The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1890-12-20
CHRISTMAS.


Memorable is the institution of Christmas.
1t is festival of the Christian Church observed
on December 25 as the anniversary of the
Savior's birth established by Pode Telesphorus,
who died A. d. 1873, and throughout the subse-
quent history of the church the day has been
one of the most noted of Christian solemnities.
In oIden times, confounded with the Epi-
phany, it was celebrated in the months of
April and May. In the fourth century, how
ever, st. Cyril of Jerusalem succeeded in OBJ
tanning from Pope Julian |. an order for ascer-
tanning the exact day of Christ's nativity. The
great theologians of the time took as
basis the tables of the censors in the archives
of Rome, and established the day which has
prevailed ever since
The custom of celebrating three masses in
Roman Catholic countries to usher in Christ
mas day-one at midnight the presumable
hour of Christ's BIRTH, one at dawn, and one
in the morning-originated in the sixth centu-
ry 1t has ever been considered day of cheer
full commemoration and merriment, and dur
ing the middle ages was celebrated by gay,
fantastic spectacles, dramatic mysteries, NOR
alitics and Observation-Disclosures.
In England Italy. Germany, and nearly
every country in Europe the day is celebrated
with great festivities, although much OF the
elaboration of the same is dispensed with.
Even to this day the Calabrian minstrels for
several days preceding Christmas descended
from the mountains to Naples and Rome to
salute the various shrineS in the churches and
public places. The holly, the laurel, the ever
green, and the ivy are the chief natural deco
rations employed, and in England the college
chapels are regularly trimmed with considera-
BILE ceremony.
In the United States, since the Puritans were
at first stern opponents of Christmas pastimes,
the day was less generally celebrated in New
England than in the Middle and Southern
States Santa Claus (St. Nicholas), originally
introduced by the Dutch settlers of New York,
is the American representative of the German
Knecht Rupert.
At Christmas eve the bells were rung,
On Christmas eve the mast was sung;
That one night in all the year
Saw the stoled priest the chal1ce rear.
Then opened wide the baron's hall
To yassal, tenant, serf and all;
Power laid his rod of rule aside,
And ceremony doffed his pride;
The heir, with roses in his shoes,
That night might village partner choose;
All hailed with uncontrolled delight,
And general noise the happy night
That to the cottage as to the crown
Brought tidings of salvation down.
England was merry England when
Old Christmas brought his sports again.
Twas Christmas brOach'd the mightlest ale,
Twas Christmas told the merriest tale;
A Christmas gambol oft would cheer
A poor mans heart through half the year.
Christmas carols were marked features of
holiday celebrations in past centuries, and the
literature of every civilized country abounds
in them They were usually sung by min
strels, young children, or in cathedral cholrs,
and no Christmas morning in village commu-
mites was allowed to pass without this poem
of musical commemoration being prominent
in the exercises of the day:
saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
/ saw three ships come sailing IN
On Christmas Day in the morning.
o, they sailed into Bethlehem
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
O. they sailed into Bethlehem
On Christmas Day in the morning.
And all the bells on earth shall ring
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day,
And all the bells on earth shall ring
On Christmas Day in the morning.
And all the angels in heaven shall sing
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
And all the angles in heaven shall sing
On Christmas Day in the morning.
Present-giving is a custom of remote origin.
and seems to have run the course of the years
without fashion or circumstances being able
to Danish it. The Christmas tree has supplant-
ed the Yule log and the mistletoe, but this is
because of its being more common ana conve-
nient, and of the decree of the little ones, who
would rather go wild over its beauties than
marvel at the mysteries of time-honored
usages.