The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-17
Wornan's
A CHRISTMAS CHEER
Some of the Old Customs and Super
stitions Which Are Of Pagan
Origin. .
q Mistletoe Berry Must Be Plucked
With Each Kiss to Bring
Good Luck.

The pleasant custom of beautfying our
churches and homes with evergreens. holly
Ivy, mistletoe and all obtainable festoonery
at the sacred and merry season is one of
the very few ancient practices that have
survived even to our own times, in spite
OF its having been temporarily under the
ban Of the Puritans as ar abomination
OF pagan origin. There was always min
gled with the custom a certain amount of
superstition and real or pretended belief in
spirits. COLLINS and fairies. Around the
mistletoe particularly gathered a number
of quaint fancieS, and it was Varlously
termed ''rnisselden," ''misseldine." and
more commonly "missel Mystic virtues
were ascribed to it. medicinal properties.
and we read that this beautiful plant
must have been designed by the Almighty
FOR further and more noble uses than bare
1y to feed thrushes. or to be hung up sur
reptitiously in houses to drive away evil
spirits Luckily we still retain its best
prerogative-the privilege of being kissed
if caught under it's branch. Our merry
fore fathers even believed that the ma id
who was not kissed under it, at Christmas,
would not be married that year. Accord
ingly, well-berried branch was sus-
pended from the ceiling or over the door
and the ceremony not duly performed
unless a berry was picked off with each
kiss, which berry was presented for good
luck to the maiden kissed.
! r On Christmas eve the Yule Log. a huge
block. often the root of great tree. was
brought into the house with great cere-
mony. Before being put into the fire.
place it lay ''in ponderous majesty on the
Kitchen floor until each had sung his Yule
song. standing on its CENTER" and it was
finally lighted with a brand Of last years
log Around this fire the Inequalities
of the evening We're dispensed. In differ
ent districts different omens We're con-
nected with the fire. but it was generally
considered evil if the once fired log was
extinguished until it burned down to a
brand. which, of course, had to be pre-
served to light the next years Yule Log.
Every ceremony had it's songs
Come. bring with a noise
h MY merrie. merrfe boys
! The Christmas log to the firing;
: while my good dame she
Il Bids YOU all be free: '.'..
Z And drink to your hearts desiring.
! With the last years brand
I Light the new block. and
!, For good success in his spending
IN IN your psalteries play,
mat sweet luck may
Come while thelog is tending
Lighting the Christmas candle was an
other feature Of the evening. attended
with great ceremony. but the finest fea-
ture Of all was when the wassail bowl
was set Allowing for drinking of the
healths. 1T was composed by those who
could afford 1t Of some rich wine highly
splced and sweetened. with roasted apples
1oatlnS on the surface. Ale was COM
monty substituted for the wine mingled
with nutmeg, ginger. sugar. toast. roasted
crabs and always the roasted apples.
1T was a popular belief that persons
Dorm on Christmas or Good Friday had
power to see and even command spirits
and in some districts there was a firm
conviction that all the cattle in their stalls
fhof, ;,,c
lAnother belief was that the bees expressed
their alteration for the nativity by s.'sing-
ing IN their hives at midnight in some
places it was believed that listeners might
hear the ringing of subterranean bells,
and in some mining districts the miners
ueGiareo that the cavern containing the
richest lode of ore was brilliantly lighted
up with candles and the midnight service
was. chanted by unseen choristers
In the very early hours Of the morning
there w asa great deal Of real bell ringing
and singing Of carols and bursts of solemn
minstrelsy by the bellmen. the watchmen
and the waits which woke people from
their 'slumbers or mingled melodiously
with their dreams. In the forenoon came
the religious celeDra lions and the procla
nation of the "'glad tidings" from stately
cathedral and humble village church
Immediately after the services of the day
the country gentleman stood at his owr
distribution of Christmas fare among the
aged and poor, and in the meantime his
house was open for the entertainment O.
his relatives, friends, tenants and retain.
erS.
The great family event of the day was
the dinner. with the procession bringing
In the garlanded boar's head with music
and song in it's honor and last but by NJ
means least the mysterious plum puddins
that took ten or twelve hours to cook
and finally came in. huge rotund steam
ing and with a flame of whiskey burnin,
on its summit. But the best fun of tn,
day came in the evening by the light O
the candles and the blazing fires Their
was the feast of the snap dragon bowl TO
whoever would risk burning his fingers
the sport of the stick moving on a. pivo
with an apple at one end and a candle a
the other. so that he who missed his bit
burned MS nose. There was blindman'
DUN, dancing the hobby-horse. hot-cock
les. dancing SONGS riddles ctoroc ;o.+.