The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1896-12-29
Christmas.

Christmas.
The Christmas festival, "the most
blessed natal day that ever dawned
on EARTH" was among the early
Christians an uncertain season
Some observed it in April, some in
May, and some in June. There is
no historical evidence that Christ
was born on the 25th of December;
nor is there any historical evidence
when the festival was instituted.
1t is said that its frat observance
on the 25th of December occurred in
the Pontll1cate of Julius, whose
reign lasted from a. ID. 337 to 352
Yet more than two hundred years
later than Julius we have the Bis
hop of Odessa saying: "No ono
knows exactly the day of the Natl
vity of the Lord; this only Is GER
tain, from what Luke writes, that
"IIe was born in the night"
1t is now thought by Biblical
critics that the precise year of our
Lords birth was really four or five
years prior to the Christian era.
But by the Fifth Century the 25th
of necem Der was well-nigh univer-
sally adopted as the natal day and
as the day OF the festival. AS the
heather nations regarded the VIM
ter solstice as the time when Ma
ture begins TO renew her powers,
they. celebrated the day with great
festivities. Many of the usages
that prevailed in the religious cults
of the Romans and of the nations
subject to their sway were wisely
incorporated into its system by the
early Christian, Church. Among
the usages thus Incorporated was
the heather custom of celebrating
the renewed birth of Nature by
celebrating on the same day the
birth of our Saviour. Christian
writer's tell us that the Church
sought to substitute for the Roman
festivals held during the winter
solstice its grand liturgy, together
with dramatic representations Of
Christ's birth and the first events
of His life.
But whatever the day of the
Nativity or the motive for assign
ing it TO the Goth Of December, un-
iyersal Christendom now celebrates
the memory of the. occurrence
rather than its precise date. 1t is
the event, and no. the day of its
happening, that engages the hearts
of the Christian world. The great
communions and mighty pillars of
the Christian temple, the Romans,
the Easterns, the Anglicans, the
Lutherans and the various Chris
tian bodies throughout the Chris
tian world, pay HOMAGE to the day
not only as religious festival but
as n day of social observance.'
"The Mass of Christ" which was
early celebrated on the supposed
natal day, is the origin of the term
And what q hold it has
on the Christian world! In Eng
land formerly, and to less extent
even now, the season was consider
ed wholesome against all unnatural
charms. Shakespeare expresses
the popular thought Of his day in
the well-known and oft-quoted
lines:
some say that ever 'gaInst that season comes
Wher in our Saviour's birth is celebrated
The bird OF dnwning singeth all night long;
And then they sayno spirit can walk abroad;
The nights arc wholesomej then no planets
No fairy takes, nor witch hiatt, power 10 CHARM
SO hallow'd and so gracious Is the time,
We could wish TO say that Christ.
mas, as one of the great Christian
had been so potential, to-
gether with other Christian inau-
rnces, as io bapjsh from the Garth
war, strife and the cOqntless evils
that sffiict humanity. But The
state of things is as we behold it;
and the duty of all should be TO
use their utmost endeavors, In their
several ways and stations, to mill.
ills. we have and 10 flsht
inanfu!ly on behalf OF those things
Ih II make for progress ard light,