News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1921-12-14
ORIGIN OF CHRISTMAS
FIRST CELEBRATION WAS HELD
IN THE YEAR 90.
Forty Years Later Before II Was Off
Z cally Adopted as Christian
Festival.

M~HRISTMAS was first celebrated
| " in the year 9S observes a writer.
but it was 40 years later before
1t was officially adopted as Chris
| tian festival nor was it until about
| the Fifth century that the day of it's
celebration became permanently fixed
on December %. Up to that time it
had been irregularly observed at vari-
Gus times of the year-in December,
in April and in May, but most fire.
quently in January.
In Rome the Saturnalia or feast of
our Christmas, and it marked the
greatest festival of the Roman year.
The city abandoned itself to gayety.
Universal mirth was the order of the
day; friends Toasted friends, and foes
were reconciled. All social distinctions
We're laid aside. Work was stopped,
and no war was ever entered upon at
that time.
One by one other legends and Gus
toms have been disprdted and over
thrown, yet none has dared attack the
legends and the customs sacred to
and will always remain. Christmas
marks the winter solstice. The days
begin to lengthen, and the sun no
longer journeys away from the earth,
but enters upon it's return 1t is
promise of renewed light and warmth,
of oh Nf .,I
hailed these signs with every express
sion of gladness.
When Christianity spread abroad,
men adapted the old customs of their
ancestors to the new order of things.
The word Yuletide, used to give a |
picturesque, oldtime flavor to the
Christmas idea, comes from Yule, an
old name for Christmas. The term
springs from an English word used to
designate the two months of Deem
Der and January, one of which was
called the former Yule," the other
the after Yule." There is a legend
which relates that it was the custom
years ago for every Saxon household
to burn the Yule log on Christmas
eve. This was q great gnarled root or
tree trunk, cut the day before Christ
mas and brought into the hall on
Christmas eve with great ceremony
and accompanied by music. Each
member of the household would sing
a Yule song, standing on the center Of
the log
In Germany and other European
it was believed by the chill
dren that the Christmas tree glitter
Ing with candles and brightness, and
the gifts found beneath the tree, were
the work of jolly old ST. Nicholas, or
Santa Claus, as we know him. This
kindly saint was no legendary char I
acter. He lived about 300 A. D., and :
was noted bishop of Asia Minor. He =
was looked upon as q patron saint Of |
generosity because of his liberality. q
The idea Of St. Nicholas travelling i'm q
1 sleigh drawn by reindeer originated |
n the cold northern countries. The :
reindeer were the swiftest animals .
lnown, and they must needs fly like f.
he wind to carry st. Nick the rounds e
# the world in one night. a
Almost as important as the gift CIV n
ng and gift receiving on Christmas
ay is the feast of dainties spread Oh
hat occasion. But even the Christ
mas dinner has its origin in the dim.
istant past. Feasts were always the
compartment of any festival In =,
egypt. at the winter solstiee every 1.
amily killed and ate goose as a re- a.
gious observance. We preserve the IA
ustom of eating fowl on Christmas. Al
Mt the toOthsome turkey has more ai
enerally supplanted the goose. T.
~