The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1917-12-25
WOMAN'S CLUB DEPARTMENT
MISS ALICE LYNN LEWIS
Editor for the Month of December
Christmas Customs

months duration and we are given
the privilege of another celebration
of the Savior's birth, custom which
has prevailed since December %,
$50 A. D., during the reign of the en-
peror Commodus.
The Romans of ancient times set
part the 18th of December both as a
time in which to give honor to BAG
chus and the birthday of their sun
god. The Persians also honored it as
the birthday of Mithras the mediator,
or spirit of the sun, while the Egyp-
tians considered this same date as the
birthday of their god, Horus, and the
Hindoos on the 18th of December dec
crate their homes as we do, and pre-
sent gifts to relatives and friends.
In China this date is universal hol-
iday, stores and shops being closed,
the people spending the day happily
in their own homes, never daring
under any circumstances to start out
on journey on this occasion.
1t is said that the birthplace of the
Christmas tree is Egypt. The tree
used was the palm, and the ceremony
known even before the days of An
tony and Cleopatra This palm pro-
duces a fresh shoot each month and
old-year parties were given with a
palm spray with twelve shoots SYM
bolizing the completion of the year.
This custom passed into Italy, the
fir tree being used, its pyramidal
tips decorated with burning candles
in honor of Saturn.
Many legendary and historical oc-
currences seem to be connected with
the Christmas day celebration. In the
earliest days of Germany it was the
custom of neighborhood or village
people to consign their gifts to the
care of one person who dressed in
high buskins, a white robe and large
wig represented himself as Kris
Kringle, st. Nicholas or Knight Rup-
ert, going from house to house giving
the children their presents. The. Ger
mans often called this EtThe Chill
dren's Festival and in some parts of
the country Kris Kringle, st. Nicholas
and Knight Rupert make the children
a Christmas visit, but the custom has
become generally replaced by the
Christmas tree.
Decorating churches and homes
with holly-berries and evergreens in
honor of Christ's birthday is Gus,
tom that originated in the earliest
days of paganism by the Druids, their
belief being that kindly spirits kept
near the ornaments of nature, pre-
serving them from the blight of. frost
and cold. Their particular object of
sylvan beauty was the mistletoe,
which they considered as typical OF
the love of their gods for all mankind,
and it is this traditional association
of the mistletoe with love that for.
feits kiss from the young lady who
is caught under the pear1y bough at
Christmas time.
A great many years ago, in some
portions of England at Christmas
tide it was the custom of the maid
servant to request the man servant to
procure the ivy for the decoration of
the home, a request he seldom dared
refuse, for the neglect was met with
rebuke which subjected him to oper.
or public humiliation, the maid ser
want finding revenge in stealing a
pair of his pants (and / suspect his
best pair) mailing them to the gate
opening to the public highway, where
all who passed might see and know
of his negligence.
The 18th of December was selected
by the Saxons as the Feast of Jul or
Yul, when huge piece of timber was
put on the Christmas fire and when by
Yul or Christmas dawn it was entire
ly consumed, the ashes were careful
ly gathered together. placed in re-
ceptacle and kept until the following
Christmas eve when they were
thrown or scattered upon the huge
timber called the yule-log.
In Russia the peasants once had a
unique way of celebrating Christmas
The fathers of manageable daugh-
tiers met together a short time before
the holidays and arranged for their
disposal On Christmas day the girls
were taken to neighborhood house
attended by their parents. Then the
girls were heavily yelled and placed
in row. the young men brought into
the room one by one to make Their
choice, blindfolded, bowling low be-
fore the maiden he selects, who raised
her veil revealing the face of his
lady love. One would suppose it ar
easy matter for the young man to
make an unfortunate mistake, but il
is said it seldom happened. But wher
this unwilling displayed the face OF
the wrong woman he met a glance Oh
whitening scorn, became in measure
an object of ridicule, and only secur.
ed peace by presenting a valuable
gift to the young lady in PREPARATION
of his unintentional mistake.
Bethlehem is the home of Christ.
mas and strange as it may seem, this
place of our Savior's nativity cele.
brated Christmas three times a year
first by the Latins as we do on the
25th of December. Twelve days later
in the same church which is known
az the Church of CT Maru,s or 4be