The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-12-05

on CHRISTMAS eve, Auu NHus ~" 'HH'"st
SAYS Blount, was called "The Feas; q
Lights" in the Latin church,
Christmas is a season Of o,rols Duran.
dus derives this word from cantarS TO
sing, an rcle. joyful interjection, Tai
bot. however, derives it fonm the Breton,
corol, to dance; and Richardson from the
French caroue particular kind q dance,
From It's similarity OF structure ana
meaning in many tongues, We may re
sure that It meant dancing accompanied
with music and song like that around
the al,ars " the sun sod. RE, NJ that
prac,iced by the Bscohantes ot .h. sun
sod, Bacchus, or by he CoryOanJes, the
Call Of Cybele or Beia, the lunar deity
and conso-, Of ha solar
wartou SAYS Of the Ca,ismas c@s,ls
printed in 1898, by Nynsyn sc Worde,
hat "tAese wsre fes,al ,haisoas for tn.
livenins the merrimenI % the Christmas
eclobvi:y indeed there is scarcely 81
custom OF any Importance relaurs 20
Christmas which was no, an ancion, ore
when Christ was born. The evergrveus.
mistletoe, nlu ninauoas, cakes, c.-o's,
feasting, dancing, and diversion Of vSH-
Gus sorts, point to the same pagan
sources, as do so many other OF our soc,al
and religious customs, Even the Bishops
crosier is the o'd liynus or chief ensign
OF the Roman augurs, Mosheim informs
US that Gregory Thaumatursds allowed
the Christians TO dance, sport. and feast.
at the tombs OF the martyrs upon taelr
rsfeciive festivals, and 20 do every
thing that the pagaas were accustomed
10 do in their temples during the feas;s,'
/ 1t was not until the fourth century uat
Chris,'s mass vas instituted. and the
eastern Christians celebrated IL, then as
now. on the Sth Of January, and called
It the Epiphany. while me wesJerners
pitched on the e5,h Of December.
We hope some day to give an account
Of the carols, for these form Interesting
pictures OF the habits and thoughts Of
our ancestors. There was that strange
one sung by the sewer while bearing the
bOar's head. as he was followed by the
stately procession OF mobiles, knights, ami
ladies, into the banqueting hall in the
good old days when open house was KEEP,
for all eomers by the great 90. weeks to-
gether. 1t begias:
'NCaput apr detaro.
Reddens laudes Domino.
The boars head in hand bring I
With garlands gay and rosemary;
/ pray you all sing merrfiy.
Out estis In conyivio."
Then there Is that beginning:
God rest you, merry gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,
For Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Was born upon this day.
To save US all from satan's power
When we were goae astray.'
An old one, chanted in our youth by
ballad singers. commences:
Il saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas day, on Christmas day"
1t appears, Our Saviour Christ and His
Lady" we're aboard, and in violation OF
the possibilities Of modern geography:
'oh, they sailed into Bethlehem
On Christmas day, on Christmas day"
But which among them all-and many
of them are very quaint eAcels for beauty
is that which Bishop Taylor called the
earliest Christmas CAROL:
Gloria n Excelslsr
A sixteenth century one, quoting he re-
frain. begins thus:
When Christ was born Of Mary free
In Bethlehem. that fair -itie.
Angels sang there with mirth aud gle.. /
In Exceisis Gloria!
Herdsmen behell these alSsls bright,
To them Appearing with great light.
Who said Gods Son is born this night
In Excelsis Gloria.'
Formerly the festivities p1rtook too
much Of the nature Of the classic Sat
urnalia. L wa7 a period CT license and
debauch. Old Father Christmas had to
yindicate his character. which was done
by deputy in tract Of 1851. called"Twelve
Yeares Observations on the Times" Half
century afterwards, another tract,
named Bait upon Bait, confesscs:
our Bait can dance, play at nigh jink3
with Dice
At any 1-:m live orthodoxal vice,
Shoeing the wild mare, tumbling the
young wenches,
Drinking all night, and sleeping IN the
benches"
The merry .mlkiag that continued from
our Chris:n1s day to Twelfth day (oId
Christmas day is noted in ballad Of
1890:
When ch-rtmas tide comes in like
BRIDE, -.-~..
With holly and ivy clad,
Twelve days in the year, much mirth and
good cheer
In every i1o1sehol1 is had"