The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-12-22
CHRISTMAS CUSTOMS
FROM ANCIENT DAYS
Dictum Of Pope julius Accepted
Almost Universally and De-
cember Is Chosen.
DIFFERENT DAYS OBSERVED
Not Until Sixth Century That Chris.
tlans United in Celebrating Same
oay--Artnenia clings to
January 6.


and April, and even now Russia OBJ
serves the Julian date OF January 8.
Most authorities agree that the actual
date OF the nativity has persisted be-
yond hope OF recovery. In an effort
to end the controversy as to the date.
Pope Julius, I'm the Fourth century,
caused an Investigation to be made by
st. Cyril, resulting in both being sat
isfied that, as nearly as could be as
certained, December 20 was the correct
date. Locally the dictum of Pope Julius
was accepted
II was not until the Sixth century
that most of. Christendom united In
keeping Christmas on the same day.
The reasons for this delay in insti-
tuting the feast are summed up by an
authority who explains that. In the
first place, no corresponding festival
was presented by the old testament, as
sn the case OF Easter and Pentccost;
second, the day and month of the
birth OF Christ are nowhere stated IN
gospel history. and cannot certainly be
determined: third, that the church
fingered at first about the death and
resurrection of Christ, the completed
fact OF redemption, and made this the
center OF the weekly worship and the
church year: and fourth, that the
earlier feast OF Epiphany afforded "a
substitute for the festival of the Ma
tivity.
Other Days Observed.
The Christians OF Armenia have
rteadfastiy declined to have anything
to do with December 25, and have for
many centuries kept Christmas day at
Epiphany, on January 6. In the czar
vast empire some people observe De-
ceInber Is and others keep to January
s. hut both these ChrIstmases fall on
different days from ours.
erblo ~ avnIofnad hxr the nraraodf In ua
of Julius Caesar and Pope Gregory
XIII. When the great Roman con-
Queror became the master OF the
world he found the calendar In a
frtghtfnl state OF confusion.
Caesar devised a reformed calendar
Of his own, but. though it worked we'll
for q long time, 1t was not perfect. 1t
gained a fraction Of time each year.
This did not amount to much In itself.
but as the centuries rolled on 1t
mounted up, and after nearly 1000
years the world was 10 days in adj
vance Of actual dates. That is. what
was called January was really jan
uary 10.
People were celebrating Christmas
day on January 4. while all the time
they blissfully imagined It was De-
cember Is. In 1882 Pope Gregory re-
formed the calendar by the extremely
simply expedient OF ordering that Oc-
.ober s OF that year should be called
October Is.
The intermediate 10 days were sim
ply knocked of.
Most countries in Europe promptly
adopted this change, but some Of
them at first declined to do so, and
England was among these. All through
the 18th century. therefore. England
was 10 days behind the greater part OF
the rest Of the world as regards date
In the 18th century, on account Of
tho Julian calendar having by then
gained another day. Englishmen were
IL days behind. Finally the confusion
arising from the use of two calendars
became such a nuisance as to seriously
interfere with trade. So, in 1852. after
good folk thought 1t was irreligious to
tnmper with such things-an act Of
parliament ordained that September 2
OF that year should be reckoned as
September IA.
The Russians. however. from start to
finish have absolutely refused to have
anything to do with the Gregorian cal
on what Is our January 6. Ai
Orsvln of Some Customs.
Compare lively few of the millions of
persons whN annually enter so heartily
into the festivities Of Christmas give
q thought to the origin of the customs
they observe. Young people, middle
aged people and old people who take
tndescribable pleasure In decorating
their homes with holly, mistletoe and
other evergreens In anticipation Of a
reign OF fun and frivolity do not, as a
rule, give much thought to the nativity.
and never for q moment does any idea
Of such decorations enter their heads.
How many good souls there are who
delight In the old-fashioned Christmas
customs, and who once year, at least
let themselves out to enjoy the revels
style who would hold UP their hands In
horror were 1t even suggested that they
were initiating the wicked old pagans"
Almost all our popular practices In
honor OF the birth Of Christ have their
origin In ante Christian ones.
About 800 A. d. boy was born In
Lydia, His parents called him Nichols
that was mans name. he preserved
the nature Of child. for he chose to
'kepe vertuee, mel1nes and simpieness.
and therefore children doe worship be-
fore all other saints"
The modern child's Santa Claus Is
. Dutch contraction OF "Sankt Niko-
laus," "Sank'ni KLAUS" and the saints
custom Of giving presents secretly and
In tho dead OF night as the development
Of . deed OF charity he performed when
he assisted by tossing three well Allied
purses into their bed room long after
they had retired.
Thus Santa Claus comes about when
the children are asleep and gives them
their hearts desire. st. Nicholas day
was originally early in December but
Later Il was COMPOUNDED with Christ
me-. A
There IL an old ballad describing the
saint and his customs, thus:
There n an old ballad describing the
saint and his customs thus:
st. Nicholas money used to give to may
denD oecretlie.
who, that he still may use his wonted
iiberalities,
The mothers OF their children on the eve
do cause to fast.
And when they everyone at night in
Both apples, nuttes and pears they bring
and other things besides.
A. caps and shooes and petticoats which
secretly they hide.
And In the morning found, they say, that
this st. Nicholas brought.
q. Nicholas and Father Time.
The idea that st. Nicholas was an old
hoary-bearded man comes from the an
cient representations of Saturn, who
was pictured as q patriarch, and also
from the confounding Of the Christmas
saint with Father Time: who has al
ways had his special day, on New
Years eve. a week after Christmas.
This custom we derive from the Ro-