Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-05
N2e1Mou5 - 6,1M &N2to0n
Twelfth Night.


keep-on account Of New-Ycar's Day,
many of you have heaved hearty sign
of relief and blessed your stars that there
viii not be after January lst another pub
lie holiday until the recurrence on Fen
ruarv 22d Of Washingtons shamefuliy
neglected birthday. Wen. that may ne
according to your calculation, but ~
some parts Of this world they Will tell
YOU of Twelfth Night. and the greatest OF
what are known as Christmas holidays
Even IN England. whence we get 80
many Christmas customs, the celebration
of Twelfth Night IS surrounded with res
tivlties. Shakespeare. you know, named
one of his plays for the day. Even yer
m Catholic countries. notably italy IL Is
celebrated as q holiday equal IN import
ance TO Christmas.
II viii SUNRISE some of vour youngsters
10 hear that Italian chlldroa hang up theT
stockings on Twelfth Night Instead or on
Christmas-Eve. In Rev. Or. Brewers
remarkable and generally accurate coilec-
ton of queer phrases ana fables can pe
found an interesting corroboration of TINS
story. The good fairy Of the Italian chil-
lren. who corresponds 10 the KRIS krinsie
who we get from the Germans, IS nauleu
Befana. The children hang their stock
iugs i'm their bedrooms on Twelfth Night
and when some one enters I'm the dissui70
Of tho fairy TO fiji the tiny hose with toys
the wakeful youngsters cry out Ecco ~
Fafanar behold Befana), and are soon
engaged I'm an inspection Of their gir's.
According TO legend. Befana was TOO Dusy
with household affairs to look AFTER the
Magi or three wise Kings OF the East
when they came 70 offer their gifts 10 the
Divine Infant. and said she would wait 10
another way. however. and Befana every
Twelfth Night watches 10 see them. Her
name Is q corruption Of Eplphania
II YOU look into this legendary lore
closely YOU will see that our gift-making
M Christmas time is an erroneous custom
and that the Italians are right. II IS
universally admitted fact that the prac-
tice arose from the three Masii Melchior'
Gasper. and Balthazar. who offered the
Infant Jesus gold as an emblem OF his
ROYALTY; frankincense. i'm token of his
divinity. and myrrh. in prophetic allusion
to the persecution unto death That ava led
him. Very Well When did they make
their presents? No doubt you can ind
many persons who will answer that II
was on Christmas-Day. But you Know
better. You know that they had fol-
lowed the star from the East for many
the stable I'm Bethlehem, and when they
entered the lowly frame structure In
which an ass and a cow We're tethered
and beheld a King greater than they
living I'm a manger, enveloped In swad-
ding clothes. the Divine Babe was twelve
DAYS old. Thus. you see, Twelfth Night
is. after all the proper time at which 10
present your Christmas gifts. The ceie-
bration Of the day has, however talien
into what we might call In these days
condition Of innocuous desuetude. II stu
remains one OF the great festivals or the
Catholic and Episcopal churches, the
Feast Of the Epiphany-whic is the same
AS Twelfth Matchmaking equally with
Chrlstmas-Day. Feast of the Circum-
cision, Candlemas-Day, Lady-Day or
Feast Of the Annupciation. Ali-Saints' r.
Day. and Ail-Souls' Day. Next Twelfth
Night will accordingly be observed az Il
holy day OF obligation among Catholics.
but they will not practice the gift-making
that was enormously INDUCED IN on
Christmas-Day The meaning Of the word
Epiphany, by the way, is time OK ap-
pearance." and it has reference to the
period when the star appeared to the
wise kings Of the East and directed them
TO the stable in Bethlehem.
our Christmas holidays extend only
from Christmas-Eve TO Newly Year SHAY;
but in England the time IS extended 10
Twelfth-Night. In fact In the days or
Alfred. a formal law was made, setting
apart the twelve days following Christ
mas as recognized festivals. writer
In the Caterer-a gastronomic publica-
ton. no longer issued-whO had given
attention only to the dining features Of
the day. has made an interesting collec-
ton OF information bearing upon 1t. lie
finds that during the reigns Of Elizabeth
and James l., the celebration Of Twelfth
Day was equally, with Christmas-Day. a
festival throughout the land. and was
observed with great ostentatlon and cere-
'mony IN both the universities, at court,
at the Temple, at Lincoln's Inn, and
Grays Inn. Many Of the Mosques or
Ben. Jonson were written for the amuse-
ment Of the royal family on this
night. and Dugdale in his "Origines Jul
diclales." giving long and particular
account Of the revelry at the Temple on
each Of the twelve days Of Christmas. in
the year 1862. 1t appears from the dOcu
rnent that the hOspltable rites OF 81.
Stephen's-Day, St. John s-Day and
Twelfth-Day were ordered 20 be exactly
alike and as many OF these rites are
rural In their nature. there is every rea-
son to suppose they We're observed 70 "A
certain extent in the halls OF the country
gentry and subtantial yeOmanry.
"The breakfast on Twelfth Day In those
times, was directed to be OF Drawn, mus
tard. and malmsey, the dinner Of two
courses. TO be served in the hail. and after
me first course 'cometh IN the master OF
the game, apparelled IN green velvet: and
the Ranger Of the Forest. also In a green
suit Of satin, bearing in his hands a green
bow and divers arrows; with either OF
them, a hunting horn about their nccks.
hey pace round the fire three times. Then
the master OF the game makefh three
courtesies. kneels down. and petitions 10
be admitted into the service 0f the lord OF
the feast This ceremony being perform
cd. a huntsmau cometh into the haii
with a fox and a purse-net with a cat
both bouud at the end OF a STAFF. and with
them nine OF ten couple OF hounds. with
the blowing OF hunting horns. And the fox
and cat are by the hounds SET upon and
killed beneath the fire. This sport finished.
the marshal conductor OF reveisl piaceth
them Ia their several appointed places.
After the second course the ancientest 81
the masters OF the revels singeth song,
with the assistance OF others there pres
ent After some repose and revels supper
IS served In the hall. II consisted n two
courses and. being finished. the marshal
presenteth himself with drums aforc hiin.
~ lts