Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-16

totle, when boar rushed out at him.
The student was Cool-headpd and i'm
mediately crammed the book down the
boar's throat and choked it. Being a
lover of good books he wanted his
Aristotle back, so he cut off the boar's
head and after dislodging the book,
took the animals head to the college,
where 1t was roasted and eaten.
Today many people enjoy spending
a part of Christmas day at the theater.
This is by no means a new custom
Since the twelfth century when mir
acle plays were introduced, people have
found pleasure i'm this amusement
These miracle plays were the forerun-
ners of the drama and our modern
play. They were full of anachronisms
-Noahs wife would swear by st. John
and some historic Israelte would say
mass-but they supplied a real want
of the people. The pantomime has
been called the legitimate drama Of
Christmas. 1t came from Italy. but
tradition carries 1t back to pagan times
During the middle ages, when music,
architecture, painting and poetry found
expression in q religious way, the
Christmas celebrations were beautiful
and dignified. Later the festival de-
generated into a mere occasion for
lawlessness These holy-day antics
seem to have been INDUCED i'm at first
the clergy and magistrates Joined in
the rude ceremonies. and churches
were given up to their revels and mock
services which consisted of limitations
of sacred rites and parodies in the
hymns of the church. An effort was
made to reform these practices, but
the spirit of the times fostered them,
and those who protested were thrown
into prison
From this it came about that the
Protestants as they arose, disregarded
all holy-days. At the time Of the
Reformation the Calvinists rejected the
celebration of Christmas. In Scotland
the day was held in contempt; the
women spun and wove. while the men
plowed in the fields. But now, again,
all Christian nations celebrate Christ
mas. The Norwegians make much of
the virtue of hospitality the first
courtesy among them being to offer q
pipe of tobacco. At their Christmas
dinner, which is rather simple, their
national hymns are sung between the
courses. In Sweden much attention
is paid to cleanliness. The houses are
completely renovated before the Christ
mas festival. An almost universal
custom is that of tying sheaf of
corn to a pole, which is placed in the
garden for the birds Christmas din
ner. Our Santa Claus originated in
Holland, the Christmas stocking in
Belgium or France, while "Merrie
Christmas" was the old English Christ
mas greeting.
Mention should be made of two of the
many Christmas amusements. Mask
ing has in years past been made much
Of 1t is doubtless a remnant of the
Roman masquerade. OF card playing
a historian, writing of the preparation
for Christmas, says: ",The country
maid leaves out one-half of her mar
keting and must be sent again, if she
forgets a pack of cards on Christmas
eve." We read that in Queen Anne's
time the squire of $500 a year never
played cards except at Christmas, when
the family pack was produced from
the mantel-piece.
Some communities of Christians used
to celebrate Christmas on the 9th of
January; others on the 29th of March,
and others on the 25th of December:
but about the year $40 Pope Julius /
fixed the date as December %, the
date that is now universally accepted.
D. H v