Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1892-12-23
Gil RISTMAS.

A Day Celebrated the World Over
How the Early Christians Observed
1t.
Christmas proper is never . day. 1t
10 really . week or about . month.
When the almanac says December
has come then all hearts begin to feel
the presence OF that midwinter fes-
tival. Each day adds to the power Of
this feeling. The work of sisters,
mothers, and wives has some bearing
on tho 25th, and while that day is
still few days off by the estimate of
the sun, it is wonderfully near in the
estimate of the heart. As the trees
and verdure along the river are blessed
BY the rivers moisture if only in the
form of . damp air and a heavy dew,
so the days long before Christmas are
touched with its spirit-the dew of its
love.
The Romans perceived that one
day did not contain all the import of
the midsummer Rayety. They there.
fore made no effort to crowd their
season into . single sun. Their
Saturnalis continued seven days. 1t
began rs one>dsy celebration and
was observed Dec. 10, but rs it was
soon found that brief period was cup
TOO small to contain the wine Ct
pleasure. it was extended to three
days; At last it was enlarged by the
Emperor CiAudlsn SO as to take in
the goth. In form, the festival has
now been changed back into the one>
day shape, but il reality Christmas is
much larger under our Presidents
than it was under CIaud,an aud Cali
gula.
1t is great midwinser period, and
may we'll be looked upon rs a type Of
the public happiness Or the public
misfoItunes Of u given date. In the
early Christian church it became
single day, because being ssked to
stand for the birth of Jesus it had to
be a formal day rather than a week,
but no such limitation could keep i,
from having adjacent times which par
took Of its spirit, as dawn partakes of
day.
The earliest Christmas was the
saddest; the latest is the most joyful.
Tho heart sinks when it recslls the
fact that our pine trees which bend
with presents for old and young, tina,
cur reunions of relatives, our parties.
amusements and cessation of labor
came from foundations tina. were laid
i" tears. While the early Christians
were attempting to celebrate their
favorite day the Roman authorities
we're wat hing them and arrestine
them as being enemies of the reg ulsr
>aturnalia and friends of new re
liRion. That feast which is now cele
bratcd IN every parlor and dining
room and which cheers up the street
of every city and village was once oh.
served in the caves, in the hills or the
catacomhs under the streets OF Rome.
Rome, like Paris. was built upon solid
rock. The excavations made nv stone
quarries ran here AID there under the
ground like the ou.reaching drifts Of
nine. Into these caverns not only
the dead were carried, hut within also
the living ran to hide or live unknown
when the times were dangerous up in
the sunshine. In one of these SUBJ
ter'anean rooms some Christians cele>
hrat+d Christmas in the first century
after the apostles, While the NEST
splendid city of all times was making
the sun look down upon a scene OF
festivity IN which even slaves took |
full part, group of Christians was in
a caver" far down below the lauRhtr
OF children and the wheels of chariots,
and was there LAYING the foundations
for our beautiful feast OF December.
The most venerable person pres~n,
was . certain Alexander. He had
been condrmned as a disturber of the
peace, aud when that immunity from
arrest which the Sasurnal,a brought
had passed by he was liable to be-
found by the police and to pay With
his blood the price Of his crime. The
words which have come to Us from
him are few, hut thew are full of
pA'hos and prophecy. He pointed to
the black stones overhead and added:
"This rocky roof hides the stars, but
it cannot keep them from shining;
thus they who turn many to righteous.
ness shal! shine as the stars Of Heaven.
! know that I shall he given as food .
to the Wild beasts when this great
least shall have passed BY, but the
Star OF Bethlehem shall never set"
II was two hundred years after this
dismal sssemhlage in . tomb the
Christmas fesss cam. out into the
'pen light Of day and began to hang
q na rlanAa ,nor a. H..