The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-12-26
Chris mas Customs.

Christmas is a festival that seems to
be more particularly the property of
children than any other; not that every
body does not Join in the celebration
with all their hearts, but that children,
in honor perhaps of Him who became q
child, are given the chief part in its
pleasures. 81
In Cornwall on Christmas eve, the
children are all allowed to sit up till
midnight, and to have a taste of cider,
too; and in Devonshire they go, with
their father and all the family and
friends, out in the orchard with cider
and q cake, placing the latter in the
crotch of one of the branches, and
throwing the other over the tree. This
is evidently the relic of an old pagan
rite, bearing every appearance of the
ancient sacrifice, q sacrifice topropitiate
the tree to continue its fruitfulness, nj
though, why it should be offered on
Christmas eve is not explained.
Indeed, there are many heather Gus
toms that have been grated upon our
way of keeping Christmas. This will
be understood when it is remembered
that the early Christian fathers found
it hard to keep their focks from join
ing in the Pagan ceremonies at times Of
good-feeling and iollity. They there
fore wisely made their own ceremonies
conform to the same occasion, so that il
their people must celebrate, they could
be celebrating Christian facts. Thus
the old Roman Saturnalia, q time OF
great merry making, to speak mildly,
coming at this season of the year. the
early fathers thought best to harmon
ize it with their Christmas festivities.
From the S%aturnalia are descended
the "Mummers," a band of people who
go about in masks, in England, and en-.
act some rude play before the doors
Whatever this play was in the days o
the Sa%turnalia. in the Christian days i
has usually been the story of st. Georgt
and the Dragon,-old Father Christ
mas, crowned with holly and carrying
wassail bowl, introducing st. George,
Turkish knight, a huge scaly dragon
and a doctor to bind up the wounds: tx
all of whom the children at the window
are delighted to throw their half-pen
MES.
Again in Great Britain the priests O
the new religion borrowed from tn,
Druids, for their Christmas use, tn,
observance of the winter s~olstice will
great solemnity, and allowed also som
of the customs of the ancient Saxons t
be absorbed. Thus from the Druid
we have the mistletoe, and from tn
Saxons the Yule log.
There is cheer and hospitality abou
the Yule log which it warns one t.
think of. In the places where such
thing is really burned, when it is Gu
and dragged along to be placed on til
hearth, and lighted from the emb.rs Q
last years log, put away tor that pu,
pose, every wayfarer raises his hat to
as it goes along, it mean SO much.
From what the WAITS" another &C
compartment of Christmas, dear t
English children, have descended j
not certainly ascertained; but there wa
o company of Waits" as early as til
year 1400, and it is understood tha
they were then strolling players O.
hautboys and other wind. instruments
and that is all they are to-day.
The n purely Christian observanc
IN all these glad, gay ceremonies is tn
Carols" The singers have q pitur
sequences as the glimmer of their Ian
terms ill1mines them by fits and start
in the darkness on the snow, and thei
voices have q sweetness half stolen froI