The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-12-25
Merry Christmas.

world, except in Scotland, perhaps, She
25th of December is day of rejoicing
and feslivity; the Scotch celebrate
New Years Day instead.
The first traces ct the celebration of
Chris mas vas found about the time If
the Emperor Cummodus QSO-l92
A. D). In the reign of Diocletlau
(2S4-305), while that ruler was keep
ing court at Nlcomedia, he learned
that a number of Christians we're as.
sembcd III the cIty TO celebrate the
birthday of the Founder of Christian.
ity, and having ordered the church
doors to be closed. he set fire TO the
buildings, and al the worshipp,rs pei
ished i'll the flames.
1t does not appear, however that
there was any uniformity 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
that the 25th of December cannot
be the anniversary of the birth of
CHRIST, for it is then the height of The
rainy season in Judea, and shepherds
could hardly be watching their tiocks
by night in the plains. The custom
of Celebrating the Nativity on the 25th
of December we derive from the heath
en-, who regar ded the winter solstice
as a 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 were original,
merely the symbolical personitications
of these. AT the winter solstice the
Germans held their great Yule feast in
commemcration OF the return of the fer
sun wheel, and believed that durinc
the twelve nights reaching from tn
25th Dec. to the 9th January they
could trace the personal movements
and interferences on the earth of their
great deities, Odin, Berchta, &c. The
church sought to combat aud Danish
this deeply rooted heather feeling, by
adding its grandly devised liturgy, be-
sides dramatic representations of the
Birth of Christ and the first events
of his life. Hence sprang the social
ed Manger-songs and a multitude of
Christmas carols. Hence also origin
ated, at later period, the Christmas
trees, adorned with lights and gifts,
the customs of reciprocal presents, and
of special Christmas meats and dishes,
such as Christmas rolls, cakes, dump
lings, &c. Thus Christmas became a
universal social festival for young
and old, high and low, as no other
festival could have become.
Our Anglo Saxon ancestors made a
great deal OF the day. King Arthur
gave royal feast on Christmas Day
at Carlisle, when he entertained man
and beast, according to their rank,
in proper style" The bill of fare con-
sisted of salmon, venisor, and wild
boar, hogs-heads Of honey, sheep, fat
ted beeves, and bacon swine; plum-pud-
dings, pancakes. apple pies, and custald
with which they drank good Gascon
wine mead, home brewed ale and cider
"All sorts Of people were seen together
All sorts OF characters, all sorts OF dresses;
The fool with fox's tail and peacocks feather,
Pilgrims and penitents and grave burgesses;
| The country people with their coats OF leather,
WINNERS and victualers with their cans and
messes
Grooms, archers, varlets, falconers and yeomen
Dalnsels.and waiting maids and waiting women
Daring the Tudor period, with the
exception 'f the ''still Christmas" in
1925, while King Henry was i'll, the
sacred season appears to have been reg
ularly celebrated with joyous music
songs, and feasting. After the Restor
alton, Christmas again exhibited s
hearty, cheerful, and even joyful char
acler.
But since the accession of the House
of Hanover the festivities which were
formerly appropriate to the occasion
have much fallen off. Dickens, by hi
writings. has done much to revive thu
interest formerly taken in them, espe
ciaIly with the young. But for all
Christmas festivities, instead of lasting
with more or less brilliancy till Caudle
mas, aud with great spirit till Twelfth
Day, onl y extend now over two days
Christmas Day and Boxing Day. No
on the former day have we such roya
feasts as the one held by King Arthu
at Carlisle. A meeting in the after
noon or evening, composed of the vaI
ious branohes and members of III
family, and substantial dinner, are
generally speaking, all that distinguish
that day above others.