The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-12-19
Christmas
Day
Its Early Massacres by
...History the Romans
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

4 +
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
1t is "A generally accepted belief that
on the date that we call Christmas day
Christ was born. This is questioned
by some chrOniclcrs, 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
ters little whether it is historically cor
rect or not; one day in the year, 1t IS
believed by all good Christians, should
be set aside for the celebration of the
birth Of Jesus Of Nazareth, and the
Doth of December is as good day as
any on the calendar.
1t is necessary to go back to the
Roman era to find the first recorded
reference 20 Il festival on the date
known 20 us IS Christmas day, so that
it Inrd not DE cause for surprise IL
through all the past ages the record OF
Tic exact day On which Christ was
bern should have become lost. History
cells us that tl.p first feast to be cele-
br"t~d on tie 10Th of December was
established by CommodtIs, emperor OF
Rome. who 1!ourishcI about $50 years
after IT,, birth Of Christ.
Ate" that there are many references
to the meetings of the new sect called
the Christians, who gathered on this
Gay - celebrate the birth Of the God
Man. 1t is not until century after
the ti!ne Of C0mm0dus tlaat we find q
particular reference to the persecution
that the Christians underwent at the
hands of tie pagan emperors having
| eliminated in a grand Christmas day
m3"GaCrc.
Diocletian was the Roman who de
| ciled to celebrate the date 10y killing
of few Christians. He did so with
/ a vengeance. The most horrible deco
, DGrpotrated during tie festival was OF
| Christmas day, when the assemble
| Christians. gathered in their place OF
meeting were set upon and slaughter
ed, willie the Romans looked on il
| great glcr at the sight Of antipa@a1
| people being put to death for their re
| ligion's sake.
When Rome was 10 longer pagan
state. the feast began to be celebrat tee
| IN tlo Christi0n style, although SOM
| Of the songs that were sung and SOM
| OF the rites, Of the festival would great
ly shock the strictly orthodox church
c0or Of the present day. At that tim
thor" We're 20 excursion trains TO carr.
those. who wished to take part i'll
public celebration from point to point
and the electric telegraph had not beel
thought OF. Consequently those VIII
celebrated the birth of Christ in earl
days did 50 il widely separated couI
tries. sometimes at widely separate
periods OF time and according to Il
set programme. 1t was every con
ri;.u.ty f0r its@!., and 10 one TO crit
else the others for not being careft
about the date.
As a matter Of fact, the ancient celt
hration of ChriSt's nativity was LET
entirely TO the discretion Of the differ
crt bodies. and as every cOmmunlt
: h3, divergent interests the time wa
ARRANGED to suit the cXigencies OF til
case. II Christmas day happened
come l.pnn time when there was to
l lluch wuiE 20 lie done to permit of
= holiday. thea It would be postpone
: until Il NOR" suitable season. OWN
to this Indifference to precedents Il
I exact Gatc NiCn the birth Of Chrl
I ought to hc kept was hop@lesSly lost.
e Ca only on" thing Were all the a
+ cient, agreed -ualHcly. chat the festiV
r in com!22:Hora,ion CT the birth
= Christ ought to be the most nagni
t cont Of tie wear. In some cases it W:
c kept IN for days and the meaning
, tn. festival vas forgotten long befo
t the jewellers returned to their hom
a@ain.
II j. inter, sting to observe that Il
custom Of giving presents at Chris
mas tine, which las survived to tn
Gav. was rl~Uu il the first days OF t
p Christmas feast SO was the cuStO
+ that is known a carol singing. T
s5l.ss # today are based on the eve
:, that make, Christmas day time
rci4tc.ng bet at that time they we
o not overp&rticuldr as to the subJe
chosen by tie singers. In fact it Wou
n Be- difficult to End in some Of them
: excuse for the singing Of such ditties
h Il religious festival.
Il 1t is striking feature Of this ChrI
> mas celebration that from its earle
# recorded history there is no senume
q in connection with it but those of XII
. Illness and good feeling. HoWeE
II much the old style of celebrate
! Christmas might be Objectionable
= the twentieth century critic Of orthod
tendencies who frowns at the frlyoi
of some of the customs, it was alWa
a time for the better side of hum
!. nature to be exhibited and for peol
IS to take gifts to each other IN 4 spirit
ID peace and good will. This kindly spl
II has been maintained until all over
~ world today it IS seen in the mer
y, making, the happiness conveyed by
- glorious institution Of Santa Claus,
IA steaming hot dinners presented TO
he poor. the frolic and the funmakInS
Mt almost every home, and the gather
ID together for the yearly reunion or ID
e, whom circumstances separate for
greater part Of the year. May the
son never cease TO be famous fer
q power to bring out the better attrlbu
: of men and women, as it did OF Old.