The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-12-19
Christmas Varieties from Various
Authors and Papers.

Christmas Varieties from Various
Authors and Papers.
''Know all men and women by these
presents Boston Beacon.
1t is when the turkey is in the oven that
the cook studies Browning. Cou-
rier.
will honor Christmas in my heart and
try to keep it all the year.-Charles Dick
ems
1t is good to be children sometimes, and
never better than at Christmas, when its
mighty founder was a child himself
Dickens.
The drinking customs of Christmas
originated with our Anglo-Saxon fore
fathers, with whom waes hazel, or ''was-
sail, answered to the present ''good
health y
Christmas during the time of the Stuarts
was often but dreary sort of affair, and it
was not until the time of Charles II that
the ''good old customs were revived.
The poor will many care forget,
The debtor think not of his debt,
But, as they each enjoy their cheer,
Wish it were Christmas all the year.
Thomas Miller.
The church bells of innumerable sects
are all chime bells today, ringing in sweet
accordance throughout many lands and
awakening great joy in the heart of our
| common humanity -Chanin
II don't believe in gimcrack gifts,
Said good old Deacon Dole;
"On Christmas Days give my wife
Soap, -four, terbacker, coal :
The true Christmas season is said by
many authorities to commence with Christ
mas Eve and terminate on the LIST of
February. The commonly accepted length
of festival time is from Christmas Eve until
Twelfth Night.
ADAM S CHRISTMAS TOAST.
The joyous season made him think
They had no cause to grieve,
And so he said, Wed better drink
A toast to Christmas, Eve
From Judge.
THE MODERN MAIDEN.
DOM give her music box, album or book,
A manicure set or the like,
Such old-fashioned presents she never can
brook,
For she has her heart set on bike.
Many seven branched candlesticks were
in use at Christmas in the German churches
in the Middle Ages; the most magnificent
that remains is one in the Cathedral of
Essen, dating from 1908, standing nearly
nine feet high. Another is at Brunswick,
standing fourteen and a half feet high.
Many others exist.
He Knew-Willie Cat the close of
Christmas Day)-''M Nav, didn't you say
that Santa Claus only brought presents to
good boys?''
Mother-"Yes, dear
Willie-''Well, if Santa Claus thinks
all of the fellers he brought presents for
are good boys somebody has give him an
awful steer.
The burning of the Yule log is trans
mitted to us from our ancient Scandinavian
ancestors, who, at their feast of JUL, at
the winter solstice, kindled huge bon6res
in honor of Thor When this became a
Christmas Eve custom in England the
bringing in of the Yule log was attended
with much pomp and circumstance. Every
wayfarer raised his hat as he passed it for
it was thought to be full of good promises.
Christmas is not celebrated in Mexico
with a tree, but with pinata The lat
ter is large earthen vessel, gaily decorat-
ed and filed with toothsome dainties and
candies, hung from the ceiling in the
middle of the ROOM The children are
blindfolded and armed with sticks to break
the jug, and when it is shattered they
throw off their masks and scramble for the
scattered goodies. Presents are then dis
tributed and dancing follows.
THE LUcKIEsT DAY.-It is considered
particularly lucky when Christmas falls on
Sunday, and the reverse when it comes on
Saturday The intermediate days are, for
the most part, propitious. 1t is believed
in Devonshire that if the sun shines bright
at noon on Christmas there will be good
crop of apples the following autumn.
Every one knows the other old tradition to
the effect that green Christmas will make
full graveyard.
A FAMOUS Dish. ancient custom
Of serving boar head at Queens Col
lege, Oxford, observed annually on Christ
mas afternoon, in presence of the public,
is said to have been preserved since the
year 1850, and to have originated in
memory of noble exploit, as tradition re-
lates, by scholar "a tabardar) of Queens
College, in killing wild boar in Shotover
Wood The following is the carol as it is
now sung on these occasions:
1.-THE boar's head in hand bear I,
Bedeck'd with bays and rosemary;
And pray you, my masters, be merry,
Quot estis in convivio.
Caput apt defero
Reddens laudes Domino.
1.-THE boar's head, as | understand,
Is the rarest dish in all this land,
Which, thus bedeck' d with gay garland,
Let us servire cantico,
Capri apri defero, etc.
"0ur steward hath provided this
In honor of the King Of Bliss,
Which on this day to be served is
In Reginensi Atrio.
Caput apri defero,
Etc, etc., etc.
|
His Name Is Legion.
For Christmas present now
| am saving up;
That's why wrinkles line my brow