The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-12-24
CHRISTMAS LEGENDS AND BE
LIEFS,

III every Sur1SIldu country III Iuc
world, Christmas has its legends and
time-honored customs in which there
are quaint beliefs in the supernatural,
says the Irish Independent. Where
ever we go, whether into the remote
parts Of our own country or into for
eign lands, we find these legends ac-
cepted in simple faith by our neigh.
bors and fellow Christians, and they
lend to this merry time mysterious
and fairy-like romance.
Perhaps the most widespread be-
lief of all is that animals, being in
spired with the knowledge of the ad-
vent of Christmas, are given the power
of expressing alteration at midnight on
Christmas Eve. Cattle celebrate the
birth of our Savior, it is said, by kneel-
ing in their stalls; and sheep, at the
midnight hour, waken up and go in
, procession, in commemoration of the
visit Of the angels to the shepherds
on the hills of Bethlehem. Only very
few are allowed to see this miracle,
for a condition for doing so is that
one must be absolutely free from sin.
This belief found it's way to the
American Indians who were converted
to the Christian Faith, and still fingers
there, for we find in Howison's
Sketches of Upper Canada" that the
author relates how on one moonlit
Christmas Eve he was surprised to
see an Indian creeping cautiously
through the woods. When asked what
he was doing, he replied that he was
watching to see the deer kneel, las on
Christmas Eve all the deer kneel and
look up to the Great Spirit"
The Cock Crows.
Another popular belief is that the
fowl know when Christmas is coming,
and at this time the cock may be
heard Growing in the middle of the
night in order to brighten off evil
spirits in preparation for the Christ
mas. Shakespeare refers to this an
cient superstition when Marcellus says
to his companions upon the disappear.
ance of the ghost:
'It faded on the Growing of the cock.
Some say that ever 'gainst that sea-
son comes
Wherein our Saviour's birth is cele-
brated,
The bird of dawning singeth all night
long;
And then, they say, no spirit can walk
abroad,
The nights are wholesome; then no
planets strike,
So hallowed and so gracious is the
time"
In certain parts of rural England, it
is believed that on Christmas Eve any
one carefully approaching hive of
bees in the stiffness of the night will
hear the bees singing. Knowing that
the joyous festival is at hand they
waken from sleep to join with man.
kind in celebrating this holy anniver-
sary. 1t is even asserted that at the
stroke of midnight the attentive
listener will hear their subdued hum.
ming, which resolves itself into the
melodious singing of the hundredth
Psalm:
MAKE joyful noise unto the Lord
all We lands,
Serve the. Lord with gladness; come
before His Presence with a song
Men.Woives.
In Norway, the old and one-time
popular superstition that on Christmas
night men had the power to change
into wolves is still to be found in Ger
tain parts. Those who avail them
selves of this opportunity become the
most savage sort of beasts, and, form
ing themselves into packs, do more
harm than the widest kind of savage
wolves of the natural. They attach
houses, break down the doors, get into
the cellars and wantonly destroy the
winter provisions, besides drinking w
all the wine and beer they discover
There are special prayers in use tt
guard against a visitation from these
'werewolves," and so dreadful is theil
power of evil, that if anyone shoult
chance to come upon the spot where
the transformation took place within
month he will die within the year.
In Sweden, it is customary for the
peasants to scatter straw during tn,
Christmas holidays about their homes
and churches, to commemorate tn,
circumstances of the Christ Child be
ing laid upon bed of straw at hi
birth. The straw SO used is supposed
to acquire miraculous properties, an,
is carefully gathered up by each house
hold at the close of the season. Thi
holy straw, if given to cattle when be
ing sent out to grass in the spring, il
believed to preserve them from sick
ness, and it is only necessary to scat
ter some of it on field to ensure al
abundance of crops in the following
year.
Denmark has somewhat similar be
lief with regard to bread baked o.
Christmas Day. They keep this brea
until sowing time, then crumble
finely and mix with the seed and a.
abundant harvest is assured. In Lon
hardy, this superstition also prevails
and the peasants believe also that
kept for month untouched it is
charm against snake bite.
Germany has its own legends an
beliefs in abundance. In the Germa
Alps, it is believed that the cattle no
only kneel on Christmas Eve, but tina
they are gifted with the faculty Q
speech for this occasion, but it is II