The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1902-11-29
THE CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL.

The Festival of the Nativity was, nat
urally. one of the earliest observances in
stituted by the Christian Church The
Roman Saturnalia was celebrated in De-
cember with feasting and joy. In North
ern Europe the 'sSun Feast was held at
the same season, to rejoice at the "return
of the Sun. This was called HJol, or
Yule. and the Christian Saxons made Yule-
tide synonymous with Christmas.
The burning of the Yule log and the
illumination of churches and houses with
many lights seem to have been an invaria-
BILE feature of the festival from very early
times. and one of it's titles was the stFeast
of Lights" This may have originated in
pagan sun worship, but the Christians used
it to symbolic the advent of Christ, the
sLight of the World The Yule log,
lighted on Christmas Eve with great cere-
mony, was carefully tended, and before it
was quite consumed, the charred ends
were secured and preserved to kindle the
next year Christmas fire. Herrick re-
fers to this custom
"When quencht, then lay it up agen
Till Christmasse next returne."
.sThe Chief Service in This Lande."
Next to the Yule log, in point OF ancient
custom, is the serving of certain dishes as
peculiar to the Christmas feast. The
boar head was regarded in England as
special adjunct Many of the old carols,
although of religious character, make ref
erence to the boar head At St. Johns
College, Oxford, it is still served on Christ
mas Day with stately ceremony and sing
ing of the carol, "Caput apri defero. One
verse runs
The boar's head understands
Is the chief service in this lande,
Loke, wherever it be founde
Servite cum cantico."
This dish was probably deemed appro-
pirate, as the Jews could not partake of
it. A carol, dating from the reign of Hen
ry VIII, has this :
"Ths bory's hede we bring with songe
In worship of Hymn that thus sprunge
Ofa Virgin to redresse ye wronge-
NOVEL; p
The mince pie originally had sort of
religious symbolism. 1t was baked in OBJ
long form to represent the Manager of
| Bethlehem. The meat used in the CON-
pound was mutton, in memory of the focks
watched by the shepherds on the first
Christmas night, and the spices were de-
signed to represent the frankincense and
myrrh of the offering of the Magi to the
Holy Child In England, during the Com
monwealth, mince pies fell under the ban
of the Puritans and to eat them was con-
sidered by the Cavaliers test of loyalty
to Church and King. Christmas pies and
pastries were often made on very large
scale. One made at Newcastle, England,
177O, was 9 feet in circumference and
weighed 169 pounds. 1t was compounded
of game and poultry, baked in crust.
In Chaucer's time the swan was served
as Christmas dish He speaks of "a fat
swan, roasted But when Captain John
Smith, fresh from his wars with the Turks,
saw the wild gobbler in the Virginia forest
strutting before the hens, he roared with
laughter. 1.-The bird, said he, ''is ex-
actly like proud Turk, showing off before
his harem.' So was named the turkey,
now the Christmas ''piece de resistance .
in many lands.
The stirring of the Plum Pudding.
The plum pudding was called "hackin, "
probably on account of the chopping of the
ingredients. In the seventeenth century
it was called plum pudding, as raisins
were then called French plums. The pud
ding must be stirred, while it is being
mixed, by every member of the household,
in order of age, to insure ''good luck to
the family.
Our English ancestors were possessed OF
good appetites, especially at Christmas
time. We read of feasts at which sixteen
courses of meat were served, besides pro-
digious desserts Such heavy eating was
accompanied by equally powerful pota-
tions. The wassail bowl formed an indls-
pensable part of the Christmas feast. The
original wassail bowl was the skull of an
enemy slain in battle, such grim cup be-
ing held in high favor by the early Sax
ons. The Anglo Saxons retained the name
for the Christmas beverage which was
compounded to suit the means of the host.
Costly wine and spices were used by the
wealthy, ale and ginger by the poorer
classes. Roasted apples foated on the
| uoWlJ anu IL was PioPOi " ooi ~ WIZ"
stick of rosemary.
The practice of "tying greens, or dec
Grating churches and houses with ever
greens at Christmas, has existed in Eng
land from very early times. The holly was
thought to symbolic the Crown of Thorns,
the prickly leaves standing for the thorns,
the scarlet berries for the sacred drops of
blood. Mistletoe has always been used IN
house decoration, but was not allowed In
the churches on account of its association
with the cruel rites of the Druids. The
maiden who is not kissed under the nistle-
toe bough at Yuletide will not be married
within the year. Brand says the ceremony
was not properly performed unless berry
was plucked off with each kiss, and present
ed to the maiden kissed, and Irving,
in ''Bracebridge Hall, says that when all
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