Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1905-12-16
Presaging the Coming of the
Saviour 1t Encourages
Merry Pastimes.
Mass Was Celebrated at Mid
night in the Olden Cath
Ollie Days.
COUNTRIES AND MANNERS DIFFER

ance, ana yet Dy almost universal oDserV-
ance these same ewes have grown to be
days of merry making. of Christmas
eve this is particularly true, not only in
America, where parcel laden people jostle
one another in the crowded streets and
stores, but in Ireland, England, Ger
many-in fact all over the civilized globe.
Each country has its own particular Gus
toms OH the eve of this great feat of
Christmast, or in modern English, Christ
time.
Many, it is true, lose sight of the re-
ligious spirit of the day. Jews and ag-
nostics engage in the exchanging of
Christmas gifts in America as we'll as
Christians. 1t is with them custom,
nothing more.
To the Catholic it is different. To
him it presages the coming of the Saviour
of mankind, the infant child that was
born in stable at Bethlehem and laid in
a manger. Christmas eve to Catholics is
a harbinger of Joy. 1t has been handed
down to us through twenty centuries.
Why should we not rejoicea The Saviour
will be born tomorrow. He comes for
you and for me, therefore let us make
merry.
Indeed it is a blessed custom. II
teaches charity in its broadcast aspect
the charity of God toward man. 1t
teaches men to make self-sacrifces. I'm
fortunately that is not the spirit OF the
age. Too frequently we see even rich
Catholics trying to get more and poor
Catholics envious of the rich.
In olden days the Christmas holidays
began at least week prior to Christmas
and did not conclude until Candlemas
day, the feast of the Publication of the
Blessed Virgin, February 2. At present
the Christmas holidays include about
fourteen days, from Christmas eve until
Twelfth day, or Epiphany. Almost the
world over this fortnight is still given
over to merry-making, and yet 1t is not
the merriment of the old feudal days
described by Sir Walter Scott in his
"Marmion, where he tells:
"On Christmas eve the bells were rung,
On Christmas eve the mass was sung,
That only night in all the year
Saw the stoled priest the chalice rear. +"
And later in the same exquisite poem
Scott tells us:
ENGLAND was merry England when
Old Christmas brought his sports again.
Twas Christmas preached the mightiest
ale;
Twas Christmas told the merriest tale;
A Christmas gambol oft could cheer
The poor mans heart through half the
year."
Sir Walter Scott, while not Catholic,
wrote of times whenC Catholicism prevailed
in England, in his own bouny Scotland,
and in fact before Martin Luther and
the misnamed reformation existed.
Many of the customs that prevailed in
England during the Christmas holidays,
il is claimed, can be traced back to Irish
origin.
For instance, it is claimed that the
hanging of mistletoe and the burning of
the yule log preceded the Christian era.
The custom of hanging mistletoe from
chandelier or roof tree has not been
dulled by time. The same as centuries
ago, any one of the fair sex
who, either from inadvertence, or
as possibly may be insinuated on
purpose, passes beneath the sacred spray
incurs the penalty of being then and
there kissed by any lord of creation
who chooses to avail himself of the
privilege.
The dragging home of the yule log to
be burned on Christmas day was another
ceremony or English custom which,
though shorn of some of the ''pomp and
circumstance, Is still maintained in
various parts of Great Britain. In those
olden days the venerable log, destined &c
crackle a welcome to all corners, wa:
drawn in triumph from its resting place al
the feet of its living brethren of the
woods: Each wayfarer raised his hat al
it passed, for he knew well that 1t wat
full of good promises and that its fian'
would burn out old wrongs and hear
burnings.
Christmas eve in Germany is for chill
dren the most joyous night in the year
In America the children are rarely per
mitted to see their gifts until Christina
morning. In Germany they are permit
ted to see the tree and the gifts arranged
on the night before. The tree has beef
arranged by the parents while the chill
dren of the family are assembled in al
adjoining room. At given signal tn
doors are thrown open and the tree. daz
cling with lights from different colore
candles, bursts upon the view Of tn
pleased little ones. There is gift Q
two for each one. Nobody is forgotten
For several months before Christmas ev
the boys save up their pennies and tn
girls are busy making knick-kracki
Papa, mamma. brothers, sisters, cousins
friends, ali receive presents. None
forgotten.
In America we have the system OF e.
changing gifts. and where there ar
many German families the children hav
| Christmas trees. no matter how poe
they may be. Fathers and mothers an
lrlder brothers and sisters make man