The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1884-12-24

utb leuHlo WHO lUluh Iuty Chu ttll tNO ukb Ol
q fowl by Its color; others by tho soundness OF
| the 1esh; many think they can distinguish
| the tenderness or toughness by the shape Of
| the legs or length OF wings. But tho biggest
crank is the crank who thinks he or ehe can
tell n well.fed fowl by the sigo OF It's glszard
or throat, like the old darby"
MANY OF them2"
''Greet many. Every man or woman has a
theory Tor distinguishing a good from bad
bird. Some are ludcroue."
"How do you .ell?"
'By LOOKING into the throat, Just like you
oiatinguieh n freeh from stale 1sh. II the
nesh is OF bright rcd, and lively, tne age, TIC
feed and the blood are all right. IL OF dark
blue shade, have care"
Skating ON che Fake.
Babcock Lake last night was alive with
skaters. The ice was In splendid como ton fol
tho enjoyment OF the exhilarating JDrt OF
skating. OF course the boys MA. 10 tho
larger portion OF tho skaters, but tn ) we're
many men, some OF them old ones, t. akin.
ming around tho lake. The ladies' " 5re out
also. Many OF them were excellent skaters.
on course the man who can't skate but Is
learning how was there. Ho croatsd his Gus
tomary amount OF fun by his ground and lofty
, ,nd man who had skates to rent
Tho churches presented an unusual sigh
to-day. Committees on decoration are at work,
Movers epd tscR. seem to be m,Nsa Is
an fnextrfcabio confusion, OF which, however,
to.morrow's ornamentation will DO the taste
full and effective solution.
In the sunday-scho rooms Christmas trees
are being decorated and presents ana candles
accumulated.
The Departments closed their doors Of noon
today, after morning epent mainly by the
clerks In drawing their December salaries
This afternoon proved tue busiest and most
crowded Of the week at the markets and stores
Quite q number OF Sunday school festivals
were held this afternoon, commencing with
choral services by the children aud winding
up with an attack upon the stores OF Is,
fruits and confectionery In the Sunday.schooi
rooms.
Now that all the people are looking forward
with such Interest 20 the celebration to-
morrow OF Christmas, It becomes a matter OF
interest 10 note the foundation and growth OF
The customs which are peculiar to the day.
The early Christians etrove bravely to ecadt.
cate the old saturnalian customs, witch tho
legfons otJulius Cesar left behind them IN
Great Britain, bnt after all they we're forced 10
ON that foundation the celebration OF Christie
nativity.
TIE ceremonies which the Druids observed
with the recurrence OF each winter soistice
were blended with those OF tho Roman sAtur.
MALTA. These wefo modified In turn by some
OF the customs OF the Saxens, so that the
modern festival possesses some pagan rs well
as Christian characteristics. From tho former
Christmas has derived nearly all It's out ward
cheer and from the latter ite religious cere.
monies.
or ali these customs the most primitive are,
perhaps, the gathering OF the mistletoe and
the burning OF tho yule log, but both have
now almost entirely passed away. Among tho
Druide the mietlotoe was the object OF reifg-
GUS veneration, and was supposed to possess
marvellous curative properties. When the
festival period arrived they marched In
sacred parasite and, having bound two white
bulls to Its trunk, the high priest, robed ia
white, assembled the tree and cut the mistletoe
with golden knife, while another priest be.
low caught the bow in the folds OF his robe.
The festivities were then begun with the STAY
Ing OF the bulls, which were offered up as
sacrifice to the god Tutanus-the sun. The
mistletoe, having been divided Into small por-
tione, was hung up by the people over tue Gu
frances to their dwellings 10 propiiate and
shelter the deities during the winter.
On the conversion OF Great Britain TO Chris
tianity the custom lost It's religious eignlu-
canoe, but retained It's secular importance,
and the mlstletoe was regularly gathered aud
used as q Christmas decoration. II was sought
Tor no longer for its curative qualities, but II
acquired the now famous virtue that whom
suspended from the ceiling It conferred upon
any gentleman present the privilege OF kissing
any lady who passed beneath. II Is q rare
thing now, however, TO md the mistletoe
growing on the bark OF the oak In England,
and the custom has almost entirely disap-
peared. In this country the mistletoe thrlves
only In the South, and has mover been con-
nected popularity with the celebrations OF
Practically obsolete is also the famous old
custom OF burning the yule log, Tor which we
are Indebted to the Scandinavians. The cut
ting OF tho yule, or Christmas log, used 20 be
Bioat oNcut III GuBlhnu, huu ttb tlBut OF ono
cracking on the wide hearth of some baronial
hall was an imposing spectacle. The time for
placing In position tho yulo log, previously
cut with great care from the Lar gest trunk to
be found in the forest. was Christmas eve, and
that accomplished the festivities OF tho goason
sir Walter Scott has told In "MarmIon"
how
'on Christmas eve the bells were rung;
on Christmas eve the mass was sung.
That only night In all the year
Saw the stoled priest the ohalice rear;
The damsel donned her kirtie sheen
The hall was dressed with holly green;
Forth 10 the wood did merry mon go
To gather in the mistletoe;
Then opened vide the baron's hall,
TO vaesal, truant, serf and oil;
Power laid his rod OF rule aside
And ceremony dofred his pride;
The heir with roses In his shoes;
That night might village partner choose;
The lord, underOgating share,
The vulgar game Of 'prost and pair
All hailed with uncontrolled delight
And general voice the happy night,
That 10 the cottage, as the crown,
Brought ttdtngs OF salvation down;
The fire, with well-dried logs supplied,
Went roaring up the chimney wide;
The huge hall tables oaken face,
Scrubbed till 1t shone the day TO grace,
Bore then upon Its massive board,
No mark to part the squire and lord"
Under the UieiRe regime in the Old Dominiou,
where a great many Euglish customs for a
long time prevailed, tho negroes would get
for the Christmas fire a big log, and would
claim and obtain holiday so long as the log
held out TO burn. They dated their term OF
service, too, Invariably so that It would expire
on Christmas eve, custom which prevailed
In come parts or England ia the "good old
tines" But the "back.log," even In the Old
Dominion, Is now a thing of the past.
Some OF the. Christmas games which were
played In England half a century ago have
become obsolete, but many still retain their
hold IN popular favor. Among these sports
were jumping in sacks, diving in tub OF
water for apples and jumping for cakes and
treacle-that Is to say, endeavoring by springs
Uhe hands being tied behind the back Co
catch with the mouth a cake thickly spread
Then there was "Blindman's Bur-" 'Puss In
the Corner" "Questions and Commands"
me standard game was, however, "Snap-
Dragon" handful OF raisins having been
placed In large, shallow bowl and spirits
poured over them and ignited, every spectator
In turn tries TO snatch one. To do this he
must necessarily thrust his hand through the
names OF the burning alcohol--a feat which,
though not really perilous, appears so, aud
tho unsuccessful competitors get therefor but
shouts OF laughter for thoir pains.
The custom OF mummering, or masquerad-
ing 10 as old az the saturnalia, OF which II
was distinguishing feature. Masquerad Ing
IS sui common enough both In England and
OF al nights In the year II 10 permitted on the
public streets; but mummery, as our ences-
tors understood II, ia obsolete.
Another old custom intimately associated
win me observance OF Christmas was the per-
formances OF the "Walts," who were at iirst
court pages and afterward town musicians,
sometimes employed ae watchmen to call the
hour and sometimes simply serenaders. A
christmas dinner in the oldon time was a very
dinerent anair from what IL ts now. Tho diah
which ruled the most on any board In feudal
times was the boars head. II was carried In
bonor, with blowing or trumpetg and Ministries