The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-12-25
Origin and Celebration OF Christmas.


The first celebration of Christmas Is at
tribGted Dy tradition to Pope Telespho-
rus, who died A. D.l3S. At least il dates
from about that time, and has ever since
been observed as one OF the most noted
OF Christian festivals For several wears
there was much disagreement as to when
the celebration should occur. there beinur
no means of ascertaining the exact date
of Cbrists birth. Ii was not until the
fourth century that at the suggestion of
Cyril OF Jerusalem. an investigation was
male and the 2Jth day of December
adopted. 1t was at the time received with
much hesitation by some. and recent
scholarship is disposed to refer the event
70 some time in the Spring of the year
Prior to this decision OF the Roman
Church. the eastern countries observed it
in the months of April and May.
1t is very probable that the celebration
was assigned TO the last week in Deem
Der. not because Christ was born then.
but because there already existed among
the Romans an old custom of spending
the last days OF the year in great festivi-
ties; and by placing Christmas at such a
time the Roman Church would give a
religious significance to festivities al
ready existing. This would make our
Christmas celebration an adaptatiou
from heather Bacchanalian festival
The Egyptians also, from time immemo-
rlsl, had been accustomed to celebrate
the last week of the year in what was
called the Festival of Horus" Ii was
attended with great demonstration. and
I both it and the Roman festival was
made an occasion for the interchange of
gifts. II IL very possible that the Romans
derived the festival from the Egyptians.
and we in turn from the Romans. We
are sometimes constrained to think that
II has not yet lost the strong Impress of
this supposed heather origin.
In accordance with the spirit of the
middle ages, Christmas was during that
time celebrated by the gay fantastic
speetaeles of dramatic mysteries per
formed by persons in grotesque masks"
and possibly resembled the mardi gras
oi some OF our Southern cities. In Eng
land the day was celebrated with the
gayest merry-making. and at times the
widest license lord OF misrule" wns
appointed in every house of the mobiles.
and high and low gave themselves up TO
excess OF fun and mirth. An Italian prov
erb says, "lie has more business than an
English oven at Christmas
In the Protestant countries of Ger
many and in the north of Europe, Christ
mas became n domestic festival mainly
devoted to children. Ii was celebrated
by the interchange oEpresents, especially
between members OF the same family by
means of the Christmas tree There Was
also developed at the same time the CON-
ceptlonof that mysterious person known
TO the children as Santa Claus, alike the
object of their admiration and awe.
From Protestant Germany. and not
from England. we have mainly derived
our mode OF celebrating Christmas. The
Puritans, who first settled New England,
were opposed TO Christmas festivities.
as they were to every thing that smack
ed of Romanism or the Church Of Eng
land. The result has been that America
has largely adopted the ideas brought
from Germany by the Dutch settlers of
New York. Thus has it happened that
among us the celebration of the birth
OF Christ has become especially a chill
dren'e festival, and is domestic rather
than religious. Ii is appropriate az n
children = festival. because it celebrates
the birth of Christ and reminds us that
lie was a little ehild-that He passed
through all it's varied stages-that He
who SO loved and blessed little children
once lived the same sort of life The in
terchange OF gifts is appropriate, because
II celebrates the greatest of Gods gifts
to u.s. and cultivates feelings OF love and
generosity. On such occasions the chill
dren ought early to be taught not only
( to receive, but to bestow gifts, and es-
pecially to give something to those most
in need from whom they would not ex-
pect return Let me suggest that in
making OF this children's festival. il
would be well for parents to make
prominent the object of the day. Take
an opportunity when they are all to-
gether on Christmas eve, to talk to the
children OF the happy morrow. and tell
them OF the birth OF Christ. Carried
away by the festivities, the real object
OF the day is quite forgotten. While
ministering to the beamiBg faces of the
little ones, do not fail to teach them to
remember aud love the lowly Babe of
Bethlehem.