;
The fool with foxs tail and peacock's feather
Pilgrims and penitents and grave burgesses:
The country people with their coats of leather,
WINNERS and yictuallers With their cans and
messes;
Grooms, archers. varlets falconers and yeomen
Damsels and waitng-maids and waiting women
During the Tudor period, with the ex-
ception of the still Christmas" in 1925,
while King Henry was ill, the sacred
season appears to have been regularly
celebrated with joyous music, songs, and
feasting. After the Restoration, Christ
mas again exhibited hearty, cheerful,
and even joyful character.
But since the accession of the House
of Hanover the festivities which were
formerly appropriate to the occasion
have much fallen of. Dickens, by his
writings, has done much to revive the
interest formerly taken in them, espe-
cially with the young But for all,
Christmas festivities, instead of lasting
with more or less brilliancy till Candle
mas, and with great spirit till Twelfth
Day, only extend now over two days
Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Nor
on the former day have we such royal
feasts as the one held by King Arthur at
Carlisle. A meeting in the afternoon OF
evening, composed of the various
branches and members of the family,
and II substantial dinner, are, generally
speaking, all that distinguish that day
above others.