The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-23
ALL ABOUT CHRISTMAS.

The Eastern church formerly observed
Christmas on Jan. g.
In many parts of Russia Christmas
cakes are made In the shape of cross.
Christmas Island was discovered by
Capt. Cook in l777 on Christmas day.
In old England plum porridge was al
ways served with the first course of
Christmas dinner.
In Snesia there is a superstition that on
the night of the nativity the cocks crow
all night long.
The custom of giving presents on Christ
mas day is general throughout the Chris
tian world.
In Spain it is believed by the common
people that the ants hold religious service
on Christmas day,
In all the states Christmas is a legal hol-
iday, and in South Carolina the two fol-
lowing days are also holidays.
Carol singing was, up to a few years
ago, universal in England, both in church
and home, at a Christmas season.
The leaves proper to use i'm Christmas
decorations are those of the holly bay
mistletoe laurel and rosemary.
In the Scotch monasteries an abbot of
Unreason" was appointed to direct the
festivities of the holiday season.
In the country districts of Lombardy a
cock is borne in the religious professions
of the people on Christmas eve.
In Sweden there is a superstition that
the men of the extreme northern regions
become wolves during Christmas week.
In Slesia there is a superstition that a
boy born on Christmas day must be
brought up a lawyer or he will become
thief
At Tenby. in South Wales, there has for
ages been enacted at Christmas season a
drama known as "Old Father Christmas"
The nativity of Christ has been cele-
brated at one time or another in every
month of the year from November TO
April.
Christmas mince pies in the seventeenth
and eighteenth cen turtles were made with
a coftin-shaped crust, to represent the
manger.
AT Glastonbury, in South England, there
is a thorn tree which is believed to bios
som on Christmas day. and then again
about Easter.
Santa Claus was introduced into Amer
lea by the Dutch of Holland. He is the
German representative Of the German
Knecht Rupert.
The celebration of Christmas Is said by
the church historians to have been form
ally instituted by Pope Telephorus, who
died A. ID. 1873.
In Devonshire, England a messenger Is
sent from the house of the farmer to tell
the bees that Christmas day has come,
and they are supposed to greet the glad
tbdings with joyful hum.
In Calabria, South Italy, it is believed
that vipers will not bite on Christmas day,
or that if they do their bite is harmless,
the poison being neutralized by the sanct-
ity of the day.
According to tradition, the bodies Of the
three Magi, or Kings Of the East who
visited Christ, bearing gifts, are buried in
the Cathedral of Cologne, in Germany.
Among the English common people
Christmas Is lucky when il falls on Sun
day and unlucky when Saturday is the day
of the nativity.
Down TO 1920 the waits" were Officially
recognized in London, and the post of
chief of waits" was purchased by some
band leader who expected to reap a rich
harvest during Christmas week.
The celebration Of Christmas a spe-
ciai festival is said to have begun i'm the
first century, and during the life of the
Apostle John one tradition Of the church
accredits him with inauguratng the GUS
tom.
In ancient Rome masqueraders at the
mid-winter festival were common. and the
"mumming" practlced in France, Spain
and England in medieval times was prob
ably relic of this Roman practice.
The mistletoe, now favorlte plant for
Christmas decorations, was to the DTuids
a sacred emblem 1t was gathered by
them with very pompous ceremonies and,
when cut and taken to their places of wor-
ship, was deemed to possess many mys-
tic qualities.
The mystery plays of the later middle
ages were originally Christmas dramas
prepared by the clergy and played in the
churches for the purpose Of amusing the
people and drawing them away from the
dissoute freedom of the Roman midwinter
festival.
In medieval Europe a peacock was the
favorite dish for the Christmas dinner
The bird was carefully skinned. preserv-
ing the pumage intact the body was
roasted, the skin and feathers was re-
placed and the bird served upon a dish as
nearly as possible to resemble life.
For several centuries "mumming' was a
favorite amusement in England at the
holiday season. Parties Of mummers,
wearing masks and fantastic attire went
about the streets, singing songs, playing
practical jokes and claiming drink money
from householders and people whom they
met.
IN Germany Christmas trees have been
known ever since theA introduction of
Christianity. Before that time the dress
ing Of tree with candles and presents
was feature of the midwinter Druidlcal
festival, so that, in fact, the German
Christmas tree dates back to an era before
the dawn Of written history.
Our Christmas customs are mixture of
Drudical and pagan observances. The use
Of the Christmas tree has descended from
the German Drulds. Dressing the houses
end churches with green Is a relic of pa
gan worship in Rome, so also is the send
ing of presents to and fro.
The children at Bethlehem are told by
their mothers that on Christmas eve
choir of angels always sings above the
place where Christ was born. Travellers
say that on this evening scores and some
times hundreds of children may be seen
in the open air, looking up into the sky,
waiting to hear the angels sing.
Mince pies are first mentioned in 1896 as
in common use at Christmas times Gull
nary authorities declared that they might
be eaten as early at Dec. IA. They were
made Of mutton mixed with raisins
cloves allspice, nuts and many other in
digestble stuff that happened to occur to
the mind of the manufacturer.
The ivy is never used for Christmas dec