The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1902-11-29
Mont Pilatus. At midnight animals may

/
stood, though no trace of it be left, sing
ing of chants and sounds of bells are heard
If you lie in manger, in stable, at mid
night, the future is open to your vision.
If the first foot to cross the threshold as
a visitor on the Christmas morning be that
of man or boy, particularly black haired
| boy, good luck is ahead. But if woman
or girl come first, misfortune may be ex-
pected.
From the very first observance of the
festival, it seems to have been the custom
to exchange gifts and make donations to
the poor. The. Saxon kings celebrated
Christmas with joyous festivity and lavish
charity. The court set the fashion for
the barons, and they were initiated by the
people at large. "The light of the holy
festival shone upon palace and upon cot =
Once year the poor had plenty; every
family gathered around the Yule log, spread
the Christmas feast and slipped the wassail
bowl. In the rural districts, after the
church service, the Squire or Lord stood at
his own gate and gave bountiful aims to
the poor and aged, while his tenants were
feasted as his expense.
The celebration lasted for twelve days,
from December 25 to January 6, the pc
riod being Epiphany, the time supposed to
have been consumed by the journey of the
Magi to Bethlehem, led by the Star in the
East. Games and sports were indulged in
by all classes; special privileges were grant
ed by enactment of law, and every one en-
couraged to recreation and amusem ent
Even war relaxed its horrors During the
siege of Rouen by Henry V { A. D. 141S),
the city being in extremity from famine,
the King ordered truce for Christmas
Day and gave food to his famishing ene-
miles,
Puritan Anathemas ON the Festival.
In the British Museum is preserved the
original order of Parliament, dated De-
cember "a, 1852, directing that there
shall be ''no observation of the five and
twentieth day of December, commonly
called Christmas Day, nor shall any church
services be held on that day. In 1914
the Long Parliament had ordered that the
25th of December should be kept as ma
tional fast, and that ''all men should pass
it in humbly bemoaning the great national
sin which they and their fathers had sot
often committed on that day by romping
under the mistletoe, eating boar head,
and drinking ale favored with roasted ap-
Piles. No public act of that time seems
to have irritated the common people more
x Macaulay). However, writer of that
time observes that, in spite of laws and
enactments, "Father Christmas crept in
by many back door and was we'll enter
tained at the freside.
A curious relic of the pagan feast of
Pomona, was the custom in some rural dis
tricts in England of procession through
the apple orchards on Christmas Eve,
drinking cider, and pouring the dregs at
the roots of the trees while chanting
song, the refrain of which was
Health TO thee,
Good apple tree u
This was to insure bountiful yield of fruit
the next year.
| The term, "Christmas box, meaning
gift, is more usual in England than in the
United States. 1t is said to have its orr
gin in the ancient custom of keeping box
aboard ships to collect contributions to be
used at Christmas time to nay for masses
for the souls of sailors lost at sea during
the preceding year. In England St. Ste
phen's Day is called choking day, )" from
the custom which prevails there of the
tradesmen, postmen, or any one who serv es
the household in any capacity ringing the
doorbell, wishing the master and mistress
merry Christmas and receiving gratuity.
A German Legend of Ewes Apple Tree.
In Germany there is legend that when
Eve plucked the fatal apple the leaves
shriveled, the tree changed its nature and
became evergreen, bearing witness in all
seasons to the fall of man. Only, once
year, on the birthday of the Redeemer, it
blooms with lights and is laden with gifts
of love- and so we have the Christmas
tree.
In the Black Forest regions in Germany
there is a tradition that on each Christmas
Eve the Saviour comes to earth in the
guise of poor boy and asks aims at the
house doors. On that day no beggar is
refused food ard shelter;
1t is said that the popular tradition of
the entrance of the Santa Claus by means
of the chimney arose from the story of
Hertha, goddess of the Morse mythology.
When the festival in her honor was cele
brated an altar of stones was erected in the
house and fir branches were piled upon it
and set on fire. Through the dense smoke
made by the green wood the goddess was
supposed to descend and extend her inhu-
ence according to the petitions of the
worshipers.
Some of the Christman hymns and carols
are very ancient and have been in many
cases transmitted orally through many
generations In England it is still the Gus
tom for men and boys, called the Christ
mas "Waits,' to 60 around on Christ
mas Eve and sing carols.
George Wither ca. d. f615) wrote
poem describing an English Christmas
festival in his time. The following are
the first two stanzas :
4