The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-12-22
Continued from page ~
THE CIVIC CHRISTMAS
Christmas Dramas.

But we are not stopping at the
Christmas tree. Already the next
logical step is being taken, it was
bound to come. We now have our
Nativity dramas, our Christmas mystic
ries, just as our forefathers of old
Rouen or London had-only occasion
al yet, it is true-few and far between,
but beautifully, confidently and rever-
emily done. In Los Angeles, for in
stance, two years ago an outdoor
Nativity drama was given that might
well in many of it's eXternals at least,
and perhaps in it's intrinsic spirit,
challenge the Christmas mystery play
of the Middle Ages at it's best. Over
400 actors and singers, largely gather
ed from local church choirs, participant
ed, while the audience fully equaled
the largest recorded in the ancient
histories of such spectacles, number
ing nearly 10000 people.
This is but one example of the re-
turn of the Nativity drama. There
are many others. Even New England,
the New England that once prescribed
the "Papistical festival of Christmas"
and cut it off the calendar, has had
it's Christmas mystery plays perform
ed in the open before large assem-
blages of people during recent years.
At San Francisco, what began one
year as a mere parochial celebration,
the production of Christmas
mystery, quickly blossomed into prac-
tically a civic event, attracting thou
sands and filling for days what was
at the time the largest theater in the
city. In England and in Ireland too
there has been this same revival. In
Dublin and other Irish towns there
was Douglas Hyde's Nativity" in
Manchester there was Laurence Hous-
mans beautifully reverent and very
Catholic play Bethlehem" = Alas!
stupidity taken off by the censor be-
cause it came under the head of the
forbidden Biblical drama-and also at
Cambridge and Westminster there has
been Monsignor Benson's "A Mystery
Play" successfully done, but in pri-
vate, thus escaping the censor's hand.
The few facts cited here regarding
the civic celebration of Christmas
and the reawakening of interest in the
Nativity drama are really straws in
the wind, I believe, indicating genu-
inc impulse toward the revival of the
old-time Christmas of our believing
fathers. What then should be the at
titude of Catholics in regard to such
he ,isaer hIIf
one of hearty approval? Is it not good
| to encourage this marked inclination
to celebrate Christ's' Birthday as it
should be celebrated, and as it was
celebrated by our Catholic forefathers
in the days of faith, even if for the
present the movement be only tenta-
tive, formative, feeling its way toward
larger things? Yet have heard of an
entire parish being set on edge at
Christmas time on account of civic
Christmas, the pastor, misjudging the
Intention, forbidding his people to
participate and keeping the children
of the parochial school out of the
celebration, in which they we're in
vited to take part. 4.They are trying
to paganize Christmas" holly argued
this Jealous but shortsighted shepherd
of souls. Have we not our Christmas
Crib?" he asked. rs that not
enough?" He could not see it the
other way about, that paganism, the
old, Indifferent, turkey-eating pagan
Christmas of recent times, the only
Christmas that millions of Americans
have known for years, was being
Christianized at last, by slow degrees
perhaps, but surely, nevertheless.