The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1901-12-20
Christmas
ID ay
Its Early Massacres by
...History ! the Romans

CVSVSJVSSVVVsS~sSsS V~SVNVSVSVSSe
1t is a generally accepted belief that
on the date that we call Christmas day
Christ was born. This is questioned
by some chroniclers, but the doubt does
little harm, says the Brooklyn Eagle.
Every one is satisfied to take this date
as the nativity of Christ, and it mat
tiers little whether it is historically cor
rect or not; one day in the year, 1T is
believed 10y all good Christians, should
be set aside for the celebration Of the
birth of Jesus of Nazareth, and the
10Th Of December is as good day as
any ON the calendar.
It is necessary to go back to the
Roman era to find the first recorded
reference to festival on the date
known to US as Christmas day, so that
it need not be cause for surprise if
through all the past ages the record OF
the exact day on which Christ was
born should have become lost History
tells us that the first feast to be cele-
brated on the 25th OF December was
established by Commodus, emperor of
Rome, who f1ourished about 1S5 years
after the birth of Christ.
After that there are many references
to the meetings of the new sect called
| the Christians, who gathered on this
| day to celebrate the birth Of the God
| Man. 1t is not until a century after
the time of Commodus that we find q
particular reference to the persecution
that the Christians underwent at the
hands Of the pagan emperors having
eliminated in a grand Christmas day
massacre.
DiOcletian was the Roman who de
cided to celebrate the date by killing
off a few Christians. He did SO with
a vengeance. The most horrible deed
perpetrated during the festival was on
Christmas day, when the assembled
Christians, gathered in their place Of
meeting were set upon and slaughter
ed, while the Romans looked on in
great glee at the sight of antipagan
people being put to death for their re-
ligion's sake.
When Rome was no longer a pagan
state, the feast began to be celebrated
in the Christian STYLE although some
of the songs that were sung and some
of the rites of the festival would great
ly shock the strictly orthodox church
goer of the present day. At that time
there were no excursion trains to carry
those who wished to take part in
public celebration from point to point.
and the electric telegraph had not been
thought of. Consequently those who
n61 irfb Of TI,,ct in u
days did SO in widely separated coun-
tries, sometimes at widely separated
periods Of time and according to no
set programme. 1t was every COM
munity for itself, and no one to criti-
else the others for not being careful
about the date.
Asa matter of fact, the ancient cele-
bration of Christ's nativity was left
entirely to the discretion of the differ
emit lbodies, and as every community
had divergent interests the time was
arranged to suit the exigencies of the
case. If Christmas day happened to
come upon time when there was too
much work to be done to permit of
holiday, then it would be postponed
until a more suitable season. Owing
to this indifference to precedents the
exact date when the birth Of Christ
ought to be kept was hopelessly lost.
On only one thing were all the an
clients agreed-namely, that the festival
in commemoration of 1.-THE birth of
Christ ought to be the most magnifi-
cent of the year.
1t is interesting to observe that the
custom of giving presents at Christ
mas time, which has survived to this
day, was begun i'm the first days of the
Christmas feast. So was the custom
that is known as carol singing. The
songs of today are hased on the event
that makes Christmas day a time Of
rejoicing, but at that time they were
not overparticular as to the subject
chosen by the singers. In fact it would
be difficult to find in some of them an
excuse for the singing of such ditties at
a religious festival.
1t is a striking feature Of this Christ
mas celebration that from its earliest
recorded history there is no sentiment
in connection with it but those of kind
Illness and good feeling. However
much the old style of celebrating
Christmas might be Objectionable to
the twentieth century critic of orthodox
tendencies who frowns at the friyOlity
of some Of the customs, it was always
a time for the better side of human
nature to be exhibited and for people
to take gifts to each other in spirit OF
peace and good will. This kindly spirit
has been maintained until all over the
world today it is seen in the merry |
making the happiness conveyed by the
glorious institution of Santa Claus, the |
steaming hot dinners presented to the |
poor, the frolic and the funmaking in
almost every home, and the gathering
together for the yearly reunion of those |
whom circumstances separate for the
fc,r. Il Of tho