Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1901-12-21

financial coup, but the fun was of
boisterous kind, quite inconsistent with
the crowded way of living these days,
says the Washington Post. If one Of
the old merrymakers could come to
life on Christmas day and celebrate
the festival in the way fashion and
custom demanded in his time, he would
probably find himself in the lookup
charged with rudely disturbing the
peace.
Noise, buster, feasting drinking and
horScplay were the chief features Of
the old time English Christmas. Gift
making existed as it had for many pre-
vious centuries, but that was merely
an incidental feature and not nearly so
important as the work of the pOmpOus
butler, upon whom devolved the re-
sponsibility of carrying into the dining
hall the great boarS head.
The oldtir q christmas began n week
before tie arrival of the day, just as
the shoppers of today rush out with fat
purses to lure the holiday bargain. But
purchasing gifts did not bother the
heads or weary the bodies Of the old
world folks.
The gathering of the holly and mis-
tletoe for the decoration of house and
church was their initial task, and it
was performed by the village en- masse,
headed by brave pipers and tddlers,
who filled the forests with the joyful
melodies of ChriStmaStide. 1t was the
pagans who first used holly and mistle-
toe for obscrvanccs, and the practice
was adopted by the early Christian
| churches. The Greeks and Romans also
used them in their religious ceremonies,
| as did the Druids and the Celtic and
| Gothic nations. SO the young maid of
| today who stands allurngly under
| sprig of miStletoc may find satisfaction
| in knowing that she is following the
precedent of centuries
In Druidical times the simple peas
ants flockcd in crowds to join the pro-
| ccsSionS, in which the Druidical priests
were the foremost actors. The train
was headed by the bards singing can't
| clcS and hymns y herald preceded
| three DruidS. furnished with nipple
| mcntS for the purpose of cutting
| the mystic plant-upright hatchets or
| brass, fixed to slaves. Then follow
| ed the prince or chief of the DruidS,
accompanied by all his flock and
followers. The chief mounted the
oak, with golden sickle detach-
| ing the miStletoe and presenting 1t
to the priests, who received and bore
the branches away with deep rev.
erence. On the first day of the year
| the branches, after resting on the
| Druidcal affairs in the interval, were
| distributed among the people as a
| sacred and holy plant, the Druids cry
ing. THE miSHetOe for the new year.!
Many were the superstitiOns attach
ing to this plant. Among the latter
| day charms associated with 1t, when
| suspended in bunch in the servants
| hall, was the Evolutionary and fav0rlte
observance Of kissing the maids under
| its branches, the superstition prevail
| ing that the maiden who missed being
| heartily kissed under her miStletOe at
| Christmas would forfeit her chance OF
early matrimony and certainly not be
| married in the ensuing twelve months.
\ medieval observance which al
ways followed the gathering of holly
and miStletoe was the cutting and
hauling home of the Yule log. The IA
vOritc Yule log was cross grained
block of elm or the rugged root Of
| tree of fantastic and grOtesque form.
| Formerly the members of the family
and guests sat down in turn on the
Yule log. the throne of the master of
| IL. l., nY,I I.nl IL
| to n merry Christmas and happy new
year. As part of their feast Yule
dough or Yule cakes We're consumed.
These bore impressed figures in the
shape of an image. Sometimes they
were made in the form of an lnfa 1t
Nor was the manger overlooked.