Connecticut western news., 1900-12-20
FILINGS.

Every uAblOu uhS lts uoliuaJS, Oon mem orative of some of the leading events of it's history, yet Christmas Day is the holiday of no one country. but much rather has become the holiday of the civilized peoples throughout the world. This day, more so than any other, year after year, is being observed as the holiday of holidays by untold millions. Not only Christmas Day, but the Christmas season, has wrought for itself place in the hearts and minds of men, and therefore in history, which is bound to be permanent and only will increase as time rolls on.
 Christmas being the anniversary day of Christ's nativity, it is only natural that the church should be the centre and inspiration of this universal holi- day. And so she is. For many cen turies back "the holy church through out all the world,'' regularly every year. on the 18th day of December, has offer ed up prayers and sung praises, com- memorative of Christ's birth in the lit- tie town of Bethlehem.
 The institution of this festival is at tributed by the spurious Decretals to Phosphorus, in the reign of Antoninus Plus "A. D. 13S-161) but the first cer- tain traces of it are found about the time of the Emperor Commodus QS0- 1921 In the reign of Diocletion (284 - s05) while that ruler was keeping court ! at Nicouredia, he learned that a multi. tude of Christians were assem bled in the city to celebrate the birthday oi Jesus, and having ordered the church doors to be closed, he set fire to the building and all the worshippers per. ished In the flames.
 Christmas not only became the parent of many later festivals, but especially from the 9th to the 9th centuries, gath cred around it several other festivals, partly old and partly new, so that wha may be termed a Christmas Cycle sprang up. which surpassed all othel groups of Christmas holidays in th' manifold richness of it's festal usage and furthered, more than any other, tn, completion of the orderly and system atic distribution of church festivals ove the whole world. No doubt througl this festival the church sought to com bat and banish-and it was to larg extent successful-the deep-rooted heathen feeling, by aiding-for tn, purifcation of the heathen customs ant feasts which it retained-its grandly de vised liturgy, besides drsmatic repre- sentations of the birth of Christ and tn first events of His life. Hence sprang up the so-called "Manger Songs" ant the multitude of "Christmas Carols" al we'll as Christmas dramas, which at Ger tain times and places degenerated Into farces or Fools Feasts. Hence als, originated at later period, the Christ mas trees, adorned with lights ani gifts, the custom of reciprocal gifts ant of special meats and dishes
 During the Reformation. those wh, left the Mother Church, evidently coult see in her only corruption and as con sequence made all things new, anf along with almost everything else threw the Christmas celebration over board. The Roman, Greek and Angli can churches, however, kept on, just a they had done before for centuries past in regularly having their Christmas ser vices. To form some idea as to the tre mendous changes that have taken place in this particular, only within recen years it may be interesting to tn, | k0 kInA 1aa than twenty-fv years since, a certain Congregational clergyman, in an intel ligent New England town, announced and held Christmas service in hi church, and it met with such storm 0 opposition among his people, that short ly afterwards he was obliged to resign and certain number who saw no sin il such service and cited with their pas tor, left the church. We doubt yer, much whether anything like that coult occur now. The different churches without almost single exception, hay learned to see both the appropriateness as we'll as the beauty in observing Christmas Day, not only in the dining room, but also in the church. w celebrate the birthdays of our friends and of our great men, and we are sur we have no better friend and ther never was greater man (after his hu manity) than Jesus Christ, the Son o God. Therefore as Christians, if we ar sincere in our profession, we certainl
 would hold to the very last, to ou cheerful and inspiring Christmas SCI vice. Years ago it used to be custom ary among some to hold a Christina service on the nearest Sunday to Christ mas day. But even that idea, whio
 was sort of compromise, is no longe kept up. Those people who believe i
 Christmas at all, want Christmas ol Christmas Day, not just when they hap pen to be at church.
 The whole Christmas idea has under , lying it most beautiful and sublim
 thought. Its special appeal, no doubt is to innocent and happy childhood The idea of giving and receiving gifts in itself inculcates the beautiful virtu of unselfishness and gratitude-the ac of making others happy. This natural ly leads up to that higher thought Gods boundless gift to the world, tn giving of His Son, in order to redeer and make man happy and grateful This gratitude he expresses in Christia
 service and worship.
 i, Only recently we again read Washing ton Irving's inspiring impressions 0 tho Chriot yo o Q fook;uol or5 ba oarto; ', |