The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-12-25


functions of a theocracy-right or rea-
son, or even excuse to stamp as
a legal holiday any day that
its national veal or woe. Its
right to legalize even such a
day of patriotic import, so that thereon the
business of one citizen with another be-
comes hampered, if not wholly impeded,
may likewise seriously be questioned. 1t
is against its spirit, most emphatically, so
to distinguish the natal day of any one of
its sons, no matter how deservedly es-
teemed Washington's birthday as legal
holiday is slap at our fundamental doc
trine, the equal regard of every citizen.
What possible pretext can justify the legal
recognition of Christmas as national oc
casion, so that even court sittings are
thereon interfered with, is beyond my
patriotic logic; nay, does violence to it, for
am forced to look upon the countenance
of this day as UNCONVENTIONAL and church
favoritism, un-American in spirit and
transgressive of the letter of the constitu-
ton, which should therefore evoke the
protest Of every unbiased and true Ameri-
can, whether Christian or Jew.
From an historical standpoint Christmas
is not only not justified, but should be con-
demned as Christian holiday. 1t is
universally admitted that if the New Tes-
lament account of Jesus be correct, Christ
was never born on the day held in honor as
the anniversary of his birth. In Palestine
December belongs to the wet season, when
shepherds are not wont to tend their fiocks
at night in the open fields. Therefore, even
with admitting the veracity and genuine
ness of the Gospels, to assume that some
day should be held in honor of "Christ's"
nativity, and that the season of Christmas
is most appropriate to the merriment pro-
voked by the occasion of its mirth, is to
confess that Jesus made serious mistake
in selecting the time of the year of his
birth, or else there can be no sense in
celebrating as his birthday day wholly at
variance with the possibility of the circum-
stances coloring his paturiency. AS mat
ter of fact, however, Christmas was not
originally Christian. 1t is the heather
Saturnalia and was Christianized about a
century and half to two centuries after
the reputed crucifction of Jesus, and
merely to throw bait to the Pagans to OBJ
tain by the countenance of their festivities
their desired conversion.
The only justification that Christmas
can therefore have as any kind of holiday
must be sought in whatever spiritual sig
nifcance or virtue custom has breathed
into or wreathed around its observance.
But even this last resort fails to vindicate
its honor. 1t requires not the formal
coronation of the Lord of Misrule' or the
"Abbot of Unreason" to set agoing,
Christmas revelry. They take their
thrones on this day with appropriate
naturalness. The day is their offspring or
native subject. And the old Christian
preachers who invefghed against Christ
mas carousals-l hate to use their word
licentiousness-are about as consistent as
would be some ancient Roman priest
were he to protest against Proser-
pima, the Queen of Pluto and the
Neither regions, appearing on earth during
the six months that his mythology gives
her divine right to embrace her mother,
Ceres, the goddess of earthly abundance.
Whatever moral conduct this day is used
as the pretext for, in the way of charity
etc, is not inherent or characteristic in
the day itself, but merely incidental to il
and characteristic solely of a few indi
viduals; it is but an exceptional OBJ
servance. A soul eXaltation, spiritual
JOY, the day cannot possibly stimulate
Whatever soulful food or impulse lies in
the tale of Jesus incarnation is contained
in Easter, the festival of the so-held resur
rection, wherein the sacrifice of His di-
vinity, the martyrdom of His humanity
and His identification have in their tri-
IL; or 5rr5a
poetic spiritual work. But Christ
mas devoted simply and directly
to the debasement, represented
otherwise however so nobly voluntary, O.
the 'Son of Godn into the pulling form O.
vulgar infantile humanity, is constrained
for want of spiritual power to make use O
its mask as holiday-which means holy
day-as a disguise of what it really is,
tesny day, a carnival of luxury extrava
gance, gluttony, bringing bouts, etc.
which in their grossness, to my infinite re
greet, have power to attract some misguidet
and superficial Jews into the observance
especially of the vulgar extravaganza o
presents that no depth of soul or holy graft
tude to God for family blessings, ETC., ha
called forth. The extravaganza O
presents among the Christians Oh
this day is, as an almost in
variable rule which the exceptions abov
allowed for emphasize the NOR
strongly, but between men an
women, between families of tn
same social and financial status; seldom
from the rich to the poor even among rela
tives. The day thus is not only the excus
for but the encourager of extravaganza, a
any of the retail stores in this and any othe
city, which look largely for their year.
profits to the holiday trade, will readil
testify. The display of wares evidence
that the expenditures of the holiday seaso
are not for necessities. And a little inves
tigation will establish the fact that this no
iday trade locally everywhere comes matt