Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-17


~ the evergreen was chosen for this
great festival day
4 Scandinavian legend tells of tho "setv-
Ice tree which sprung from tho blood
soaked earth where two lovers were killed
by violence. and that mysterious tights.
which The wind could not eXtinguish. wore
seen at Christmas in the tops OF the for
est trees.
In old Egypt there was a common custom
of decorating the houses at the time Of
the winter solstce with branches of the
date palm. The dat palm was the emblem
of immortality and also OF the star-lt
firmament This tree puts forth shoot
every month and a branch Of 1t contain
ing twelve shoots was symbol OF the year
completed.
II has also been suggested that this may
I've the revival of the pine trees of the
Roman Saturnalia, a December feast, dur
ing which pines were decorated with images
of Bacchus.
The most plausible explanation, however,
is that it's earlier significance arose from
the pagan worship Of trees, and that later
Christian ideals gave n loftier meaning TO
its use. When the apostles preached the
gospel in pagan lands. instead OF inter-
dieting the idolatrous feasts they permit
ted such festivities as were not intrinsic
ally sinful but sought 10 change their
idolatrous nature by giving a Christian
Interpretation to the various rites and cere-
monies.
Thus, when Pope Gregory I sent ST. Au-
sustine to convert Saxon England in sos
lie directed him to make the change Of
religion, so far "a Ceremonials were con-
cerned. as gradual as possible that the peo-
pie might not be startled. The Saxons
called the feast of the midwinter sostice
Yulc, and on that occasion the Druids went
in solemn procession to cut the mistletoa
from the sacred oak tree. This ceremony,
an old chronicle tells us took place "on
the sixth day of the moon nearest the new
year" The evergreen, which they call
all-hcal was afterward sold at a high price
20 their credulous followers The people
signined their joy at tho cutting of the
magic mistletoe by fcasting on roasted
oxen and by dancing. In the December fol-
lowing st. Augustine arrival he permitted
his converts to join in the feasting, but
forbade them mingling with pagans in
the dance, and judging from his success in
planting the faith, it was probably but a
short time ere he had weaned them from
their barbaric orgies to a saner celebrR-
ton of the great Christian festival occur
ing in the same month.
An old German legend makes St. Wini-
fred the inventor of the idea. In the midst
Of a crowd Of converts he is said to have
been hewng down a great oak which had
formerly been the object of Druidc venera-
ton AS he chopped a whirlwind passed
over the forest and tore the tree from its
foundation. Behind it stood q young fir,
unframed, pointing its spire toward the
stars. The priest dropping his axe, turned
to the people and said:
This little tree, a young child of the
forest, shall be your holy tree tonight.
1t is the wood of peace. for your houses
are built Of fir. 1t is the sign OF an end
less life, for it's leaves are ever green.
See how it points upward to heaven.
Let this be called the tree OF the Christ
Child; gather about IT, not in the wood,
but in your own homes; there it will
shelter no deeds of blood, but loving gifts
and rites of kindness"
Some writer's on ancient customs tell us
that among the early pagan supcrstitiOns
of the Germans was the belief that the
world was a great tree whose top flour
shed in Paradise and furnished food to a
goat upon whose milk fallen heroes re-
stored themselves. This tale was well