Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-10
ORIGIN OF VARIOUS
CHRISTMAS MYTHS

meaning which is now lost in the
fog of tradition or forgotten by
| those who observe the feast of the Nativ-
ity. The name of the day, as we'll as it's
| appointment it's gift giving, feasting. the
Christmas tree. Kris Kingle and the
| singing of carols, the Yule log and mistle-
toe, all were once significant of things
felt to be important in the observance of
the day. little as we recollect or reflect
| upon them now
The word Christmas" was first applied
to the music of the mass specially COM
posed for the observance of the anniver-
sary Of the Nativity. This mass was COM
posed in the lifetime of one Of the early
popes and was sung at the feast of the
Nativity. which then. like Easter, was a
movable feast From the mass the feast
fourth century the day was fived by papal
decree for December 25. to take the place
in the ahurch, of the, civil Saturnalia
which had been observed many centuries
in Rome near the time Of the winter SOL
stice..
Bestowal of gifts at Christmas time had
its origin, of course, in the bringing of
gifts to the virgin mother and the infant
child at Bethlehem, by the mag, but the
hanging of stockings to receive the gifts
grew up In the old converts on st. Nicho-
lay day. 1t came to be custom for the
poor students to pin their stockings upon
the door of the abbess with a signed note
upon slip of paper recommending them
to the attention of the good saint. Dur
ing the night the stockings would be
stuffed with sweetmeats and presents.
The celebration of ST. Nicholas lasted
from December 6 to December %, and
the hanging of the stockings was upon
the first night of the feast. When the
practice passed out of converts among
the people it became attached to Christ
mas. did all the traditions and myths
of ST Nicholas.
Saint Nicholas. 1t comes to us through
the Early Dutch SAINT Niklaas" which
was the spelling given in the Neither
lands to the name of st. Nicholas.
Minor and was raised to the Office in
extreme youth, and for 1,J00 years he
has been the saint of childhood through
Christendom. He was noted for his
benevolence.- especially to the young, and
at least one miracle is attributed to him.
Kris Kingle.' the German name applied
to the same saint, is from Christ
kindchen,'' and involves a legendary
myth, OF German origin. similar to that
of ST Nicholas
nevolence of st. Nicholas was his time
~ heIp OF three maidens left by the par
slmony OF their father without dowry
for marriage. Upon discovering the plight
OF the girls the Bishop of Myra flung on
three successive nights a bag Of gold into
the window of the room where the maid
ems slept, and in this way the girls We're
enabled to marry. 1t is related that the
To hnr Of 4
| In the act upon his last visit to the house,
but agreed to keep the secret Either the
father or the bishop did not remain close
mouthed. as the story gained wide pub
licity at or before the marriage of the
! maidens.
| The tale of ST. Nicholas patronage of
boys is more spectacular. A rich noble
| man in Asia sent his two sons to Athens
| for education and babe them call upon
| his friend. the Bishop of Myra on the
journey. They came to Myra at dusk,
and the boys thought the time inoppor-
| tune for a call upon the prelate. Accord
| tngiy they took rooms at the inn, defer
ring their visit until the following day
The landlord. perceiving they had con-
| siderable baggage and money, murdered
! them in their sleep, cut up the bodies and
| concealed them in a picking vat with
| pieces of pork. The good bishop that
night had a vision of the crime went to
the inn next morning and reproached the
landlord. He then besought the Almighty
| to restore life to the innocent boys. He
had but finished his prayer when the
| fragments of the bodies of the youths re-
united. and. finding themselves alive,
| they fell on their knees in thanksgiving
J before the holy man. In old pictures of
St. Nicholas he is represented as be-
slowing a blessing upon two nude boys
standing in a tub. indicative of this
miracle wrought in Myra.
After the death of ST. Nicholas, when
he had become canoniZed, boys and girls
placed their shoes and slippers in con-
venient places on the eve of ST. Nicholas
day and were sure to find them in the
morning we'll stocked with sweetmeats and
small gifts.
| A custom in later centuries in the Ital-
| Ian churches, in which the choir boys
/ elected a mock bishop and two deacons,
| who went from house to house and col
lected money for St. Nicholas day pur-
poses. seems to have been derived from
the St Nicholas myth, as the younger
boys believed that the gifts in their shoes
actually came from the patron saint of
| childhood.
|
| The notion that ST. Nicholas. with load
ed sledse drawn by reindeer galloping
over the frozen SHOWS. upon the roofs Of