Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-12-23

| a
decoration, we are not indebted to then
Tor the pretty custom of kissing unde,
| the mistietoe. That had its origin witt
| the ancient Babylonians The Babvlo
| mans, however, did not restrict the licens.
u the inlstietoe to mere kissing. A mar
VINO was fortunate enough to catch =
| "id'deh under suspended branch ot
'iiiS mystic plant was privileged not onl,
| - KISS her but to make her his wife |,
| would seem from the remarks Of the old
| ii9,orlahS mat the girls Of those DAYS
| 'ooh very kindly To the custom How
would the girls of Augusta take ia this
WIN the lunches of mistletoc. in the
| form of its substitute. hanging from ev-
cry store door the life of the rnai1a,e
would be in danger constantly.
| The decking of houses at This sc,son nj
the year was universally in vogue among
the ahclents- The old Egyptians, during
the festival in honor of thei. god Horns
and his mother. Isis. always usej
branches of the date palm for this mn
pose. Inc ancient Chinese and Hinioos
ana Persians also placed green sarlan1s
about their dwellings; while The Romans.
during the Saturnalia. used Laurel and
other evergrcens in great profusion for
their decorations.
Among the Scandinayians Inc ynla
least was their most ,mro-tlrt festival
OF the year. 1t was celebrated the lar
ter part of the year, in homo of their
chief god, Wooden. The hurnin. az q
great log was one of the main features
oil this festival; each family making it 4
point to secure an enormous leg. which
was burned amid much nerrlment ana
rejoicing on the eve of Woden's day; the
log being kindled from a remnant I'll the
last years yule log.
Evergreen decorations wore also com
mon among the Scandinavian and other
northern races. They were usei as tyEi-
cal of everlasting life. as symbolical of
life in death; a significance which was
particularly impressive III the cold climes
OF the north, when at that season ali
nature seems dead and inanimate
1t was the Norscmen who added to tie
joy Of the home At Yuletide by placing
tree, an evergreen, in the DIV Hing, ana
It is from them that the picturesque Gus
tom Of the Christmas tree is derived
They decorated the tree with rude orla-
mcnts and placed it 50 that the glow of
the yulc log might light up its branches;
for to them the tree in it's greenness and
life, as a symbol Of eternity, was the
representative of their god and worthy
Of all homage ana respect.
10 this day We continue to illumine IT,,
Christmas tree, making il as bright and
attractive as pussiblc with its candles
and its adornmcnts. But the use Of can
dies is not associated with the Scandina-
ViIns ana the Nurscmcn of old. The
did not have such luXurics. They we're
obliged to content themselves with
torches-pine knuts-and with the glow Vi
the log fire.
The employment Of candles at Christ
mas time dates back to the Sdturnalia,
when they were used not only for pur-
poses Of Illumination, but as gifts from
one friend to another as tokens Of
brightness and chccrfulness.
The Jewish feast Of the dedication was
also marked by the use Of candles, and,
as this feast occurred about the same
time Of the year that Christ was born it
is not unlikely that at the time of Ills
birth innumcrable candles were brightly
burning throughout Palcstine-a fitting,
though unintcntional symbol Of the light
that had been born into the world.
But the adoption Of these various Gus
toms, however innocent and pleasing in
themselves. was strongly opposed by
many sects and denominations of Chris
tians. ana to this day there are those
who not only dcprccate the jollity that
al tractoriZcs the celebration of the na-
tivity, hut who do not deem it proper to
attempt to fix a particular date for the
commemoration Of Christ's birth, in the
absence Of any definite Biblical author
| ity.
The Calvinists ana the Puritans were
particularly bitter against the introduce
tion Of pagan customs into Christian eel
cbrations, and would not tolerate the use
of Christmas trees and evergreens, the
burning Of the yule log ana like fash
ions. Our Pilgrim Fathers showed Their
disdain for the observance of Christmas
by refusing to notice it. The year they
| landed at Plymouth they worked hard
all day Christmas and gloried i'll their
! freedom from the superstitious customs
that had been adopted by their fellow
| Christians.
The early church fathers and mission
aries, when going among the heather, at
| ltllplSu III illSI ~ tOHptl ZIG COIN u -
to abandon their old customs ana festi-
walls: but, finding that they would reject
| Christianity before they would relinquish
/ their traditionary habits, the mission
aries deemed it wiser to permit the con-
/ tinuance Of these harmless observances,
rather than impede the spread of the
| gospel. Thus the customs survived while
the ancient religions with which they
were associated finally died out.
For those who may still be prejudiced
against the survival in our day Of the
merry customs that characterized the
celebration of our pagan forcfathcrs it
may not be amss to quote from Il small
tract, written by a clergyman in 1913 ana
entitled "A Nindication Of the solemn
ity Of the Nativity Of Christi
IF it doth appear that the time Of this
| festival doth comply with the time Of
/ the Heathens' Saturnalia, this leaves no
! charge Of impiety upon it; for since
| thing are best cured by their contrarics
it was both wisdom and piety in the an
cient Christians to take such times from
the service of the Devil by appointing
! them to the more sOlCmnc ana especial
| service of God. Christmas carols if they
| I,,. IN NJ, nf