The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1901-12-18
ORIGIN OFF XMAS
FES I 0Vl1 TIES
BY G. /. Langdon.


There are two reasons for Christ,ras
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
one, 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
trimming 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 n
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 were differences
~ i,Nin In, ho ri <1,o
date, or even the season Of the year.
when that all important event occur
red Clemens Alexandrnus 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 AIRY
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
Il few weeks later She walked abroad
gladsomely again in the green garh OF
spring. 1t was fitting time for uni
versnl rejoicing. Nothing could be
done atield. The bins and butts We're
still we'll filed and the cattle fat. 1t
was also time to remember the good
ness Of the gods: to make sacrifice us
well as to feast.
Hence we find ut 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
navians. 1t is Il curious fact that the!
appear to be identical as to time O
observance.
In Rome and wherever Rome ha(
ruled long enough to have planted he
; customs the Saturnalia was Il season
of sacrifice to Saturn Of social equality
and Of riotous license. The slave II
many households was permitted to De
come master for the week of the feast
ing. and his master executed the ride
ulous orders which he gave. Buffoon
cry in street professions and in til,
homes was one of the chief elements
of the festivity. Orgies indescribabl,
formed another. Present giving wa
universal
The sea kings called the season Jul'
(whence Yule,. and they celebrated 1t II
gorging and drinking. besides maxim,
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
in rude jest and passed the wassai
bowl.
The primitive church found thes'
pagan festivals institutions which /
could not uproot, so it wisely adopte.
them. turning the sacriticial rites there
of into worship for the born Christ
stripping the feasts Of their crosses
|, sensuality, but letting much Of thei
jOyOusnesS remain.
. Besides the two great festivals men
toned. there was another observed a
the same time by large family Of tn
Europeans-the Gauls. Gaels or Celts-
which was similarly adopted by tn
church as she spread her teaching
, among them, but this had far les
influence than the other two upon til
+ customs which have marked the cele
bration of Christmas down to the pres
ent time The reason is that there wa
+ more of sacrificial rite and less Q
j. feasting in it's celebration. From Il
however. comes the kissing under tn
mistletoe. which with them was en-
blematic of the union Of man and We
man and OF the union of mankind wit
Baal From it also comes the Christ
mas tree. dear to the little ones. a SUI