The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-12-24
CONCERNING CHRISTMAS.

When and by whom the 25th of
December was first celebrated as the
birthday of our Lord is a point in
volved in uncertainty. st. Teles
phorus, Pope from the year Us to
139 A. d., is supposed by the gener
atty of ancient authorities to have
been the first who appointed that
day of December for that purpose.
ST. Julius, who occupied the Papal
throne two centuries later, procured
a strict inquiry to he made into the
day of our Saviour's nativity, which,
being found to be the 25th," that
day was set apart for the celebration.
The origin of the Christmas tree
is also buried in the darkness of the
ages. 1t is suggested that it is
traceable to the Egyptians and their
palm tree, which produces branch
every month, and is therefore held
to be emblematical of the year. The
Germans claim it as peculiar to
themselves, as being indicative of
their attachment 10 Christianity.
They identify it with the apostolic
labors of one of the earliest, if not
the very first, of the preachers of the
Gospel amongst them. They have
legend of his sleeping under a fir
tree, and Of miracle that occurred
on that occasion. With them the fir
tree is the genuine Christmas tree.
Like their faith, it is ever green-in
storm as in sunshine, in winter as in
summer and it is emblematic, with
its fruits and ornaments, both of the
tree of knowledge in Paradise and
still more sacred tree of Golgotha.
Another opinion is that it was i'm
ported into Germany with the con-
quering legions of Druses, and that
it is distinctly traceable to the Ger,
man Saturnalia. In Smiths "Dic-
tionary of Greek and Roman Anti.
quities" there is given an engrav-
ing from an ancient gem represent
ing a tree with four oscilli hung
upon its branches. 1t is an exact
picture of Christmas tree. What
then, it is asked, were those pretty
oscilli that were hanging from a
lofty pine ? They were little earther
images sacred to Bacchus and made
in his likeness, and were supposed
to confer fertility to the vines OF
every side, toward which the images
impelled by the wind, turned theiI
| faces.
The famous thorn tree of Glaston
bury, which blows on Christina!
Day, is well known from it's legen
Diary association with st. Joseph oi
Arimathea, who, it is said, landed
not far from the town and strucl
his staff into the ground while ht
rested himself. THE stick strucl
root and budded every Christina
Day thereafter"
The tree, it is written, was hewr
down by Puritan but we are tolt
that he cut his leg during the oper
alton, and chip flew up and pu
out his eye. Furthermore, we ar
assured that the trunk, though sep
arated from the root, grew ant
fourished, and the slips, beini
planted elsewhere, throye SO might
lily that the blossoms were take
abroad by the Bristol merchants an
sold as relics. In the Gentleman
Magazine the following referenc
to this thorn tree is made
Glastonbury, December %, 175:
A vast concourse of people attende
the noted thorn ON Christmas Da.
y. S.; but to the great disappoin
ment, there was 10 appearance of il
blowing, which made them watch
narrowly on the 5th of Januar.
Christmas Day, Old Style, when
bowed as usual" 1t blossomed c
the same day in the following yea
The same year 1852, at Aberdee
we find this record Of the wealth
on Christmas Day " \ frost we ia
here on the I'D and 23d were Il
! first of the winter. Till then Il