Lower coast gazette., 1913-12-27
The Christmas Season.

IF there be any one holiday in the year that
interests everyone, young or old, poor or rich,
# is Christmas. The New England people in
the early history of the country began their
life there by inaugurating a Thanksgiving
Dav. This was largely the result of the severer
climate and their rather extreme religious
ideas, which led them to think that the good
Lord was watching over them all the time ana
that every action depended upon His cooper
alton. Therefore, when the harvest season was
over and they were approaching the long New
England winter, during which they were often
times snowbound in their own homes tor many
days together, they stood ready to thank the
Lord for all of His kind provision for them IN
the Way of their harvests and to express their
homes for q continuance of His beneficence.
The Christmas season, however, is OF a dill
ferent character. Our greatest degree OF famlll-
arity with it comes from our English ancestry.
end the words merry Christmas" imply all
that the words could signify. The day is set
aside for the giving of gifts and the display of
kindly action practically everywhere where
Christianity prevails.
While we allot the Christmas festival, as its
name indicates, to the birthday Of our Saviour,
It is a well-recognized fact that the observa-
tions of such a day date back to the very dawn
of history. It seems to be the natural impulse
of all good people to develop among themselves
consideration for the sufferers about them and
kindly action to these sufferers led also to kind
w action among themselves in ordinary LIE.
Nv usage the customs Of Christian people nave
led them to concentrate upon the twenty-tltth
of Deco raber as the day on which to celebrate
the birth of Christ and to exercise that feellng
of good will in whatevsr way they may De an!e
by making gifts to their friends and to tne'f
children.
The legends of Santa Claus and Of Kris
Kingle and st. Nicholas are al! based upon
the a idea and this idea of secretiveness, OF
the concealment of the names OF the glVers'
has led to all the kindly and amusing deception
that is practiced upon little children, leading
them to expect Santa Claus to give them special
consideration and leading them further to hang
their stockings upon Christmas Eve, awaiting
his visit during the night, when he Will cons'd-
or their cases and leave them whatever his
GOOD Judgment may dictate. Rather q palmetto
view of this is seen in the many letters that
are written by anxious little ones. inst able te
write. who indite letters to Santa Claus, ask.
mo for those things they most desire, whether
It he the health or the recovery OF their parents
or for some desired article they are a%nxiously
seeking. These letters have become 50 frequer'
in the public mail that the Post Office Dcpar:
ment in Washin.ton has directed that al sl'ci
letters found in the post offices shall be dellv
cred at these post offices to any person or char
table organization willing to consider the az
plications and these little folks, who gre thn'
appealing to Santa Claus and hoping 1or sem,
gift from him, may find their wishes granted
In a few years the illusions OF the persona
visit of Santa Claus will disappear, put III
pleasant memories will be retained forever.