New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-20

the infdsIs OF his day However. the second fathss
Of that name. who lived thirty years later. pro-
nounces this tradition be fable. though he stiu
believed 1t to be the distortion OF some dirsrens
occurrence.
When Pope Gregory sent ST. Augustus to mako
converts OF the SaxOns he gave him positive In
structi0ns to accommodate the observance oe
Christian forms much possible the rites
the people were attached to. He was. In particular
TO allow them certain festival days. sIaghter
and eat a great number OK oxen ito the glory of
God as they had formerly done to the honor &C
tho devil" Accordingly. St Augustine tia
Christmas OF $50 after baptizing 1000 persons al
lowed them to erect booths and al these with food
for themselves, instead Of alling the booths with
offerings to their idols. they had been doing
He forbade his newly made converts, however, 20
take part IN the Christmas dances OF their SIN
pagan neIghborS
Christmas gets its name from the mass celebrated
IN the early days Of the Christian Church IN
OF the birth OF Christ It's first solsmnizatiOn hay
ing been ordered by Pope Telesphorus. This wAs
about the year 1SS. for IN that year Pope Telss-
phorus died At first Christmas what Is known
as a movable feast, Just Easter Is now. and
owing to MISUNDERSTANDING celebrated al
late April May. In the fourth century an
ecclesiastical investigation ordered, and. UPON
the authority or the tables OF tho In tho
Roman archives. December Is agreed upon a.
the date Of the SaviOur's nativity. Tradition fixed
the hour Of birth at about midnight and this led
to the celebration OF midnight In all ths
churches. a second at dawn, and third IN ths
later morning. Among St Augustine's writings
there are thirteen sermons for Christmas Day, m
one Of which he remarks: "As the Church hath
handed down. John the Baptist born tho
Sth before the Kalends Of July June 20. But the
Lord was born on the Sth before tho Kalends cf
January December 90 ST. Chrysostou. the gold
en- nnouthed." preached Christmas sermon n thu
City Of Antioch on the 18th OF December. A d
SS6 more than hfteen hundIe ed years ago, and thus
addressed his hearers: You may expect worthy
reward for this your zeal from Christ who to-day
born in the flesh"
Some historians contend that the Shepherds
could not have watched by night on the Bethlehem
plains in December, 1t being period OF great In
clemency In answer to this. a well known student
says; Bethlehem Is not q cold region
St. Jerome. who lived there many years, describes
the climate being milder than that OF Roma
The mercury usually stands all the month OF De-
cernber at 46 degrees. Corn Is during thi5
time. and grass and herbs spring UP after the
rains. that the Arabs drive their locks down
from the mountains INTO the plains. The most
delicate never make fires TIL about the end OF No
venber, and some pass the whole winter withous
them From these facts think It Is established
without doubt that Saviour born the
18th day Of December. the day which the Church
throughout the world has united to celebrate in
honor of Christs coming in the flesh Some
communities OF Christians used to celebrate thu
festival the 1st 9Th OF January; others on
March %.
The festival OF the Christian Church and one OF
the Hebrew feast days seldom fall the
day OF month. but this was the case on Christ
mas Day Of last year. when Christmas celebrated
the nativity Of Christ and the Jews observed the
Feast OF Light. or Feast OF Dedication. OF Feast
OF Chanukah-
The Feast OF Dedication Is OF the hall
festivals OF the Hebraic Church. which fell
the 18th day OF the Jewish month Kslez, or other
wise spelled ChisIeu The Hebrew feast Ia In
counmernoratiOn Of the rededication OF the temple
IN Jerusalem after the victory Of the Jews Ovs1
the Syrians under Judas Maccabeus. The Jewish
people having some time before this fallen under
the yoke OF the Syrians. were uisused In many
ways. and forbidden worship after their own
form, but commanded to worship the Syrian god
statues. The leaders Of the people revolted with
Judas Maccabeus at their head. and although
only few In numbers when compared with their
enemies overcame their foes. The temple. which
had been terribly desecrated, cleansed and re-
Illuminated with the burning lights, which
were known as perpetual lights the altar was "a
built and a feast held
At this time the feast IS observed not 50 much
as a synagogicaI feast. although there are spe-
cIaI services 1t IS especially home feast and ono
Of the distinctive features OF this celebration Is
that on the first night candle Is lighted, ON
the next night two. and on, each succeeding
night being marked By additional candle unt1
eight are lighted The coincidence OF the Christian
and Hebrew festivals occurs only once In every
nineteen years