The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1894-12-29


And ceremony DOTTED his pride.
The heir, with roses in his shoes,
That night might village partner choose.
All hailed with uncontrolled delight
And general voice, the happy night
That to the cottage, as the crown,
Brought tidings of salvation down
England was "Merrie England when
Old Christmas brought his sports again.
Twas Christmas preached the mightest
ale;
Twas Christmas told the merriest tale;
A Christmas gambol oft would cheer
A poor mans heart through half the year.
FIXING THE DAY.
The institution Of Christmas is at
tributed by the decretal letters to Pope
Telsphorus, who died A. D., 1873. AS
the anniversary of the birth of the Sa-
vior, the subsequent history of the
Christian church shows how noted a
festival it was conceded to be, and with
what solemnities it was observed.
During the first three centuries it was
the most movable of the Christian fes-
tai days, so much so that it was often
COMPOUNDED with the Epiphany, and
celebrated by the eastern churches as
late as the months of April and May.
In the fourth century, ST. Cyril of
Jerusalem, after the most urgent ap-
peal, obtained from Pope julius l. an
order for an investigation to be made
concerning the day of Christ's nativity.
The theologians of both the east and
west, after the most diligent inquiry
and research, agreed that the 25th of
December was the exact day Chief
among the grounds for this decision
were the tables of the censors in the
archives of Rome, and although it was
Ule opinion of some of the fathers that
there was not sufficient proof to make
the decision authentic, yet the identifi-
cation of the day was uniformly accept
ed, and from that time the nativity has
been celebrated throughout the Chris
tian world on that day.
TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS.
While it is only tradition, the belief
has become common that Christ was
born about the middle of the night,
from which has grown the custom in
the Roman Catholic church of ushering
in Christmas day by the celebration of
three masses, one at midnight, one at
early dawn. and the third in the morn
ing, custom that dates back to the
sixth century.
For ages the day was considered in
the double light of holy commemor-
alton, and a cheerful festival, and was
accordingly distinguished by devotional
observances, by general cessation
from labor, and by merriment.
During the middle ages it was cele-
brated by the gay fantastic spectacle
of dramatic mysteries and moralities,
performed by personages in grotesque
masks and singular costumes. The
scenery usually represented an infant
in cradle cT1TsrO11ndaH l1u he
Mary and st. Joseph, by bulls heads,
cherubs, eastern magi and manifold or
naments.
ORIGIN OF CAROLS
The custom of singing canticles at
Christmas, called carols, which recalled
the songs of the shepherds at the birth
of Christ, dates from the time when
the common people ceased to under
stand Latin. The bishop and clergy
often Joined with the populace in these
carols, and the songs We're enlivened
by dances, and by the music of tam
bours, guitars, violins. and organs.
Everybody mingled in the dance, each
person bearing in his hand a lighted
wax taper.
Many collections have been made OF
the naive medieval carols which filled
the hours between the nocturnal mass
es OF perhaps the Oldest of these col
lections, only a single leaf remains,
containing two carols, and it is care
fully guarded in the Bodleian library, in
a volume of "Christmasse CarolIes,"
printed by Wynkin de Worde in 1921.
The carols of the Welsh are especial
ly celebrated, and their Llyfr Carolan
contains sixty-ciX and their Blodeu-
gardd Cymru contains forty-eight
During the last days preceding Christ
mas it is still the custom for Calabrian
MINISTRIES to descend from the noun
tains to Naples and Rome, saluting the
shrines of the Virgin Mother with their
wild music, under the poetical notion
of cheering her until the birthtime of
her infant at the approaching Christ
mas.
GERMANY'S KRISS KRINGLE.
Among the revels of the Christmas
season were the so-called feasts of fools
and of asses, grotesque saturnalia,
which were some times termed "Decem-
Der liberties" in which everything ser
ious was burlesqued, interiors person
flying their superiors, great men be-
coming frolicsome, and all illustrating
the proneness of man to occasionally
reverse the order of society, and ridi-
cule it's decencies.
In the Protestant districts of Ger
many and the north of Europe, Christ
mas is often called the "childrens fes-
tival," and Christmas eve is devoted to
giving presents. especially between
members of the family, by means of