The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-12-08
CHRISTMAS.
CUSTOMS AND BELIEFS RELA-
TIVE TO ITS OBSERVANCE.
Notifications Of the Roman Satur-
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., Holly and
Yule Tree - An Ancient
English Xmas Dinner.

English Xmas Dinner.
When Romans and Greeks came into
the early church, like simple hearted
children dragging their toys after them,
the wise old church fathers, as wise rs
they were pious, Id not snatch away the
playthings and scold the children, but
made new significance or every cere
mony and belief. They acccpt,d the
Roman Satu:na'ia withits jubi!ant dane
and song, its gay ploce sions, its inter
change OF gifts, its humiliation of the
master and dignifying of the slave, and
turned it into Christmas, the most JOY
full of festivals, tue giving of the gilt,
the condescension of the mlghtlest that
the lowliest might rise.
A singular coincidence is that of the
time of Christmas and the Saturnalla
with the Druidical feast OF juno or Yule,
celebrated at the winter so!stice In honor
of the sun. god, Tutancs. Moreover 1t IS
from the Druids that We borrow the sig
niGcant mistletoe and holly, and the name
as we'll as the use of the iule-log. But
instead of stately, white-robcd priests
deliberately gathering the greens anu
distributing them here and there in pro-
pitiation of sylvan deitics, we have a
merry band who eagerly tear off the
branches and hang them up as trap to
unwary maidens "caught and kissed
under the mistlctoe." The Iule-log, too,
is no longer sacred sacriGcal emblem.
A perfect thicket of purely English OBJ
servances and legends have sprung up
around the old Heathen Christian festi-
val. 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 everything topsy-turvey in their
way, filling the air with the noise OF
drums and pipes, Haunting bright ban
ners and many colored ribboas, 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 magni6cence as one as
cended the social scale. The Kings
ord of Misrule was a most gorgeously
arrayed individual, while his masque be.
came a splendid pageant, lasting several
days and costing thousands of pounds.
The Christmas dinner, moreover, became
exceedingly formal and ceremonious.
Carols were composed to be sung when
the boar's head was brought in and when
the wassail bowl went around. Gener-
ally some one high in office was chosen
to perform these services. 1t is related
of Henry II. that he himself brought in
the boar's head and served it to his son.
That lordly young sprig of royalty, how
ever, received the oct of condescension
with superb aplomb, remarking, in an
aside, to his companion: "Methinks
tbs no great deed for the son Of an earl
to wait upon the son of king"
The wassail, from Anglo Saxon, waes-
neil, "be in good health" was for the
ich q highly spiced beverage, for the
Door simply ale with roasted apples
dropped into it. The latter compound
was also called Glands wool, from its
;moothncss. I have already spoken Of
the feasting. This was carried to an
extent by the nob'es and lords,
who threw open their doors to the ten
,ntry and gave without stint refresh
nent and good cheer. One rule for
Droaching the ale was that fresh cask
,hou d be brought in whenever the Gnle
og cracked. A whole OK was the COM
non roast, and the mountains of mince
pie d plum pudding consumed p IS
description. Special receipts were used
Tor Chri TINS pies and puddlngs, and
these were cherished and transmitted as
heirlooms. Henri Cuatre, it is said,
to entertain an English Embas-
,ador in an appropriate manner, m'de
use of bona tide English pudding re-
ceip!. But, a'as, he forgot the cloth,
and the poor cook, following with cou-
/, 'icntious exactness the directions of his
royal master, was surprised and confused
by the appearance of tn n, sticky ma s,
which had to be served in soup tureen'.
All this merrymaking and stuffing was
of course regarded by the Puritans with
extreme disfavor. They called the hearty
fare ''superst:tious food," ''meats Of
fered to idols" Milton was an eXcep-
ton, but Milton was poet and enjoyed
cscapades in spite of his
birth and education. The chief reason
given by thu Disscnters for the r non-ob-
,ervance of the day was that it was not
mentioned in Holy Writ, and was there
fore the invention of man. They were
not alone in considering the date a doubt
full one. Thoughtful minds outside their
sect were agitating the substitution OF
another day. This change was brought
about in spite of the renonstrances OF
the famous Lord Chesterfield and the
Earl of Macclcsfeld, the former furnish
ing brains, the latter co luenca. The re.
vision of the calendar had disastrous
effect upon the fortunes of the Earl's son,
for when he appeared afterward as can
didate for Parliament the mob beset him
with cries of: "Give US back those
eleven days which your father stole from
US, you rasc H."
The midnight massin France, the tree
and the distribution of gifts by Knecht
Rupert in Germany, the preparation of
cakes and "savory haggis" in Scotland,
are almost the only peculiar customs
worthy of remark, aside from those men
toned. Whatever or wherever the origin
of Christmas, it has nowhere obtained
as enthusiastic reception IS on English
soil.-Nsu York Graphic.