The Marietta journal. (Marietta, Ga.) 1918-1944, 1920-12-24
Origin of Quaint Traditions
of the Yuledde

IW@ HE holiday season recalls
@ quaint ideas and Christmas
\ fancies of old, even back
to the ancient days of the
kAaNN Druids-a time when the
fFfSKfNl mistletoe sprig, as a POI
T3l tent mascot, was presented
TStST as an omen of good for
tune, as symbol of
health, wealth and prosperity, and In
those days long ago the house that
sported branch of mistletoe at
Christmas would never be unlucky.
1t is from the Druids that the Gus
tom of decorating our churches and
homes with evergreens comes, for they
believed that all the sylvan sprites
flocked together on these boughs,
there to remain until the warm wealth
err came. In midwinter the DruIds
sent around sprigs Of Ivy and mistle-
toe to remind the people to decorate
their dwellings with evergreens, In
order to prOpitiate the sylvan sprites
and secure protection from frosts and
wintry blasts. Holly berries long have
been considered as giving wonderful
power when worn In the shape of q
wreath, which must be made and worn
In imitation of a sacred crown of
thOrns and of berries, and the wearer
of this crown must go alone at mid
night on Christmas and sit in the
| dark, and, in accordance with that
ancient tradition, when worn on
| Christmas eve the holly wreath will
| evoke visions of spirit forms coming
In the air to sing their Noel songs, and
all the beasts will be seen to kneel
down in worship.
The Yule cake and Yule log, too,
have their important part in this an
cient Saxon tradition for the Christ
| mas festival season. The cake had the
same powers as the bride cake has on
Christmas night. The Yule log was
used to light the Christmas fire the
next year because 1t preserved the
house from fire during the year and
subdued the spirit of the flames.
| Its powers were bestowed in the days
were lighted and the brands secured
| from the fire to light the fire the next
year. The ancient Saxons burned the
Yule log as a symbol of the turning of
| the sun toward spring.
Even the moon contributed it's
share to Christmas superstitions, for,
as the legend runs, If Christmas comes
| during the waning of the moon we
shall have very good year, and the
nearer to the full moon the better.
Holland, perhaps, has the prettiest
| custom Of all nations for the Christ
mas festival. On the night before
Christmas In commemoration of the
star of the east, the young men Of
| their towns assemble and carry
| through the dark streets a large,
bright star; all the people go out to
greet and give to the bearers of this
"star of Bethlehem" as 1t Is called,
aims for the poor.
Seven days before their New Year,
the Chinese worship the Kitchen God
| by preparing dishes Of candy and vari-
Gus sweets with which they smear his
mouth. Later they burn him amid the
firing off of crackers, the deity being
sent up In chariot of smoke and fire
| to a conference with the king of the
celestial regions. The idea of smear
ing his mouth with sweets is that he
may not say anything but honey
ed words, or that his lips may stick
together and so prevent his talking
| too much.
The Kitchen God, according to story,
had been Ill treated by his brother and
sister-in-aw, who were very rich and
had many servants, but allowed their
| brother to work with the servants and
have dinner with them. Their cruelty
developed day after day. until at last
they treated him heavenly by seating
| him in a sedan chair made of paper.
The creation Of giving gifts at
| Christmas came, not from presents Of
| gold and silver given to the Christ
| child, as many believe. but from an
old custom of priests putting on board
Of all outgoing ships a box of aims
/ This box was opened at Christmas
time and masses said for the givers
of the aims, and was called Christ
| mass" box, and from this has come
| our custom of Christmas boxes and
gift giving.