The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-12-20

suppressed. Thank heaven, spora-
die agitation like this can have no
serious results. Recalcitrant parents
and preachers will pass away. Santa
Claus will endure until the end, as
he has endured from the beginning.
No one can say how old he is or at
what period he made his first appear
ance among prehistoric men. The
name of Santa Claus, by which he is
known in America, Is the Dutch pet
name for St. Nicholas. The name
Criss Cringle, by which he is known
in England, is a corruption of Christ
Kindlein, or the Christ child. But the
festivities that distinguish Christmas
existed long before Christianity, and
jolly god of good cheer appears as the
personification of the period from the
earliest pagan times. Now, the Santa
Claus of today is simply that old jolly
god sobered up, washed and purified.
The Dionysia of the Greeks, the
Saturnalia of the Romans, the Twelve
Nights of the old Norsemen and of
the Teutons all celebrated the COM
ing of the winter solstice. People then
gave themselves up to all sorts of
revelry and excess. In the Dionysia
the representative figure was not the
young Dionysus or Bacchus. but the
aged, CHEEKY and disreputable Silenus,
the chief of the Satyrs, or the god of
drunkards. In the Saturnalia it was
Saturn, In the Germanic feasts 1t was
Thor, both long bearded and white
haired gods like Silenus.
Now, although the central figure Of
the Christian festival Is the child God,
the Christ Kindlein, the influence OF
long pagan custom was too strong
within the breasts OF the early Chris
tians to be easily superseded. The tra-
dition of hoary age as the true repre-
sentative of the dying year and its
attendant Publications still remained
past. 1t burst into new flame when
the past was too far back to be look
ed upon with the fear and antagon-
ism of the church, and there seemed
no longer any danger of relapse in
to paganism. At first, however, the
more dignified representative was
chosen as more In keeping with the
occasion. Saturn was unconsciously
rebaptized as st. Nicholas. the name of
the saint whose festival occurs in
December, and who, as the patron of
young people, is especially fitted
for the patronage of tire festival
which has come to be looked upon as
especially that of the young. At first
st. Nicholas did not supersede the
Christ child but accompanied Him In
His Christmas travels. as. indeed. he
still does in certain rural neighbor-
hoods of Europe where the modern
spirit has been least felt.
st. Nicholas according to the hagio-
logists. was bishop of Myra, who
fiourished early in the fourth century
He Is the patron of children and
schoolboys.
II Is strange that everywhere St
Nicholas is mcst honored and his
feast day most observed the most
pious and instructed among the com
mon people know little of the legend
of the saint. He Is treated with that
mixture of seriousness and frivolity
which becomes a dying myth. One
masquerades in his dress In the even
ing and prays to him in the morning
and SO fulfils duty without spell
Ing the fun Yet even the mummine
has an educational purpose.
THE GERMAN SANTA CLAUS.
In Southern Germany and Austria 9
youth possessing the necessary relig
ious knowledge Is masked, dressed
in long white vestments. with sill
scarf and furnished with inter ant
crozier. He is accompanied by twt
angels and whole troop OF devils
The angels are dressed much like ths
choir boys In Anglican or Catholic
churches Each carries basket. Ths
devils blacken their faces and ado