Evening journal., 1899-12-29
OLD AND REV CHRISTMAS
WHY PREaENT DATE OF TIL
HOLIDAY IS DECEMBER 20.

WHY PREaENT DATE OF THE
HOLIDAY IS DECEMBER 25.
New Christmas has come and gone,
but Old Christmas is number of days
distant. When one considers how
generally Christmas Day is now cele-
brated in this country 1t is curious that
so few persons should pause to ask
themselves on what grounds the 25th
OF December has been selected to COM
memorate the birth of Jesus Christ.
How could lie have been born in De-
cember, which, in Palestine, was CO.
incident with the rainy season, in
which it is scarcely possible that shep-
herds could have been tending their
focks by night amid the fields near
Bethlehem?
AS a matter Of fact it was not until
the fifth century of our era that the
25th Of December was generally ac-
cepted as the anniversary of the Saw
tours birth. During the first four
centuries that anniversary appears to
have been kept conformity with the
Feast OF the Epiphany, on the 9th Of
January; that is to say, on Twelfth
day. After Christianity, however, in
first tolerated and then made the state
religion OF the Roman Empire, a ten
denoy arose TO throw the festival back
into the last week Of December, either
from the influence of some tradition or
from the desire, strongly felt in more
than one direction, to supplant the
heather festivals that had fallen in that
period of the year, such as the Satur-
MALTA. Augustine, who died in A. d.
400, mentions December rs as in his
time the Saviour's birth, while Chry-
sostom, who died in in A. d. 407, speaks
Of the celebration of that particular
day as a custom imported from the
west Of the Adriatic within ten years.
Nowadays, not only the Roman Catho-
lies, the Episcopalians and the Luther
ans. but the Greek and Armenian
churches concur in accepting December
25 as the date Of the birth of Jesus.
Most Of the Calvinists, on the other
hand, ON both sides of the Atlantic
long declined to make the day a festi-
val, regarding the commemoration OF
it as a popish superstition. Native
Americans, who are able to look back
some sixty years, can remember when
in New England but little heed was
paid to Christmas, the principal holiday
at that period of the year being
Thanksgiving Day. 1t is an interest
ing fact that, up to the tardy adoption
of the reformed Gregorian Calendar In
England, the day celebrated for Christ.
mas was about eleven days too late
and nearly coincided with Epiphany
on which day, as we have said, up t
the close Of the fourth century, tn.
birth Of Christ was supposed to hav,
occurred. Long after the reform of tn,
Julian Calendar was accepted in Eng
land the birth of Christ was celebrated
in parts of rural England on what wal
called Old Christmas.
Before the reformation the Christ
mas holidays lasted much longer il
England than they do now. An officer
the lord Of misrule lin Scotland calle,
the abbot Of unreason), was appointe,
to superintend the revels; his reigl
began on All-Hallow Eve, the even
ing before November ]. a1d lasted til
Candiemas Day, that is TO say, till Feb
lruary 2. We have greatly curtailed tn
season of rejoicing, and not many ar
now left who remember that New
christmas is one thing and Old Christ
mas another.-New York Sun.