Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-12-25
CARDS FOR CHRISTMAS
ORIGINATED IN ENGLAND
British Always Enter Hearth,
Into Spirit Of
Yuletide.
rs nEI.IaIoUs ,oDsEnvANo 10
With Coming OF the saIona 70 1rent
britain. HcSelry NeiRned, Abund-
nnce Of Food Wan Furnished 10
saIOns,

From very earliest days England
entered most heartily into rulctids
observance, In the time Of tho Colts
II was principally "a religious OBJ
servanee' but soon mirth was added.
win the coming % tho HaAons to
EhRiand' higher revelry rc.Rned. In
Tho center OF tho hall upon tho oman
hearth. biaaed u huue ilre, tho col !.
nmn OF smoke pouring out through
nm opening In tho matched roof. Tho
family gathered In this largo living
room.
The tahlo stretched along ono mid
OF tho room and UP and down Its
!onEth tho guests woro Hentod In
coupios Soon tho sarvors ontorod
carrying long iron sp!tH on which
thcy brought pieces OF tho rnoutp, rlsh
and fowls that had boon roasted.
There wha nm abundance OF food,
Tor tho Saxons woro great Gators.
Tho gardens furnished plenty OF voge-
tables.
NJ business was not pressing in
those days. tho Saauns could weli
AFFORD to spend hours ut tho feus,.
eating dr!nHins nnd making merry.
Games were In order after tho mea
was finished. Tho games wero the
same an arc played today. In the
'Ss'b were
lighted and fastened into sockets
along the sides OF the wall. Huge
bonares burned out Of door,.
Greater comforts and Injuries were
acquired BY the Saxcns when King
Alfred was on the throne. Yule
was celebrated with great pomp.
Walls were hung with rich tapes
tries. food was served on gold and
silver plates. and tuinb!ers often were
OF gold and silver. too.
The magn!accnce OF tho Yule,Ide
observance Is said TO have reached its
height in the fifteenth and sixteenth
centuries. Christmas was kept with
great jollity. The huge Yule log
was rolled in the spacious hall amid st
song and merriment. Hoping TO re-
ceive good luck. each member OF the
family. seated In turn upon the log.
II good luck was TO attend the house
hold during the ensuing twelve
months. II was believed that "A piece
should be left over with which to
start the next years firc.
The feudai system gave scope for
much magnificence at the Yuletide.
In 1916 Sir Henry Cole is said TO
have originated the idea OF sending
Christmas cards to friends They
were the size of small visiting cards
OFTEN bearing small colorcd design.
Joseph Crandall was the FIRST pub
Usher. Only about 1000 were sold
the :rst year. but Ivy 1862 the custom
OF sending cards became general and
has now spread to other countries.
During the Reformation tho custom
OF observing Christmas was looked
upon as sacriligious. II savored o
popery and soon :he festival was
abolished except In the Anglican and
Lutheran Churches Protestants
were protesting against the observ-
ance OF the day: Puritans were work
ing toward It's nbolishmcnt, and
finally on December "a. 1852, Parlia-
mcnt ordered that the twenty-hfth
day of December pass unobserved
Christmas became n day of work and
no cheer. The love OF fun which must
fnd vent was expended at New Year,
when the celebration was similar to
that formerly observed ut Christmas.
Christmas has never reRa!ncd it's
former prestige in England. Year
after year il has been more observed
In churches and families, but not in
the wild. boisterous, hearty style of
olden times. throughout Great
Britain Yuletide is now n time Of
family reunions and social gather
ings.