The Topeka state journal., 1919-12-25
RITUAL OF THE AGES
tcontln lea from PAGE ONE. !,

4 L
of New England established the
Thanksgiving festivaf as. in some
measure, a substitute for Christmas
However that may be, many persons
now living, recalling their childhood
in New England. tell of the great
preparations made for Thanksgiving
| day, while December 25 passed un-
noticed.
In contrast, the celebration of the
season in the south. in early days,
especially in Virginia, where the in
! !fluence of the Cavaliers, clinging to
the customs of their mother country
and of the Established church. was
one of merrymaking, extended over
a period of twelve days. until Epiph-
any or Twelfth night, and even yet
the Virginia Christmas is said to be
similar, in many respects, to the fes-
tival as observed in England.
Christmas day in England is very
| much like Sunday, church services
being held in all churches Worship
over, the day Is spent in merrymaking.
In Scotland, altho Christmas is
| yearly becoming of more Importance,
pre-eminepce is decidedly given to
New Years day and eve. The same is
true of France, where the giving of
gifts and merrymaking at New Years
| is the custom
Beautiful Swedish Custom.
A religious custom observed in
Sweden is called "julato' and is a
| service held in the churches before
| daybreak Christmas morning. This
service is held in communities in the
| United States where natives of Swe-
den have settled in numbers, and
where the religious customs of the Old
| Country are still observed. The i'm
pressive service and special Christmas
music. together with lighted candles
placed in teIe church windows and the
| decorations of Christmas green's make
l inn Af
| In Norway also the day is religious
~ observed and in both countries in
| the evening gifts are exchanged and
manager" plays given in the homes.
| Nor are the animals and birds for
gotten in the general merry making
An almost universal custom exists of
tying a sheaf of wheat to a pole near
| the house, for the benefit of the birds.
| Christmas in Italy. as in other coun-
tries, is celebrated as a home festival.
The greatest events of the year are the
great banquets given on Christmas
Eve. What the Christmas tree is to
the German child. the urn is to the
children of Italy. All present, in or
der of age. thrust a hand into the urn.
withdrawing a present. The present
is not always suitable to one who
draws it. but exchanges are made
among the company, and all are suited.
Saint Nicholas, whose day is the
Sixth of December. is the patron saint
Of children, and fills the wooden shoes
of children of Holland with presents.
if they have been dutiful thru the year,
and with ashes and switches. if dis
obedient. From this we may trace
the custom of hanging up our stock
ings on Christmas Eve for Santa Claus
to fill.
Kiddies' Day in Germany.
Probably no country equals Ger
many in the celebration of this sea-
Ison. 1t is from Germany we have
taken the Christmas tree, and by ex-
ample, made the day more especially
a gala. one for children. One beauti-
full legend told the children of that
country is that the Christ child comes
to their home on Christmas eve and
leaves gifts for good children. The
German Santa Claus is known as Kris
Kringle.
/ The singing of Christmas carols in
England and Northern Europe is COM
mon, al:ho this custom is not observed
to the extent it was formerly. The
singing of carols dates from the earli-
est period of Christian celebration.
when songs of gladness were consid-
cred appropriate to the occasion.
Bishop Jeremy Taylor is credited with
having said that the first Christmas
carol was the Gloria in Excelsis of
the Bethlehem shepherds. Durandus.
a Roman Catholic bishop of the 18th
that bishops. in the earlier ages of the
Church, were accustomed TO sing carols
among their clergy on Christmas Day.
The Christmas festivities in former
years continued until January s, called
Epiphany or Twelfth Night, which
commentaries the manifestation of
Christ to the Gentiles.
| On this day sovereigns commonly
offered gold. frankincense and myrrh
| at the altar in commemoration of the
| alteration of the Magi, a custom main
ftained at the French court as late as
1.-The Fourteenth century, and which the
| King of England still observes in the
| Chapel Royal, Saint James.
Chose King by Bean.
| A custom in France. which became
dulged in it. altho, in the Seventeenth
| century, disapproved by the church,
was that of assembling in parties, on
the evening of Twelfth Day or the
( Feast of the Epiphany. for a merry
making. A cake containing bean
was baked and the man who found
| the bean in his piece was declared
| king for the year. The Bean King
was compelled to pay for the dignity
| by giving similar entertainment on
the following Twelfth Night.
To this custom can be traced. the
modern Epiphany party. festivi.y OBJ
served ar times by the yestry of Grace
Cathedral when simple John Jones
was crowned king and Mrs. Sarah
Smith, drawing the ring, was Epi-
phany Queen.