The record-union., 1892-12-22
HISTORY OF CHRISTIANS.
How the Tweny-ffth Of December
Was Fixed Upon.
''Santa CIaus'' introduced in New
York by the Dutch
Settlers.

Ireneus, one of the early Fathers of
Christianity. who was born in l35 A. D.,
was one of the first to bring out the un-
folding of the divine and human life OF
our Lord Jesus Christ, aud even though
he had never written another word than
this, he deserves TO be immortal in the
Christian world for having said: THE
Son of God became little child among
the children in order that childhood
might be made holy" This sentence
holds the heart of Christmas.
But it was not until long after it was ut
tered-it was not until the latter half Of
the fourth century-that the Christian
world at large began to feel and unfold
its meaning. Then it was that she
emerged from the storm of persecution
into the sunshine OF imperial favor. Then
it was that the Christian world, in OPEN
ing her heart to the spiritual lie Of Jesus.
began to draw near to the humanity of
Jesus and to seek with eager intent
for the day of His birth, that it might
be made holy.
But what clue was there to direct the
search; what reason could be given for
choosing one day rather than another for
the Christmas festival? The gospels,
always meager in dates, were silent here.
They gave no hint of the day or month of
the nativity. Oral traditions, we may be
sure, were equally reticent.
There were, indeed, a few scattered
suggestions Of Christ's birth floating here
and there among the writings of tho
fathers, but they were all of late origin,
manifestly unhistorical and, above all,
quite contradictory.
Clement of Alexandria, who lived in
the middle of the second century, said
that many Christians regarded the 10th of
May the day of nativity; others pre-
ferred the 10th of April, but he favored
the 18th of November. In the Eastern
Church the 9Th and 9th of January was
celebrated as the day Jesus baptism, and
nativity was Joined to this on no better
grounds than forced Interpretation of
re. l., l-3. Others again declared the
2lst of March as the day of nativity.
Between such varying and slightly sup
ported assumptions there was little to
choose. A historical date was clearly out
of the question. Nothing was left to do
but select some day on grounds of con-
venience and symbolic significance, and
celebrate it by common consent as Christ
mas day.
1t would take too long to trace the
many reasons which led to the choice of
the 18th of December. 1t was doubtless
connected by a process of deduction with
the day which has already been accepted
as the common date of the Annuncation.
and once having been discovered by this
easy method, the DAY on which the power
OF the Almighty overshadowed Mary,
even the least imaginative of chron-
ographers could reason forward from the
first point OF nine months and arrive at
the 18th as the day of nativity.
He who would question the value of
this argument must have had more logic
and less piety than belonged to the early
Christians.
And here another wonderful coinci-
dent meets him: This is the day of the
winter solstlce the day when the worlds
darkness begins to lessen and the worlds
light to grow. What more appropriate
day could be found for the birth of the
Son of righteousness. Behold, my
brethren" says st. Augustine, Another
instance of the wondrous fulfillment of
Scripture. St. John, the Baptist, born
June 18th the summer solstice, when
the sun begins to decline; the Lord Jesus,
born December 10Th, the winter solstice,
when the sun begins to ascend and in
this is fulfilled the saying: He must in
crease, but ! must decrease."'
The earliest mention of the 18th of De-
cember is found i'll an ancient catalogue
of church festivals about 354 years A. d.
And il is surprising to see with what
alacrlty the date was received and the
nativity received throughout Christen-
QOiIls II SStlLIS DIS IL lie WOflu laQ been
waiting for the divine childhood and was
ready TO welcome it at once with songs of
JOY and gIadness; and in a little more
than fifty years from the earliest sug-
gestiOn the observance OF December 18th
as the day of nativity had become es-
tablished.
This the most holy of all festival DAYS
has been and is desecrated Probably
arrived at their hight during the middle
ages. december liberties" as thew
were termed, were INDUCED in to a great
extent, but they have somewhat lost their
primitive bolsterouS character, and our
young children are now being trained to
look upon it as a festival to bind the
chords of love and unity in their homes
and teach them the beauty of holiness"
This is festival that has not been with
out its superstitions even as late as our
own country. a short time before Henry
Ward Beecher passed away, he uttered
these words from his pulpit in regard to
the superstitions OF Christmas day. In
asking collection for the Christmas cele-
bratlonS for the children OF the various
missions OF Plymouth Church, he gave
an apt Illustration of the changes in re-
ligious ideas since his boyhood. when
was boy" he said, and before | knew
WLNt Christmas meant, my first ideas
OF 1t We're obtained by seeing the little
Episcopal Church at Litchtield, Mass
dressed with evergreens, and on asking
my parents what il meant, l was told that
II was a Romish superstition that had
come down, and that it was not wise
observance. Things have changed since
that day, and to-day Christ has invaded
the Puritan sancruaries, and has estab-
lished Himself, and we and our children
are as observant of Christmas as the
Romsh or English churches
Santa Claus was originally introduced
by the Dutch settlers of New York.
Mrs. G. G. ALLEN,