The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1903-01-02
CHRISTMAS cusT0Ws' ORIGIN.
History Of Cards, Carols,T rees and Other
Festivities of the Season. -.

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History Of Cards, Carols,T rees and Other
1, Festivities of the Season. -, 49,.
3 |4n our ChristtnasioNse fSanHe 't6e}e ,ase
!!eurious. "reminiscences OF. the saturnalia
of the Romans, though in the nayy;.diasls
scipfine is passing tse sponge oyer. the
slate. In Rome during the last days, or
sDecember slaves were allowed freedom
Of speech, wore their masters clothes
without reproach, and We're waited on at
table by, their owners. OF course, the
their; guests do tie RaEinaEif a saSyi wi
Of the same genial spirit But in the
navy, thirty or forty years ago, the same
G62tmas ae e etssf 9 9fsss q b
the4r authority to boys, who We're given
: the' badges and the pipes of the boat
fHa 49, mates s., and TIE officers cleaner
The Christmas tree is very little older
than the Christmas card in this country,
having been brought over from Germany
reign. But we should never dream of
condemning the Christmas tree because
1t was made in Germany" for. they do
these things in the land Of Grimm so
much better than we do. Indeed, the
whole modern tendency to make Christ
mas q least oAlv iof tue cnllOren can De
traced to the northern. nations, for it is
from them that we have learned all
about hanging up our stockings, waiting
for Santa Claus, and so on. One of the
prettiest of Christmas customs is the
Children's Fair, held in Stockholm on
Christmas eve, when the whole Of the
townspeople, including the King ana
the Queen, go out into the market; place
and buy toys for all the poor children Of
the town.
One can scarcely realize in these days,
when almost numberless Christmas cards
are sent broadcast, that the custom does
not extend further back than 1916. The
1 hrs card was issued that year from
Snmmerly's Home Treasury. Office, -
). G; Horsley, r. A., picturing a merry
family party, from grandparents to
grandchildren, around table, drinking
generous draughts of wine, typifying the
good wishes expressed beneath Flank
ing the merry makers on the right was a
woman giving. clothing to a destitute
woman and child, and on the left was
a man distributing food to the hungry,
illustrating. the good deeds Of the season.
a thousand copies We're issued, and this
was considered large circulation in
those times. : 80 -: : : :. =
The Christmas carols originated proba-
bly, in the songs sung between the scenes
Middle Ages. These plays were the
popular form of religious entertainment;
and between the scenes it was the Gus
tom to introduce songs dealing with the
redemption of mankind. These songs.
naturally enough, became fixed in the
popular memory, and served as kind of
religious folksong to those who had
learned them. In King Henry Wis
time and subsequently the choir of the
royal chapel was required to sing Christ
familiar of all carols is that which begins
with the familiar lines: : - :.
God rest you, merrie gentlemen,
May nothing you dismay. ..s.32 -
This is set to an old English hymn
tune. Oxford men have q fayosite
..Caput apris defero,'' known as the
Bears Head Carol, which has long been
preserved as one Of the choice songs Of
the university. The boar's head and its
Importance at the Christmas festival are.
it will be remembered, the subject Of one
Of Washington Irving's essays. 9 !.