Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-16
CHRISTMAS CUSTOMS
AND CHRISTMAS CHEER
Down the Ages from Paganism to the Christian
World Have Come the Different CeIebra-
fionS of the Universal Feast
From tho New York Post.

The Christmas festival has not al
ways been observed at the same time
nor in the same present-day manner,
but like a nation or a person has had
its own individual history, its own
experiences of elevation and humllla-
tion.
The customs of Christmas, aside
from those directly bearing upon the
birth of Christ, are, like so many of
our festive rites, adapted from the
pagans, for the pagans, when they
were Christianized, did not entirely
abandon their former habits. When
Pope Gregory sent st. Augustine to
convert Saxon England he told him
to accommodate, as far as possible,
Christian to heather ceremonies, that
the people might not be startled; and
in particular he advised him to allow
them on certain festivals to kill and
eat "a great number of oxen, to the
glory of God the Father" as they had
done in honor of the devil on the
Christmas next after the arrival of
St. Augustine he baptized many hun
usual celebration, only prohibiting the
intermingling of Christians and pagans
in the dances.
Many of the Christian practices were
taken from the Roman feast of Sat-
urn. This feast was held in December
and at first only one day was devoted
to it, but later it occupied seven days
of license. 1t was only natural and not
at all detrimental to the Christian
faith that some of the customs of Sat
urnala should be transferred to the
Christmas feast. The Saturnalia lasted
seven days, the festivities of Christ
mas twelve. The twelfth night
made famous by Shakespeare is jan
uary 6, which is the feast of the Epiph-
any, or manifestation of Christ to the
Gentiles.
The traditional plants for Christmas
are the box, fir, holly and mistletoe.
There is a Saxon couplet that runs
thus:
"Whosoever against holly do cry
In rope shall be hung full high
Alleluia."
The ancient Druids went in solemn
procession to the annual cutting of
mistletoe on the sixth day of the moon
nearest New Years. The officiating
priest clad in white robes and carry
ing a golden sickle. cut the plant,
which was received on a white cloth.
To add to the impressiveness bulls and
even human victims were offered in
its honor. The mistletoe was supposed
to keep away evil.
The yule-log is a remnant of the
JUL when the ScandinaVians used to
kindle large fires in honor of their
god, Thor. In some parts of England
the bringing in of the yule-log is the
ceremony of Christmas eve.
The following verses in honor of the
log are thought to be of the time of
Henry vi:
Welcome be thou, heavenly King,
Welcome, BARN on this morning,
Welcome, for whom we shall sing,
Welcome Yule.
Welcome be ye. Stephen and John,
Welcome innocents, every one,
Welcome Thomas martyr one,
Welcome Yule.
Welcome be We that are here,
Welcome all and make good cheer;
Welcome all another year,
Welcome Yue
The log was drawn by servants into
the hall where each member of the
family, sitting down on it in turn,
sang a yule-song and drank a cup of
spiced ale. The log was then cast on
the fire with prayers for the safety
and happiness of the household until
next yuletide. A part of the log was
preserved to light the yule-log of the
succeeding year. 1t was believed that
a piece of the log in the house was
a security against fire.
In Queens college, Oxford England,
there is an old custom still kept on
Christmas eve, called the bringing in
of the boar's head. The legend is that
a student of that college was walking
in neighboring forest. studying Aris-