Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-12-20
Christmas in the Past.

The father OF the boy or girl OF to-
day can we'll remember, if he has
reached the age of forty or upward,
time when Christmas had practically
no existence for him. In certain parts
of the country, indeed, Christmas has
never been forgotten. In New York
City, in Pennsylvania, aud in the
South generally, Christmas, as well as
Easter, has always been observed. In
New England, however, in many of
the rural parts of New York, and in
portions of the country which were
settled from New England and from
rural New York, Christmas was, forty
years ago, but name.
Some trace of it seemed to have sur
vived in the occasional practice of
hanging up the stocking on Christmas
Eve. Boys and girls often hung their
stockings by the fireplace, and in the
morning, if they were fortunate, there
was in each stocking store of nuts, a
little candy, and perhaps a jack-knife
or thimble. But next day-Christ-
mas Day-the boys and girls went to
school as usual, and fathers and
mothers went about their usual tasks.
There was no holiday and no big
Christmas dinner.
The one feast of the year had been
eaten at Thanksgiving. The mince
pies accumulated for that festival were
still making their appearance upon
the family table; and the pies, and
the memory of all the other good
things and sports of Thanksgiving,
had to serve the children of that
period, as far as holidays were con-
cerned. until Fast Day came round
again.
In most of the States, indeed, the
children had not even Fast Day to
look forward to. There was no real
holiday until the Fourth of July. For
them there were practically but two
holidays in the year.
The recollections of Christmas
which person of fifty should under
take to relate to his children would be
very much like the celebrated chapter
about the snakes in Ireland, which
simply stated that there were no
snakes in ireland. He might. how
ever, have vivid recollection of q
rather lonesome ten minutes spent in
hanging woolen stocking by fire.
place, during which time his parents
sat solemnly by, looking as if they
did not altogether approve what he
was doing. The JOY with which he
might anticipate a possible gift was
tempered not little by the remem-
brance of ope Christmas morning
when he arose eagerly. searched his
stocking, and found nothing whatever
in it.
| Very soon, however, the real Christ
mas began to grow up, as it were.
The most powerful agency in making
its observance general was the Sunday
school. Always on the lookout for
something with which to arouse the
interest Of children, the Sunday.
school of thirty years ago early made
choice of Christmas. 'sTrees' were
introduced as feature of an annual
observance, and many little gifts were
distributed.
1t was customary to have the pas
sages in the Gospels relating to the
birth of Christ read aloud by one Of
the pupils of the Sunday-school who
could read well, and this Office was
greatly coveted. The chance of being
selected to read these passages alouG
at Christmas was sufficient incentive
to many pupils to pay particular at
tention to their reading lessons al
school for months together.
The interest of the children in thest
exercises was very great from the start,
and it soon drew the older people into
an almost equal interest in the revival
of the old festival. In surprisingly
short time Christmas had become the
most important day in the year
} Youths Companion.