The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-12-22
HON / AL began
Wichita Christmas Differs
From the Past.
ARE NO WAITS" HERE
People Who Paraded the
Streets and Serenaded.

OH tclS dIIu OCI CilQuCu'
Here in Wichita we are entering in on
a joyous Christmas holiday. 1t is inter
esting and instructive to trace the origin
of our festivities. Although Christmas
properly dates from the birth of Christ
many of the customs and ceremonies
connected with its observance have a
more remote origin, dating so far back
into the misty regions of the past that
all search has failed TO trace them 10
their beginning, and I'VE are carried back
70 the golden age until we stumble against
the Tower of Babel or are stopped by the
prov Of the ark Many years before
the advent of Christ. a midwinter festival
was held by the people of various coun-
tries. Among the early Romans this
feast was styled the Saturnalia, and was
intended to symbolic the freedom, equal
ity, and prosperity of the golden or Sat
urnian age. During the progress of the
feast all labor ceased, the schools were
closed. the senate adjourned. and no pro-
clamation OF war was issued. Slaves
were seated at the banqueting tables,
wearing badges of freedom. and while
their masters waited upon them, they in
dulged in liberties and pleasantries that
would not have been tolerated at any
other time.
The Scandinavians of Northern Europe
celebrated during the winter month
Of ub
drank ale out of the skulls of their enc
mics. In Germany, the Christmas holi-
DAYS were substituted for the pagan feast
of the Twelve Nights" which extended
from the 18th Of December to the 9th of
January.
In their efforts to convert the pagans
TO Christianity the early Christians found
their greatest obstacles in the deep-rooted
attachment which the heather nations
manifested for many of their old customs.
The pagan willingly agreed to worship the
God of the Christians, if he were per-
mitted to do so in his own way. When
the temples were changed into churches
and the statues of gods renamed after
saints. the best features of the old pagan
festivals were retained. The Saturnalia
was converted into Christmas, and the
wreaths and garlands which before deck
ed the heather gods became symbols of
Christian rejoicing. In sending st. Au-
gustine over to convert the Anglo-Saxons,
Pope Gregory, after advising him in gen.
eral to accommodate the Christian cere-
monies as far as possible, charged him
particularly ito allow the Christian con-
verts to kill and eat a great number of
oxen to the glory of God they had
formerly done 10 the honor of the devil
Mrs. Hewitt informs us that the first
churchman who makes any mention of
Christmas is Theophilus, bishop of Anti
och. who refers to it in paschel letter
written about A. ID. 10 a regular OBJ
servance of the day did not obtain among
the Christians until the fourth century.
Among the Eastern Christians, it first re-
ceived the appellation of Epiphany, or
Manifestations of Light" the true Light
having on that day been born into the
world. Afterwards the latter name was
transferred TO Twelfth Night" As soon
as Christmas was fully recognized in the
church as one of its leading festivals, its
celebration spread very rapidly. The in
huence of the church as we'll as its own
natural claims secured for it the affec-
tons of the people OF every degree, and
it soon became the gentle and ioyeuse
day. which is now loved and hOnored all
over ChriStendom. AS many of the beau
tiful customs are fast growing obsolete,
it is well worth our while 10 take note of
some of them.
Antiquarian research has failed to dis
cover when the mistletoe was first used
for ornamental and festival purposes. 1t
was thus used by the Greeks and Romans
in very ancient times. and by the Druids |
and Kelts. who attached religious i'm
portance to the plant. Its beautiful
glossy leaves and small white berries
have made it an object of admiration
from time immemorial. The Druids re
garded the mistletoe with religious vener-
alton. and its berries of pearl were as
sociated by them with the rites of mar
riage. AS late as the seventeenth cen |
fury the superstitious found in a piece of |
the plant worn around the neck safe
guard against witches. The game in !
which the mistletoe formed a particular
feature was among the most amusing
and exciting of the Christmas festivities.
and is still in vogue in the rural parts of
England. The mistletoe is suspended from
the chandelier or walls OF the room and
the young men are given the privilege Of
kissing the maidens who chance TO pass
beneath the swinging bough. After each
kiss a berry is plucked. and the privilege
ceases when there are no more berries
left on the branch
The advent OF Christmas was joyfuIly
hailed by the waits bands of persons
who paraded the streets at midnight
playing upon instruments and chanting
hymns and carols. Their services were
particularly in demand al the Christmas
feast. The practice OF singing csnticles
or carols a. the vulgar tongue on Christ
mas Eve, and hence called soeLs in
France, had its origin DE. Burney tells
Us. about the time that the common PEG /
pie ceased 10 understand Latin The word
'neor IS derived from natalis. and signi-
fed originally a cry OF JOY a. Christmas
The custom OF ''mumning" dates hack 10
the Roman Saturnalia. when ''nummers'
disPorted themselves disguised in masks
and the skins OF beasts. This custom
seemed TO take the fancy OF the court
and was very much in vogue in early
times. IN paris OF Scotland. throughout
both the highlands and Iowian,is, the
Abbot OF Unreason. sometimes STYLED
the Lord OF Mlsrule.-' bed dominion At
Christmas tide, and the games and fessiv-
tiles were carried on under his autDcratic
rule until lS5. when he was bautsiie,l BY
parliament Al a later date she customs
of former days were revived. and Christ
mas r..r-f fra.asF arrns---r -a~-az-fe-a.