New-York tribune., 1898-12-25

Weli keep Christmas merry STILL
As me greeting Merry Christmas. Merry Christ
-as,' echoes through tire house and up and down
the streets coming with impartial catholicity from
TIA, earliest OF domestic birds the m'lkman re
,aa,ed by the cheerful butcher boy, chorused by
The isni.or and the newsboy. sung with variations
ny all The children IN our block and turned into
sv-eetes. music by the swinging churchhels Il Is
-leasant 70 recall that even in the New World we
have traditions and keep faith with customs older
than Christianity. older than history and even
older than tradition itself.
Ron. the rosy young butcher doesn't know this
nor does Joe the newsboy while 10 the babies OF
the household st, in their little nightgowns. rapt-
urously unloading their stockings on the warm
hearth rug # matters rap But 70 Older
fok whose eyes little tired turn much more
naturally TO the quiet purple shadows Of the past
than 10 the future however roseate> II does mat
ter that eoreth.ne-and that a sentiment-sur-
wives the centuries.
Although Christmas properly dates from the
birth Of Christ Of the ceremonies In connec-
,or With us observance still further back into
the misty past even 10 the ancient Roman sat
urnalia the festivals Of the Druids and the ieas'
OF Thor god Of the Scandinavians.
To the golden or Saturran age is traced the mod
~, Ch-,stnas cessation Of labor the closing Of
schools and the joyful feast. To the ancient
r-ids are extended the thanks OF this age 1or inc
silvery rni-letoe and in the SCANDINAVIAN ieas' ''
Juul when huge bonfres were set ahame IN hon'r
os discover the Orisln OF NHN -'c -Oe'
From the earliest times It seems 10 have been
a. aocon,nsni nirnent Of the festival season TO ex-
change gifts and make donations to the poor
7, ,hs Book Of Esther the Jews are COMMANDED
20 make them days OF feasting ana JOY. ailu o'
.e,s,ne portions one 10 another and gifts TO the
- IN converting the Pagans 20 Christianity
h eariv Christians found their greatest oosacle III
the unw!llin gness Of the heather 10 eaVe ue' o'u
custom. behind They were wliihs 70 aSVoP'
,ha CHRISTIAN God but they must be allowed 10
-. hanged into churches the statues or the goos
eo,-,s,e,4a after saints, the Saturnala became
r,,-s.n,as and the wreaths and garlands that naa
,.-a,o,o-s decked the gods became the cohcoii'-
tan,g O. the saints
rIr EARLY CHRISTMAS DAYS
..r.. e-s, chu-chman." says Miss Hewitt. who
--atas anv mention Of Christmas IS Theophhus
r,sho, n. Antioch. who refers 10 II III pas -'
le,te, written about 40 A D. out 1ne ~ ia! WI
-. -Ay,larly observed among the CHRISTIANS u'',i'
,he fourth century. once recognizeo DS ,"e
hoursver as one OF its leading fesuNais' ''S 0''
hra,ion spread rapidly ..,,o,
Aronx the Eastern Christians II was ''' ~
r-,,harv or Manifestation OF LAsht
u,zrx SANTA CLAUS APPEARED
s,,,,s This century that St Nichoas or
e,.a claus lived Although ne was ueiAs" W
pa,ara a city Of Lydia. In Asia "'"0', -. 49,.
-. heneAcence and generosity soon sp'e"D ~
1n. ,s- and wide He loved children anu was
's'ne iai snr.ad o." as their patron saint. while ne
.. -, ,,to the hearts o. pirates and ROBBERS
al was adopted by them. ..o,.h ,ho
.oo.ico NJ entering the house through 'he
chimney was evidently CLEANED py ti'e go '','
49,, .ha example 0. Hertha. Morse so1u7 "
,,.,eI beld IN her honor. the houses were
1-a.sed with evergreens. and an al'ar .. 80"
vas erected az the end OF the nan ~neIe ' .a
fly usually assembled iie'0
came "bearthsione - .h,s hearth and
- -, on fire and through the dense smoke
c,used hv the green wood the goddess was sup
rosea 70 descend and influence the oirec1o" . - e+
flames BY which the 'o''N'e9 -
could be determined ..,, .o,,,a
royal welcome. and in the old city OF une"' ~
fa, over the porch 0; one OF the chu'C"es, -
so,,,o y, the saint watching three sina cn,'u' Ga
n a tub From Germany. aso cd-ne '
mas tsee AM It's pretty ieseh". ., ....s .bs
.,,., r.. nlurked the fatal apple. says 'He
,io s,ory ..ts -~ediately the leaves oi tho "'0
,hrank into needle-points and i's o'isn' r.a s
turned dark IL changed its nature AHo O
evergreen at all seasons .e.,.'S ooes II bloom
mans fan only Christmas does II ''D,, .,.t
t-.,btf, o.i.h lights and becOn cauu'u' VIA
lo,el, cif,s The curse is cnans,l to Dlessl's
By the coming OF the Chrst-cnhd VIA VIA So his
q. - s0n ~ the Fatherland c4lhss - ~
tree however insign!h ant. In some paI's ol :,
many Knecht Kuprecht "a "a Christmas Eve. TAX
Ing sifis for good children and RODS 'of '"e
BRITONs YULE-LoG
In England the first ceremony meh'ioNou ~
nearly all the earliest chronclers j 'no "'e.SS
IN and lighting Of the Yue log This was se'e0'e~
wi,h Infinite care. drawn from It's place '' -
n,igbborlng forest. attended by joyous pro-
cession ana placed in the cayacious ch.""'s' y
yaorc il mas dcly lighted and burned 10 'n' "'
co1,anIr-ent o. Grinking. sil' gins ana '''',,-
talfs According 10 the old Morse ""D'"'.' ~
or.-tsf ~ The los IL carefully preserved 10 hsH'
AaFPPX (hPICTMAS.