The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1885-12-31

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81 lakes Gospel. . thse We can oaly here
treat OF II ~ ChnrCh Eei1vai.
The f1rst celehcAtiou * Chsiatmas - Churc,
Festival b wrapped ia mystery. Some assert
that its instituti0e Il due 10 g. Tclesphorus, an
early Saiat WHO lived 10 the reign Of Antoninus
Plus, 130 -f6t AID. other authorities think that
II was not observed till the reign. Of Oommodus,
lS0-190 A. d. Csrtasn Il. 10 that whilst Diocls-
tian 204 90, AUDA kept court at Nic0media he
heard that . humber Of Jews were assembled TO
celebrate Chriss's birthday and cruelty gave or
ders to FIRE the haildlng, so that al perished.
As We have No authentic account OF the origin,
neither have We Of the fixing Of the present date.
The 25th December cannot be the proper date -
Il il the heigheof the rainy season To Judea and
the shepherds could net be there watching their
Aocks 10 the fields at night Down till the MIN
century the Church kept II at the most conve-
nient season--sometimes ON SStn March or Jew.
of Tabernacles, The Eastern Church celebrated
il on 9Th January--the Western on S6th Decem-
ber This variance Of opinion naturally led to
many Irregularities, and ST. Cbrysostom tells ID
that very general feeling for universal ceie-
bration prevailed. St. Cyril, Bishop OF Jerusa-
S37-35S A. D., 10 fix day and order 1t to be uni
versally kept
Julius desirons Of converting the Pagans to
Christianity decided for 25th Decentralization
kept as the great feast OF the Winter boistce:
By this means he hoped to turn the thoughts OF
the heather to the more ennobing ieast OF the
Christians I'll this he was only partially sue
cessful, as the Wild revelry and bacchanalian or
ges of the Pagan feast were more congensAl 70
heather minda Partly to obviate this, the
| clergy commanded and allowed the more inno-
| cent pagane;a1usements and customs to be min
ssa with shs nauy ncop psSs
ties If our pfssenti Ohristmas customs !.
But thouTh The 25th December - recognized
| a. the tiay Of days, the Festival extended from
| 18th December te 18th night and even on 70
Candlemas fFebrusry 2d), and during that time
| all classes were bent on merry making.
| During the time OF the CommonweaI'n ~
Enoisnd auch mummeries were forbidden and
| denounced by Puritans as Of the Devil: WIN
the Restoration of Charles II the jovial customs
| were renewed. Now the special Church service
and family gathering are all that distinguish the
| day. and even this is limited to roman Ca'no'
lies, Epscopalians aud Lutheran churcnes on the
continent.
In the Roman Catholic Church it is the only
festival which, falling on Friday. converts the
usual weekly fast into FEAST We read OF
"Stiil Christmas " 10 1925 in England, owing to
| illness of Henry WILL
| Nearly all our customs are OF heatnen origin:
| The Cells and Germans worshipped the sun ana
| Hulda or Berchta-the Northern Ceres-Who
cave them slight, heat, food and all good
| things" /
| To them we can trace the symbolic burning
of the yule log, and the hanging of evergreeni
| signiyng the return of heat 10 make the earth
glad and green. Also in more modern times we
have Santa Claus or the good fairy. In Britain
the Druids reverenced the sacred mistletOe. The
high priest robed in white, climbed the chosen
oak tree, and with a golden knife cut off the
mystic branch which dropped into white sheel
| held by priests below. After sacrifices were Of
fered to their Gods, a small sprig was given te
each householder TO be hung over his door
There is beautiful though superstitious legend
| that no evil spirit can assal any one under the
protection of the mistetoe berry.
In England and Germany where Christmas il
notably the great feast OF the year, the peasan
try believe many quaint stories. That the cat
| tie bow 10 their stalls on Christmas Eve, bread
baked then never grows mouldy, that plentiful
| crop OF apples is insured for the following sea-
son, when the sun shines out on Christmas day
that the cock crows all night at this season, etc.
hence Shakespeare makes Morceuus say
at faded on the growing Of the cock
Some say that ever 'galnst that season comes
| Wherein our Saviour's birth is celebrated
The bird Of dawning sngeth all night long,
And then they say no spirit can walk abroad
! No fairy takes, witch hath power to charm,
So hallowed and 30 gracious is the time
| Space will not permit me TO dwell at length
on the many quaint seasons as given for the
| special fare eaten OF at this season, and car
| only name few of the dishes-the boar's head
| n,,lo 90
| Christmas day; the peacock, with tail feathers
attached. mince pies, plum puddngs, special
| cakes, etc., and spiced drinks of all kinds, no.
tabiy furmenty,' prayed wheat boiled in milk
| with eggs and bruised almonds, the sowans oil
Scotland too all relics of offerings and batons to
| the Gods. These were consumed before the
| yule log died out upon the hearth. The custom
of gioing presents strikingly illustrates the good
| will of man 10 man at time when our hearts
are specially touched by thoughts of Gods
| great gift 10 US IN Christs birth as the ''Son oil
| Man"
| songs combined, and were very often highly
| prOfane and bacchanalian in their character, az
| many are in France at the present day.
| During the Thirteenth century the priests
forbade their being sung and danced, and the
earliest edition published was in 1881. In 1642
John Tyndale was granted license by the Par
Lament OF England for printing certayne goodly
carowles to be song to the glory Of God, and
ever since this time they have been entirely 50.
cred in character, though many are ludicrous in
the extreme in their expressions of homage TO
| Jesus and Mary.
The Waits who sing these carols from house to
house during advent and specially on Christmas
| Eve, derive their name from Wat, the musical
instrument played on by the carrollers in their
merry dances. 3 The Magi who worshipped
Christ in His Manger, were believed by the
Germans to be the three kings of Cologne, and
the magnificent cathedral of that city stands on
| the site of shrine which covered their bones
| On Christmas Eye the peasantry used to crowd
| to this shrine To- see and touch their skulls,
which were supposed to work miracles, cure ali
ills, etc, notably cramp and rheumatism, etc.
| Christmas customs in our States must of ne
necessity be borrowed from the old world, and
TO US in the South il is difficult to comprehend
| how much the season means to the German or
Englshmsn. 30 many OF its legends are associ.
ated with frost, snow and ice, that we cannot
realizs these under sunny Skies but we can still
| remember that II Is The time of "peace on earth,
| good will to men," and let each of US do our ut.
most to make II 80, and we shall be blessed in.
| deed.
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