New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-23
C|TYS DEREL|cTS TO
FEEL XMAS CHEER
Annual Spree Of Emotional Gen.
crosby Traced to SaturnaIIa
of Ancient Rome.
TREE IN MADISON SQUARE
Children's Aid Society, Saliva
ton Army and Rescue Society
Will Feed and Lodge the
Hungry and Homeless.

In accordance with habit and tradition.
New York will become one vast mill Of
charity on Christmas. feeding, sheltering,
clothing and amusing the hordes who
feel their poverty.
With the impulse 10 celebrate Christ
mas In the bones, as it were. from two
thousand and more years Of ancestry, 1t
is hardly 10 be wondered at that with
each year the city's largesse increases IN
gigantic proportions. establishes new rec
ords. bursts all bounds. 10 flood the Waif
and the tramp the felon and the wastrel
lthe sick and the hungry and the discour-
laged with tokens of the loving Kindness
which society has denied to them for
year.
Ancient Rome before the advent OF
Christianity, went on just such an annual
spree of emotional generosity as modern
eNew York Some say the saturnaiia'
(which lasted from December Il to a. was
the parent of our Christmas. 1t had It's
religious significance. beginning with d
great public sacrifice to Saturn, the goo
who presided over the sowing OF seed
Eanouets followed, and the exchange or
presents and calls. But OF greater SIC
nifcance was the freedom accorded the
slaves during these holidays. The slaves
oven held first place at the family tables
while their masters waited upon them'
Made Even Romans Gentle.
The Romans celebrated thus, with
spirit of self-abnesation which equahed
if it did not surpass the brotherly love
displayed by us to-day, the turning OF the
year at the winter solstice and 'he re-
birth of the sun. The ancient Angi IN
Britain, before their conversion 10 CHRIS
tianjtv. began their new year on Deem
her % with the rebirth of the sun, ana
they celebrated the night OF December -
as Mother Night
IL is contended the early Christahs
chose December %, the suns birthday, as
Christs birthday, also because they cailed
Him the sun OF righteousness. Since
Christmas this year falls on Wednes-
dav. IL is interesting to note that, accord
ing 10 legend, the sun was created on
Wednesday and that Hppolytus, Ro-
man writer two centuries after CHRIST
said Jesus was born at Bethlehem on De
,ember %, a Wednesday, i'll the forty
second year Of Augustus.
The fact remains that IL was an ancient
custom among many peoples or the ear'h
10 welcome the yearly return OF the sun
and the lengthening days, which lea 10
bounteous crops and prosperity, with an
altruistic intoXicatiOn. SO II Is not alo-
gether unnatural that Christmas should
have such a hold on polyglot, cosmopoii-
tan New York-that Christian jew ana
Moslem should unite to make IL a very
debauch of sentiment
The trappings which We usually asso-
ciate with the observance OF Christmas
the Christmas tree and Santa Claus-are
Inherited strictly from Teutonic fore
bears. Yet these symbols have fastened
themselves so completely on the imagina-
ton of a community, very large part
of which acknowledges no Teutonic an
cestry. that this year New York is to
have a huge public tree. municipal
Christmas tree, In Madison Square Park.
Big City Christmas Tree.
The city has Mrs. J. B. Francis Her
reshoff and her friends TO thank for this
boon. Mrs. Herreshoff has testified TO the
unanimity with which every one she ap-
nroached for help in carrying out her
project fell in with the spirit or IT, She
found the city. she said, simply trimming
with sentiment.
The huge balsam. sixty feet In height,
fresh from the heart Of the forest
now stands In the city's heart on Its
concrete base, ready for its festoons
Of twelve hundred electric lamps Mrs
Uerreshoff. seated in her Limousine In
Madison Square, will close a switch at
$50 o'clock on Christmas Eve whlch Will
cause this giant evergreen to flash its
sacred message to the whole OF this ire
mendous community.
This big public tree forms the newest
feature OF the city's celebration this year.
II must not be forgotten, however. that on
Christmas Eve also the Children's Aid So
ciety will hold Christmas exercises aud
distribute dinners and gifts to the chill
dren attending the twenty-four indus
trial schools in its charge and that on