Willmar tribune., 1909-12-22

py many, 1t is Christian feast pr.f+oa m -
pagan one, its history is age long. The ac.
tual institution of Christmas al the celehra.
lion OF the nativity Of Jesus Christ dates from
tme l second century Of the Christian era St.
Cnrysostom says that it was observed from
the beginning, according to western nr.ot;oa .
from !hrace to the Straits of Gibraltar. and
ne calls 1t the most venerable the mother ~
all the rest" 'e' -
But as to the time of the celebration there
was diversity of observance. The early
Chrlstlan church naturally kept Easter as COM
ue"oratlVe OF the resurrection of Christ.
which the apostles were especially chosen and
instructed to proclaim and the feast of Pom
tecost, which became the birthday of the
church, came next in order. Then to these
were added two others, the one commemora-
tive of the baptism of Jesus Christ and the
other of his birth. The first of these. the
Epiphany, Manifestation, came from the
east to the west. The second, Christmas. or
the nativity came from the west to the east
The two were officially recognized and quite
widely kept in both the east and west in the
fourth century. In sermon preached by the
Golden-Mouthed in Antioch on December 25.
A. D. $50, he speaks of the festival of Christ
mas as having first become known there 10
years before and another occasion he in
vltes his hearers to participate in it's ap.
preaching observance
But as to the reason for the selection of
December 25 as Christmas day, first arrived at
by the Hippolytes there is much difference of
opinion. 1t is held by some that the German
name of the festival "Weihnacht," is a literal
translation of the Hebrew "Chanuka," the
Jewish festival of the publication of the
temple by Judas Maccabeus, which begins on
December II, and that as the Passover and
Pentecost were perpetuated in Easter and
Whitsuntide, the festival of the Publication
has been preserved in Christmastide and the
practice OK burning candles on the Christmas
trees has come from the old Hebrew feast
Early Festivals.
But the Publication can hardly be mum.
bered among the greater and important festi
walls of the Hebrews and, as Schaff says. there
is really no Old Testament feast correspond
ing to our Christmas. The weight of opinion
as to the time of year chosen by the Chris.
tian church in the west lies in another and
entirely different solution of the question and
links the Christian observance to the ancient
practice of the heather world.
1t must be remembered in this connection
that the particular date was first fixed upon
by the Roman branch Of the church, and at
that season of the year series of pagan fes-
tivals occurred which were closely interviewer
with the civil and social life of the Roman
people. These festivals had an import which
lent itself to the growth of the Christian
faith, and they may have been spiritually
i. adopted by the church in order to counteract
their evil tendencies and at the same time ad-
vance the cause of the new religion.
The Saturnalia, for instance, represented
the peaceful times of the golden age and abol-
ished sharp distinctions between citizen and
serf. But it was time of wild and unholy
revelry. Then the Brumalia-the feast of the
shortest day, or winter sostice-was the COM
memoration Of the birthday Of the new sun
about to returp 70 the earth. 1t was the "dies
natais invicti Soils" In the old mythology of
the sun worshipers it was the birthday Of
Methras himself, and, in fact, the time of year
when from unnumbered ages before the Chris