The Utah County Democrat. [volume] (Provo City, Utah) 1898-1909, 1908-12-19

"A have long been consid-
IA cred symbolic OF immor-
49, tally. OF rebirth. Hence
hCIWIlu they, and they alone. are
hSS21I appropriate decorations
for the Christmas season
which was originally celebration, un-
der the disguise of various national re-
llgious forms. OF the turning Of the
sun at the winter solstice, and the con.
sequent renewal OF life on the earth
When Constantine was converted,
he seized upon every underlying like
ness, however remote between the old
faith and the new. Every familiar
symbol that might be stretched to At
the strange faith; every old custom
that would help to reconcile his lately.
and sometimes forcibly. converted
people TO their unaccustomed belief,
was adopted and re-explained. And
the return OF the sun, bringing life
and light to tho winter-bound earth,
became the prototype of the coming
OF the Son of Man. bringing life and
light to the soul OF the sln.bound
world So that at first all the heather
observances were retained as far as
possible, and merely given new
meaning.
At the Christmas festival. the ivy
and holly still made a summer screen
OF the stone walls. as in ancient Ger.
many they had turned the huge halls
at mid-winter, to bowers of greenery
wherein the sylvan sprites, who dwelt
In summer among the forest trees
might pass the frozen months without
too much discomfort. An echo from
Scandinavia Is still heard In the say
ing current among the peasants of the
old world that II any bit of holiday
decoration is left In the house after
Candlemas day February ~, a trooT
of little devils VIII enter and sit one
on each withered leaf, every one
bringing It's own small curse upon the
house, These little devils are merely
the old forest sprites. detained against
their will by their undestroyed winter
refuge and fretting TO return to the
awakening woods of spring.
The churches were still green with
Christmas garlands in those early
days. and ablaze with candles, as tn,
temples of Saturn had always beer
during the corresponding Roman fes
tival OF the Saturnalia. But, as Poly
dore Vergil remarks. "Trymmyng tn,
temples with hangyngs. fioures
boughes and garlandes, was taken o.
the heather people, which decket
their idols and houses in suche array
And as time went on. and 1t becam,
no more necessary to make conces
sions that would help reconcile th'
people to their changed faith. thes,
"heathen" customs became distaste
full TO the church. One of the earl,
councils forblds men longer ITO decl
up their houses with lawrell, yvie, ant
greene boughes, as we used to do,
at the Christmasse season"
This command was observed In tn,
temples. but in the baronial halls tn,
old customs lived on; lived down theil
questionable past; won again the toll
GRAFTON of the priests who had sternll
banished them. and to-day all the ever
greens again are admitted TO the
strictest church, so that we again car
say at Christmas,
'-N0w WIN -bFrgTfr rT5iTry all tine temples
strow
With Ivy green. and sacred Mistletoe."
The Early Calendar OF English
Flowers" an old poem wherein eacl
month is recognized by its appropriat,
plant symbol, ends with these lines:
Soon the evergreene Laurel alone Il
greene,
MEME.
The Ivte and Hollie berries are scene.
And Yule log and wassaile come rount
agen,
The laurel is used not at all. and the
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