The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-12-24
THE KEEPING on CHRISTMAS
yGGEsTIONs ~ ENGLISH a.
THORS aND ARTISTS.
The Festival ~ % d AMI a. % should he
Drawbacks sf the Good Odd
Charles Dickens Christmas Msssern
Tendencies Depierrti Ghiiiren's bay.

No nDlc1y hummer OF tAs booNNtuN
% London prints some interesting opin-
ions from well known English authors
and artists on Christians IA IL is and
Christmas a. u should be, SAYS Percy
Nhito
Tho recurrence Of Christmas always
leaves on my mind ihs impression that
We have b.cnme AZ fsyerish in our efforts
IN preserve II that have made 10 the
most fatiGuinG season Of the year Tho
poetry os the tradition seems 10 have
hcen so crushed out under In. material
ism of the display that Their, is a real
excuse for the selfish people who nun
away g. escape the strain
a simple and charitable festival has
grown o,ercustlv and lavish till in too
many case il l. more uf saiurnalia
than hrlidav The only Suggestion
that | can mR>" - thar We should slaCk-n
tho pace or Nulatde' Jollity and increase
our charity in wiser directions
Mrs Bailir REYNOLDS saws:
One must begIn with triism. Christ
mas * IL Christian festival The mass
Of the Infant Jesus il ii- highest and most
fitting exprosSon. hut. liA. all the great
Christian fa~iIN als 1t has assimiated
number of h.ain.n customs
admittedly Druidic. the " as Hail blow.
which il Scaniinavi ian, IN" Christmas
tree. which | am told is saxon these
were all bits OF ritual which were observ al
long before tn. holy birth Whatever
their origin. Ne love them now.
They are like AN old English house
which has IN" remains OF Norman keep
timhersd gable - Tudor frontage per
chance IaprlN,ar N p,r.h Th.U
the silent eloQuence Of history; they are
sanctifed hv centuries of Christian as
sociation. and We would not willingly
surrender on.
But thcs. are only symbols There
Is one Christmas custom which is not
only entirely Christian but an intrinsic
part of the keeping If the festival This
l. its social aspect
Parties Of friends AZ Christmas are
Indispensable They are the necessary
and correct form OF observ ance Of that
good will toward men which the baby
guest in the Manager taught so forcibly
In this respect | regret the modern
tendency The irrcligiouS say that the
idea of Christ mas -lCIability - an rx-
plodei BIT Of mid Victorian sent iment-
alism.
One hears r.lI gIouS people object to
conviviality a. sonnet hing derogafory to
the spiritual aspect 81 the feast Both
ar. wrong. Christmas - the feast Of
good will toward men the feast of recon
citation. th.. day on which all who have
no gat hering AZ their own hearth should
find welcome AT some one elses
Whether We celebrate IL with British.
Danish or Saxon rites, l"t Us do 80. as far
a. we possibly can, IN community and re-
union
Arthur Rackharn. who would like TO
change IN. date. SAYS. LIN really afraid
have nothing TO -av on the subject Of
Christmas II - on" of those institutions
have taken for granted | found "
II one is forced To consider IL one might
suggest that tn. date Of the celebrat ION
of Christmas should ID" moved 10 pleas
anter time of the year
G.. b. Burgin says No. do not con-
slider that , hrI-tmaS Is kept in an ideal
way nova lays he good old Charles
Dickens Christmas - d"sdsr than tn.
proy,.rDial doOTnaIl
1T had - draw backs. there was an
overpowcrinC amount of Couviviahty OF
more or less arrfuous uatur" IN II. bur It
certainly .ept up the best traditions ot
Christmas made people more charitable.
more kindly DISPOSED to on" ano' her.
more wiling To bury III" hatcher and TO
remember he season Of universal peace
and good will
The children revclled IN n now hey
want to play bridge. me Young people
kissed beneath ~. iui-tl"j o" now they
say 'ki-. her under ia" mIefl.i ". and b..
booked bv he old birds th. wha; 2. ihe
old people sat and thought OF the days OF
their youth. Of those loved and lost now
they drink equally hard and II" about
their prnw-.sS Al golf. IN he old times he
servants loved heir master anh mist r..-s
and were IA" fir-' - wish them happiness
on Christina DaE now they wonder
how soon they can d.'rutly give MOTTO.
beCItlSp hey ..~r' ~ pF.'-i 10 carry Goals
upstair-
love and who love me. m spite Of my errors
of omission aut comm scion to write and
tell me 50 | want to SIr and think Of tbs.
swiftly flying years and what yer re-
mains for me 20 do Then thank the
Power which has helped ine over iife's
thorny path | want TO meet old friend,
and find them Younger; | want TO Law in "A
stock Of hop" and Co4rag" for the next
twelve months. and lastly when ".
ara sitting nt our comfortable" Christmas
f.asts want 10 think ot those who broken
by forum. dwell IT, AiSltia.
John Hp-slll says: $50 far as arm CON
cerned ! am quite inCOmp.ten' 10 DIdg.
Of whether Christmas ~ kept IN an ideal
way by ~" general public b"cau>" the
festival starts with my family three. nr
four DAYS i-for" th.. 2jth unof'iclllv
All th.. stocking nr" filed on Christmas
Eve; the Christmas ire" ~ deck.d from
top 10 bottom and IN" house more lik. u
wood with th" amount ~ foliage that il
put IN On pcC"rnhcr % ITSELF "" ar" -,
busy that I'VE ~ idea how other peppt.
spend IA" DIV. Nith III u couldn't h.
more ideal
n he N"r- StHCpOol" says You ask
me whether think Christmas il kept in m
ideal way nowadays. 'h.nk II j. when
the Keepers Il IL conform A. FAR a. possible.
10 the old kindly tradition.
Her" J. INV formula for an idea Christ
mas Max" 10 hIppy nm" for children
That include every ~ gr"ii"u' u..cs.s-dry
in whatever strfIpu . life w. are.
4 do not know HOY u il With others
but IN my OGu Ci-e Christmas induce.
a kindli"r fno'iug coward mankind in gen
"ral. and / arm -Ir" that extra warmth
~ feeling cou,'a from the "rnhers Il Old
Crri-tng-,-- tho recollection 81 the
. Eindnn--"- n grown up people eNperi-
cncNd IN chiidhopd
1T il really IN" great children festival
lonT NAV b. flourish
Mrs Alfred ~idgH.cls saws. Il naturally