The Falls City tribune., 1909-12-17
"Round and Round the Seasons Co."
Burns,
Christmas Old.

6tllCl ditg 10 " liz SI1oA itS VI
people of this and other Christian
countries throughout the earth, and
as | have been privileged to enjoy
quite a number of the annual
occurrences of that day of hap
py memories, and neyer-to-be-forgot-
ten associations, ! have CON
cluded to give some of my
personal experiences touching the
early modes of observing this as
sumed date of the Nativity, in these
"reminiscences. There is some doubt
expressed by historians whether the
18th day of December, as We reckon
time, is the true date of the birth OF
Christ as has been claimed by the
church for the past fifteen hundred
years.
One of the reasons for this doubt,
and probably the controlling II is,
hat the rainy season in Judea oc-
ours in the month OF December and
it was not likely at such a time, and i'll
such weather, there would be found
the hills round about the little ham
let of Bethlehem, where the Savior
was born, as it is recorded there were
on that occasion. However that may
be, it is not important now to in
quire, for any day in the circling
year might have had that honor, for
such a birth could only occur on
Gods day, and that is the ever pres
ent-the eternal Now.
1t was early in the fourth century
that the church fixed the date as we
nov have it, for the purpose, as
was supposed, to supplant the hea-
then festivals such as the S~aturnalia,
a r%iotous, u~nrestrained exhibition of
dissolute merriment, and was made
to rank third in the festivals of the
church, Easter and Whitsuntide
alone being placed above it.
In later ages in England, something
like the Saturnalia tthe feast of
SATURN, was inaugurated among the
wealthy, in this way: An official
called the Lord of Misrule was APP
pointed to superintend the reVels
which usually commenced on All
Hollowe'en, and continued till Can
dlemas; and in Scotland a similar
officer was provided, named the Alb
bot of Unreason," and about the
same riot and license was INDUCED,
until the year 1555, the office was
abolished by act of parliament. The
abolition of the office did not do
away with the custom by any means,
as instance the disposition for mis-
chief of an exactly similar nature,
among the youth of our w times,
on the annual recurrence of oct. 3lSt,
or the old Halloween of the Lord oil
Misrule and the Abbot of Unreason oil
the long ago. Customs in which the
people delight, are not SO easily
shaken off as some may suppose.
The form may be changed, but the
reason for its first institution Will
still live on, long after the people
have forgotten the source of its orl-
gin.
Christmas is a very old lnstltutlon'
and it's celebration grows better as
it grows older in this seed field OF
time; and at this period of the
Christmas polity, is the very best
expression of the spirit of the Cos
pei of Christ that exists among men.
On at least one day in the three
hundred and siXty-five of the fleet
ing year. the people generally, IN all
civilized countries are thoroughly
Christian. II is an era of perfect
good feeling among all, OF kindly sym
pathy and ~neighborly interest in the
well being and happiness OF ach,and
is the best exemplification of a truth,
of which Cain was ignorant, that eV-
cry man born into this earth lie,
and one day to die out OF 1t, Is In a
way, his brothers keeper.
It is also a home institution. EV-
erybody wants to be at home on
this day. The wanderers come Dack
for a brief reunion around the ola
fireside, and to share the feast pre-
pared for the occasion,-to bring TO
mind other like occasions in the past
and sadly recall memories OF those
who were present then, but whose
seats are vacant now. There are
such vacant seats all over the world
but the spirit of Christmas is strong
" suggestive of a place where they
do not occur, and where no beloved
associations ever die out OF the
life eternal. The annual return OF the
anniversary of the Nativity, is a
sharp reminder of what He said on the
subject in His human capcity, Whlle
sojourninp i'm the wilderness; and