The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-12-26

L. AAANAhASAVS 6uU "
have a taste of cider. too; and in Devon.
shire they go, with their father and ell
the family and friends, out into the or.
chard with cider and a cake, placing the
latter in the crotch Of one Of the
branches. and throwing the other over
the tree. This is evidently the relic Of
an old pagan rite, bearing every ap-
pearance Of the ancient sacrifice, q sac
rifice to propitiatc the tree to continue
its f%ruitfulness, although why it should
be offered on Christmas eve is not az.
planned.
Indeed. there are many heather Gus.
toms that have been grated upon our
way OF keeping Christmas. This will be
understood when it is remembered that
the early Christian fathers found it hard
to keep their tlocks from joining in the
pagan ceremonies at times of good feel.
ing and jollity. They therefore wisely
made their W ceremonies conform to
the same occasion, so that If their people
must celebrate, they could be celebrating
Christian facts. Thus tho old Roman
Saturnalia, a time of great merry-mak.
ing, to speak mildly, coming at this sea-
son of the year, the early fathers thought
best to harmonizc it with their Christian
festivities.
the Saturnalia are descended the
3Mummers," a band of people who go
about in masks in England, and enact
some rude play before the doors. What
ever this play was in the days Of the
Satnrnalia, in tho Christian days it has
usually been the story of st. George and
the Dragon, old Father Christmas,
crowned with holly and carrying o was
sail bowl, introducing st. George, .
Turkish knight, u huge scaly dragon,
and o doctor to bind up the wounds, to
all of whom the children at the window
are delighted to throw their half ben.
MES.
Again, in Great Britain the priests OF
the new religion borrowed from the
Druids, for their Christmas use, the OBJ
servance Of the winter solstice with
great solemnity, and allowed also some
OF the customs of the ancient Saxons to
be absorbed. Thus from the Druids wa,
have the mistletoe and from the Saxons
the Yule log.
There is a cheer and generous hospi-
tally about a Yulc log which warns one
to think Of 1t. In the places where such
q thing is really burned, when it is Cut
and dragged along to be placed on the
hearth, and lighted from tho embers OF
last years log, put away for that pur.
pose, every wayfarer raises his hat to 10
as It goes along, it means SO much.
From what the sWaifs." another %.
compartment Of Christmas dear to En-.
glish children, have descended is not
certainly a%scertained; but there was .
company Of sWaifsn as early as the year
1400, and 1t is understood that they were
then strolling players on hautboys and
other wind Instruments; and that Is all
they are to-day.
Tho only purely Christian observance
in all these glad, gay ceremonies is the
@Carols." The singers have a pictur-
%esqueness as the glimmcr of their LAM
terms illumines them by fits and starto
in the darkness on the snow, and their
voices have a sweetness half stolen from
their songs. Tho "Carols" are sung now
all over the European continent, and in
England usually by a portion of the
church choir on Christmas Eve, and
often on Christmas morning, by certain
of the children of the parish. In the
early ages tho bishops sang them among
their clergy.
In all these things children have their
share, being the principal ones to enjoy
them; while with the "Mummcrsn little
girl goes, having no other part than that
of carrying q branch of Christmas green.
Tho Christmas-trcc, which is the most
positive feature of chi!drcn's Christina
nowadays, was not much known, II At
all, among tho English-spcaking children
till after tho good Prince Albert came to
England.
Tho worry fact that Christmas means .
rite celebrating the day of Christ's birth
gives tho children on especial claim upon
tho day which belongs 10 the Holy Child,
and n Of the applications Of whose pa
tron saint is Kris Kringle, which means
tho Child Christ.