The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-12-18
Christmas.


INTO the early church. like simple
nearted children dragging their toys
alter them, the wise old church
Mlhers, as wise as they were pious,
did not snatch away the playthings
and scold the childred, but made
new significance for every ceremony
and belief. They accepted the Ro-
man Saturnalia with its jubilant
dance and song, its gay professions,
Hsinterchange Of gifts. It's humilia-
tIon of the master and dignifying of
theslave, and turned it into Christ
mas, the most joyful Of festivals, the
giving of the gift. the condeseension
of the mightiest that the lowliest
nigh rise.
"A singular coincidence is that of
th4time of Christmas and. the Satur-
nApa with the Druidical feast of June
~ Ytie, celebrated at the winter
solstice in honor of the sun-god,
Tutanes. Moreover it is from the
Druids that we borrow the signifi
cant mi4tletoe and holly, and the
name as well as the use of the Yule-
log. But instead of stately, white
robed priests deliberately gathering
the greens and distributing them
here and there in Precipitation of
sylvan deities, we have merry band
who eagerly tear off the branches and
hang them up as a trap 10 unwary
maiGens caught and kissed under
the mstletoe." The YuIe-log, too.
is no longer a sacred sacrificial en-
blem. A perfect ticket of purely
English observances and legends
have sprung up around the old heath
en-Christian festival. There were
the waits or watchmen, singing their
carols before light from door to door.
There was the Lord of misrule with
his rollicking companions. turning
every thing topsy-turvey in their
way. filling the air with the noise of
drums and pipes, Haunting bright
banners and many-colored ribbons,
riding their hobby-horses into the
very churches TO the hearty disgust
of the preacher and the delight of his
congregation. dreaming already of
the prospective Christmas dinner.
Naturally. this gayety and good
living increased in agnificance as
one assembled the social scale. The
Kings Lord of MisruIe was a most
gorgeouslya a rayed Individual. while
his masque became a splendid pa
'geant, lasting several days and cost.
ing thousands of pounds. The Christ
mas dinner, moreover, became ex-
ceedingly formal and ceremonious.
Carols were composed to be sung when
the bOar's head was brought IN and
when the was5ail bowl went around.
Generally some one high in Office
was chosen to- perform these services.
1t i5 related of Henry II. that he
himself brought in the boar's head
and served it tc his son. That lord
ly young sprig of royalty, however,
received the act of ofcondescension with
superb aplomb, romarking, in an
aside, to his companion "Methinks
tits no great deed for the son of an
earl to wait upon the son of a king"
The wassail. from Anglo-Saxon.
waes-heil, "be in good health" was
for the rich highly spiced beverage,
for the poor simply ale with roasted
apples dropped into it. The latter
compound was also called liam bs'
WOOL" from its sm0othness. l nave
already spoken of the feastings. This
was carried to an enormous extent
by the mobiles and lords, who threw
open their doors to the tenantry and
gave without stint refreshment and
good cheer. One rule for broaching
the ale vas that a fresh cask should
be brought in whenever the Yule
log cracked. A. whole OK was the
common roast, ana the mountains of
of mince pie and plum pudding con-
sumed pass description. Special re-
ceipts were used for christmas pies
and puddings, and these were cher
ished and transmitted as heirloOms.
Henri Quatre. it is said, wishing to
an English ambassador in
an appropriate manner, made use of
a bona fide English pudding receipt.
But, alas. he forgot the cloth. and the
poor cook, following with conscien-
tious exactness the directions Of his
royal master, was surprised and con-
fused by the appearance of thin,
sticky mass, which had to be served
in soup turpens.
All this merrymaking and stuffing
was of course regarded by the Puri
tans with extreme difavor. They