Arizona silver belt., 1896-12-24

Honor'd ever shalt thou bel
 It is strange fact but little known to the people of the present day, that nearly all our modern Christmas GUS toms and obseryances, and even the festival itself, are of pagan origin. Christmas corresponds with the heather festival of Saturnalia, and to the Yule of the Norsem en, celebrating the return of the suu. Mallet in his Northern Antiquities, says; 'lt was custom that everywhere prevailed in ancient times to celebrate feast at the winter solstice, by which men testified their joy at seeing the greatest lumi- nary return again to this part of the heavens.
 The festival of Christmas met with a good deal of opposition, in fact, from the church in early times because of it's pagan origin and gross obseryances.
 In a very rare tract entitled Canter- bury Christmas, we read: "On Wednesday, Dec. 22. l647, the cryer of Canterbury, by the appointment of Master Major, openly proclaimed that Christmas Day and all other super stitious festivals, should be put downe, and that market should be kept on Christmas Day" Among the single sheets in the British Museum is an order of parliament, dated Dec, 24, 1852, directing "thst no observation shall be had of the five and twentieth day of December, commonly called Christmas Day; nor any solemnity used or exercised in churches upon that day in respect thereof"
 In the Scotch Presbyterian Flo quence Displayed, VIC read: "One preaching against the observation of Christmas, said in Scotch jingle, 'Ye will says, sirs, good old Youl day; I tell you, good old Fool day. You will say it is brave Holiday; I tell you it is brave Bclly.day,'"
 However, all the early churchmen did not so regard Christmas, for in Warmstrys Vindication of the Solemnity of the Nativity of Christ Q64s) is the following passage: 'If it doth appeare that the time of this Fes- tivsl doth comply with the time of the Heathens' Saturnalia, this leaves no charge of impiety rpon it; for, since things are best cured by their con traries, it was both wisdome and piety iu the ancient Christians to vindlcate such times from that service of the Devil hy nppoynting them to the more solemn and especial service of God"
 The practice, even, of giving pres ents at Christmas was undoubtedly founded on the pagan custom of New Years gifts, with which in these times it is blended. The custom of dressing houses and windows with laurels is credited to the early Romans, an em- blem of peace, joy and victory, and the use of mistletoe is referred to by early Christian writers as a relic of Druid ism. It was regarded in England as a profane plant, and 1t therefore had a place assigned to it in kitchens, where it was hung up in great state with its white berries; and when female chanced to stand under it the young man present either mad or claimed the right of saluting her, and of plucking of berry at each kiss. This is a GUS tom which should have been religiously preserved.
 Among the oldest customs associated with the celebration of Christmas in England was Hagmena-youths of both sexes going from house to house cry ing, "Hagmena, Hagmena, give us cakes and cheese and let us go away" John Dixon, crusty old dominic, ill sermon, declared that hagmena signi ies "the devil in the house." Mum ming, or mnsqnerading, was another favorite sport, relic of the Saturnsl ran feast. Men and women exchanged clothes and made merry in disguise, which was condemned by the Synod of Thurles as quite adverse to Christian life. 4 kindred old sport was the hobby-horse, so called from the cir cumstance of one of the performers carrying between his legs an image of n horse made of thin boards. A dragon was also represented and six other men danced, carrying reindeer heads on their shoulders.
 We come over mlre aud moss;
 We dance on hobby.hofse;
 A dragon you shall see,
 And wild worm for to fee
 Sil we are all brave, jovisl boys.
 And take delight in Christmas toys" Then there was the Lord of Mis- rlie, whose sovereignty was to last during tho twelve days of Christmas He was attended by lord keeper, n lord treasurer, and Il rotinue. He dined in state, n lord of the realm supplying him with ven- ison, and the lord mayor and sher- ifs of London with wine. The honor