The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-12-25


This is Christmas. the day on which
the nativity of the Savior is celebrated.
The first certain traces of the observ-
ance of Christmas are to be found
about the time of the emperor Com
modus, A. d. 1872. The Emperor Do
cletian, A. d. 305. history informs us.
caused a large number of Christians
to be put to death at Nicomedia be-
cause they were celebrating the birth
day of Jesus He ordered the cnurch
doors to be closed wherein the Chris
tians were assembled, and the build
ings TO be set on fire. Thus all the
worshippers persisted i'll the names.
1t does not appear that there was
any uniformity in the time observed as
Christmas in the early days. Some
held this festival in April, some in
May, and some in January. 1t is by
no meaus certain that Jesus was born
on the twenty-fifth of December; on
the contrary the concensus of opinion
is that he was not 1t is well known
that in December is the time of the
rainy season in Judea, when the Shep-
herds could not have been out on the
hills watching their fiocks. 1t mat
ters not, however. whether his birth
took place in April. May. January or
December, SO we believe he was the
Son of God, the Savior of the WorIo,
who, in tuifillment of prophecy, came
TO seek and to save that which was
lost.
The old pagans worshipped the Sun
and they observed what they called
the Notwithstanding the wheel
feast-in commemoration of the re-
turn of the Sun, which they called the
fiery wheel; and they believed, that,
during the twelve days and nights,
reaching from the twenty-fifth of De-
cember to the first of January. they
could trace the personal movements
and interferences on earth of their
several deities. Many of the beliefs
and usages of the heathens, relating
to these matters, passed over TO
Christianity and have partly survived
to this day.
When we come to think of the
matter we can readily see why the
Christians fell in with the heathens
in the matter of keeping Christmas.
The heathens kept the Yule-
feast because of the fact that
the great Sun-wheel having reached
the turning point on the twenty-first
of December, would begin another
annual journey, and that it's burning
rays would soon cause the deafness
of winter to bud out into Spring and
give to the earth joy and gladness.
For a similar reason the Christians
made that period their Christmas.
The birth of Jesus was to them the
beginning of a new day. The old dis
pensation had ended leaving the
world as cold and dreary as a winter
indeed. But Christ came and from
him the rays of light began to shine,
and a new warmth began to melt the
ice-bound regions. which had lain so
long in darkness. and, ere long. the
Sun of Righteousness was to NIL the
earth with gladness.
Thus while the old time heathens
kent a feast at that period. when the
solar year was passing out and the
new was coming in, the Christians
were instituting new and very sacred
celebration. Hence our Christmas
the celebration of the birth of Christ
comes in the dead of winter, at the
time of the winter solstice.
Although, for very good reason
as / have shown. the celebration OF
the birth of Christ was fixed on the
25th of December (about the same
period the heathens celebrated the
winter Solstice), it was soon discov-
cred that those engaging in 1T were
mistaking the true nature of the
celebration. To avoid and combat
these mistakes the church devised
liturgy and dramatic representa-
tons of the birth of Christ, and the
first events of his life. Hence, as his
tory informs us. sprang the so-called
Manager Songs" and a vast multi
tude of Christmas carols, as we'll rs
Christmas dramas. which at certain
times and places. degenerated into
farceS or "FoolS FeastS." Hence, al
so. at a later period. the Christ
trees" or christmas trees" adorned
with lights and gifts. the custom oil
reciprocal presents, and of speclai
Christmas meats ana dishes. such as
cakes, dumping, etc. And hence, in
later times, Sprang the custom now
in vogue. of giving and sending
Christmas presents. The church, iii
it's endeavor to divest its festival Of
the faint of the old heather festival,
Christmas more of a frolic than
sacred occasion: and to this day that
error largely obtains.
I am afraid that not a tenth Of the
Christian population of earth. really
understands and properly appreciates
the reason of the early Christians
in fixing the celebration of the birth
of Christ on the 25th of December,
and, that, a still less number keep
the occasion in a manner becoming
disciples of Jesus. But, be that as
it may, to-day is Christmas. and ola
as 1 am l can't help being glad.
And. while 1 may not have as big
i do enjoy seeing the day; it brings
up SO many memories.
Just as long ago as / can remem-
Der. Christmas was to us children the
greatest day of the whole wear. And
it took year so long time to roll
around. / suppose it seems that way
to children now: but. / have changed
my views, the year now seems but
day: and. so. one Christmas hardly
gets we'll out of the way before here
comes another.
/ suppose the children who read
this paper would be glad to know
how children of other countries cele-
brate Christmas. | must tell them,
in the first place. that there are some
countries and millions of children
that do not celebrate Christmas at
all. for the reason that they have
never heard Of the birth of Christ:
or. if they have heard of his birth.
they do not believe in him as a
Savior. In China there are four hum
dred millions of people who know
nothing of the child Jesus. therefore
do not have Christmas. SO it is In
Tapan COrpa and many IF tho iSlCDdS