Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-12-25
Just why Dec. 2b was selected as the

December Is the rainy season In Judea,
when neither shepherds nor 1ocks brave
the open sky It Is more than probable
that the celebration Of Christs birth,
which up to the fifth century had not been
observed at all. got them to be recognized
as not less worthy Of holiday conservation
than Faster and Whitsunday It was a
happy thought to make this as nearly
as might be with the old Roman
which still survived In some OF
it's FORMS and with the annual feast OF
Thor, observed among all the Teutonic
races, even those which had accepted the
white Christ It was the more Apostle.
too, as the Roman festival and the Teu-
tonic alike had symbolic reference to the
great natural fact that the sun at or about
that date rises out Of the decadence OF his
power to augmenting heat and splendor
This was easily applicable to the first ap-
pearance Of the Son Of God and the Sun Of
the World among men.
So we see imported into the Observance
of the Christian holiday from the first on
it's social side the time honored heathen
usaees and ceremonies The universal
present giving Of the saturnalia, especially
to children, and the democratic equality
which abolished distinction Of rank at
that period were at once followed by the
Christian merrymakers From the old
Morse usages the dav borrowed the GUS
toms Of the huge bonf1res, the Yule Log Of
holy ash or oak to be burned indoors, the
symbolism Of the holly and mistletoe
boughs, alike sacred to the deities the
great boar's head served as the piece de re-
sistanoe Of the Christmas feast and the
general bacchanalianism Of the occasion
The Inter, however, was also typical Of
the old Roman festival Santa Claus (St
Nicholas) came by and by into the rich
symbolism Of the Christmas show as the
successor Of Odin, the all father and all
giyer The Scandinavian god on the 90
casion OF the festivities OF his eldest son,
Thor, distributed universal gifts, the IA
ther Of each family being his special agent
In the matter AS Odin, or Wooden, became
In later myths the mighty huntsman who
ranged the forests. we see how the Christ
mas tree and evergreens found their places.
Why, however the functions OF Odin
should have specially been finally transfer
red to St. Nicholas out Of all the Christian
canon roll, unless from the fact that this
fine old saint was the special patron OF
children and schoolboys, 1t Is not easy to
divine These things 60 to show what
curiously tangled composite our Christmas
is and how Justify it has grown ont OF d.
verse elements till it has become the most
significant and hallowed Of holiday sea-
sons, marking really an epoch OF the year
Among the causes which have enshrined
this day 80 deeply In the heart OF the world
the fact that it Is peculiarly childron's day
is probably the most fetching in its magic.
The young people everywhere among
Christian peoples constitute the factor
which dominates the social Observance OF
the season Rich wassail at the dinner
board. seraphic music and pomp OF church
service. even the giving of rich gifts
among the elders, were these all, would
leave Christmas but little different from
other holidays notably so In the case OF
Easter. when present giving among the
rich has become so common The Bambino,
or infant Christ. as the idol Of the occasion.
would then have but little significance,
but when the juvenile world declares that
1t rules the jubilee the keynote is struck
which sends Its thrilling music ringing
throughout humanity How Charles Dick
ems, the prose poet of Yuletide In fiction,
has spun this pregnant f,Sct into exquisite
episodes Is probably the highest measure
of his success In. imaginative work The
images he has created will live forever In
the Christmas procession far more than
puppets to the warm hearts Of countless
readers And 1t Is not among the children
of the rich that Christmas most difuses
it's felicity in real life any more than
among the offspring Of the great Christmas
romancer
1t is among the poor and the lower mid
die classes that Christinas joy reigns with
most potency The trit1e spent to secure
Christmas tree with its burden Of cheap
toys and sweets in the tenement house rep
resents vastly more than the correspond
ing splendid show among the aftiuent
The story OF the little cripple, Tiny
Tim, sets It's canticle to more resound-
ing strains OF harp and cymbal than can
ever attend the festival music OF a palace
The true "Chrissom child was found In
the humble manRer
The feeling that Christmas day is pecul-
iarly consecrated to the poor as well as to
the children has always been quite char
acteristic of the usiges Of the day The
lowest classes in medieval times were
made to share fully with their superiors In
feasting and merrynlaking At the pres
ent period we SEE an ever increasing bene-
faction In the way of helping the poor to
enjoy Christmas more generously-the
turkey or goose for the home table, toys
and clothing for the youngsters, and public
dinners, often supplemented by substan-
tial presents for the homeless waits On
this special occasion such philanthropy
shows its most sweeping and liberal form,
and the human heart is softened to the
thought that in spite OF earthly distinc-
tions all men are equal before him whose
natal day as man Is thus observed The
democratic influence Of Christmas thus
stands out great social factor
When classes are driven by 80 many 9th
er influences to become hostile, 1t is preg-
nant thought that more and more should
be done to intensity the spirit and tenden-
cies OF the Christmas season as an object
lesson in kindly sympathy between rich
and Door What wealth does for poverty
is sometimes turned from blessing to bane
by naughty and patronizing air in the
giver The Christmas spirit Is that Of the
fortunate man. who cordially helps his
unlucky brother. the spirit OF the good
Samaritan The habitual exercise Of this
es.r.x.z -, o~o lo1 yryha,, oil tradition and