The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1901-12-03
DIRlGlA OF XMAS
FE@ 7 lWI T les
BY G. L. Langdon.


There are two reasons for Christmas
| feasting aside from the instinct which
! teaches us that the joy of holiday
making is impossible or incomplete
without good eating and drinking. One
is that Christmas Is the survival of
ono, or both, of two great pagan festi-
walls; the other. that the mind of man
in all times and conditions expressed
rejoicing by the laden board and the
brimming bowl.
| Victory, good fortune, weddings,
! christenings, are celebrated today by
dinners, as they have been for thou
sands of years, the practice undoubted-
ly coming down from that prehistoric
time when the victory over the animal
was the means of supplying the feast
We can find trace Of it and its con-
comitant habit giftmaking, in the
book of Esther. where Mordecai says
to his people that on the anniversaries
of the days wherein the Jews rested
from their enemies, and the month
which was turned unto them from sor-
row to joy, and from mourning into
good day, they should make them days
of feasting and of joy and of sending
portions one TO another and gifts to
the poor.
And what greater cause for rejoicing
and the usual expression thereof could
exist for the early Christians than the
fact of the birth of Christ?
1t is true that there We're differences
of opinion in the early church as to the
date, or even the season of the year.
when that all important event occur
red. Clemens Alexandrinus tells US
that it was kept by many Christians
in April and by some in Egypt in the
month Pachon. corresponding to our
May, but long before the council of
Nice had fixed the day, separating it
from the Epiphany, curious circum-
stance had operated to fix forever the
observance of it in the European mid
winter.
Observing the course of the seasons
and their relation to the growing or
lessening length of the days, the Ary-
ans inhabiting Europe had come to
learn that at the winter solstice the
decline of nature was over and that as
the day heightened she revived until
a few weeks later she walked abroad
gladsomely again in the green garb Of
spring. 1t was fitting time for uni
, versal rejoicing. Nothing could be
done afield The bins and butts were
still well filed and the cattle fat. 1t
was also a time to remember the good
ness of the gods; to make sacrifice as
well as to feast.
Hence we find at the dawn Of Chris
tianity two great midwinter festivals
among the two most powerful branches.
of the Aryans of that period - the
Saturnalia among the Romans on the
south and the Thor feast Of the Scandi-
navians. 1t Is a curious fact that they
appear to be identical as to time OF
observance.
In Rome and wherever Rome had
ruled long enough to have planted hei
customs the Saturnalia was season
of sacrifice to Saturn of social equality
and of riotous license The slave In
many households was permitted to be
come master for the week of the feast
ing, and his master executed the ridic
ulous orders which he gave. Buffoon
cry in street professions and in thC
homes was one Of the chief elements
] of the festivity. Orgies indescribablt
formed another. Present giving wa!
universal.
+ The sea kings called the season Jult
, (whence Yule). and they celebrated 1t il
gorging and drinking. besides making
I sacrifice to Thor. Around great blaz
ing log, big enough to burn for tn
whole week OF the gluttonous feast
ing, they flung the half bare OK bone
3 in rude jest aud passed the wassai
IL bowl
The primitive church found thes
g agan festivals institutions which
could not uproot, so it wisely adopte'
them, turning the sacriticial rites there
y of into worship for the born Christ
stripping the feasts Of their crosses
;, sensuality, but letting much of thei
It joyousness remain.
r Besides the two great festivals mer
>. toned. there was another observed a
t the same time hy a large family of tn
e, Europeans-tbe Gauls. Gaels or Celts-
Is which was similarly adopted by tn
D church as she spread her teachin
among them, but this had far les
D. influence than the other two upon til
u customs which have marked the celt
II bration OF Christmas down TO the pre-!
"a ent time. The reason is that there wa
b. more of sacrificial rite and less c
le feasting in its celebration. From ]
Is however, comes the kissing under th
u. mistletoe, which with them was en-
lg blematic of the union of man and w
If man and of the union of mankind wit
,e Baal. From il also comes the Chris
le mas tree, dear 10 the little ones. Il su
er vival of the hanging of vofive gifts O
o. their sacred pines.
@; But out Of the other two great paga
IT. festivals arose the principal form III:
"a the Teasing took. Eating and drinl
ing Of the best, giving to the poor |
| right of their equality at that seaso
iii as well as the old mummery. practica
ry Iy abolished since Puritauism tried
,n suppress the festival utterly in 164
are easily and directly traceable
those pagan orgies,