St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-21
CHRESTMASTIDE.
FITS History and Meaning Told by
Rev. Clay NEacCauleV.

Rev. Clay NEacCauleV.
At Unity church yesterday morning Rev.
Clay MacCauley's theme was Christmas.
Saint Nicholas and Yule Tide. He showed
that Christmas, the great festival of the
year, was a combination of a good many
festivals which had been incorporated into
the Christian church during the first thou
sand years of its history. These festivals
Christian, Roman, German, Scandinavian
and Druidical were noted at length and the
history and changes attending them fully
given. The early Christian missionaries
found many feasts and observances existing
among the heather nations of Western Eu
rope and instead of trying to suppress them,
they wisely turned them gradually into
features of the Christian church. The
principal festivals here combined were
Christmas, the Roman satunalia,
the German and Druidical sun feasts
and the Scandinavian Yule Tide.
The day was essentially the observance of
the birth of Christ. the name meaning
Christ mass. The date was fixed on the
third century. In the old Roman Catholic
church the people had particular benefits
conferred upon them at this time. But
though this was the occasion of the cele-
bration, to most people it was feast of St.
NlclOldS. IL lIlllCCu tLlClO nOlC oily oOoUCld-
tions connected with the day in their minds
besides the feasting and gift bringing.
Nicholas was bishop who lived in Asia
Minor in the third and fourth centuries, and
after his death he was made saint and was
regarded by the Catholic church as the
guardian of children. When Christianity
was introduced into Germany by the Roman
missionaries they carried with them the
name and reverence of
SANTA NICOLAUs
and he became the Saint Nicholas of the
Germans and the Santa Claus of the Dutch
Around him and the celebration of his ami
versary clustered many of the
traditions and customs of the Germans.
The saturnalia of the Romans was fes-
tival dedicated to their god, Saturn, who i'll
their mythology was the protector of agri-
culture. to whom they offered gratitude for
peace and plenty. The celebration was at
tended with great feasting, and during the
observance absolute equality existed be-
tween master, servant and slave. In the
German nations the feast celebrating the
return of the conquering sun at the winter
soIstice was celebrated Dec. 6, attended
with great feasting symbolizing the fruit
fulness brought about by his return.
The Yule Tide of the Scandinavian ma
JlOIlS Was d SlilllldI ledSt. Will
ing meaning. The chief feature was the
Yule log, lighted with fire from the old
year, attended with the symbolical festiv-
tiles.
1.-THE druids of Britain held similar feast.
From them came the use of miStletOe and
evergreens. There was a charming mean
ing in bringing these emblems into the
home aside from the beauty they add. In
those days the people believed that spirits
resided in the green things of the priest and
by this use they would get good spirits into
their houses. They were gathered with
solemnity and were supposed to develop a
spirit of good will. In all these feasts the
central idea is the reign of love and peace
in human hearts. 1t was time of graft
tude for blessings received and an incen-
tive to JOY and good will. The principal
lesson drawn by the preacher was that each
should try, not only to bring
gifts and good will into his own
circle, but to help make the joy universal,
to help others to realize the spirit of the day
and to seek out the lonely, friendless and
unfortunate.
A beautiful feature of the service was a
generous contribution of gifts from the
children. which were piled up near the
altar. These were all taken from their
own possessions. and will be distributed
among poorer homes by three Santa Claus
parties on Thursday night