The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1925-12-22

land in others on March 10Th. In the
fourth century Pope Julius decided
December 18th would be better date
and the world has since abided by his
decision.
This date fitted exactly the winter
solstice festival kept by the Romans,
Greeks and Teutonic barbarians; The
policy of the early Christian church
was to reconcile heather converts to
the new faith by the adoption OF
harmless customs OF older religions.
The ancient Scandinavians observed
the winter solstice with a magnificent
festival for their god, Thor. The cele-
bration was presided over by Yeol or
Yule. Soon the Christian missionaries
applied the festival to the nativity OF
Christ, and thus we get our 4uletide
customs with all their cakes and
sweetmeats.
In medieval time the Christmas
candle was lighted along with the
Yule log, with wealth of evergreen
placed on the upper table or dals.
Christmas was formerly called the
Feast Of Lights" in the Latin church
the lights and the title being symbol
cal of the religious light then dawning.
Plum pudding is of Teutonic origin,
but early was adopted in England.
Mince pies, or mutton pies" were
common as early as 1896, the mince-
meat being sausage mixed with plum
Geese, capons, peacocks and pleas
ants, usually baked in pies, were also
favorite Christmas dishes in early
davs, while the climax of the feasting
was the ushering in of the boar's head,
boiled OF baked, and served with much
ceremony and caroling.
The Puritans regarded the firmly
fixed Merry Christmas" English Gus
toms of their day as pagan and frown-
ed upon these harmless gaities. Our
Pilgrim fathers-the folks who later
gave us Thanksgiving day-brought
this same anti-celebration idea to
America, and so in 1859 Massachu-
sets passed an ordinance that any
body who is found observing by abb
stinence from labor, feasting or in any
other ways, on Christmas day. shall
paw for each offense five shilhngs.
This was repealed in 1851.
Cakes and cookies and the idea of
SlIIS ITOul SOOu Olu d. NISHOlao NSiN
brought to America by the Dutch and
the Germans, and thus we got our
very beautiful conception of Christ
mas as a children's holiday time
when childhood should be glorified.
He who has never caught the radi-
ance of happy child on Christmas
morn has missed one of life's sub
FINEST joys.
The Japanese bride dresses in white,
color of mourning, to indicate that she
is leaving her parental home forever.
With the help of the "kaizoe," or
lady o-between, she arranges her
hair in the married style and heavily
powders her face.
She wears a high headdress, but is
not yelled. During the wedding ban
quet, to give expression to sentiments
appropriate to the event, she changes
into gay garment; once she appears
in scarlet, symbol of her newly born
state in her husbands family, says
Asia Magazine.
The modern Japanese wedding GER
emory is thoroughly Shintoistic in
form. On a shrine in a large hall
stand the pine, bamboo and plum
symbols of long life, pliability and
purity-together with other emblems
OF good luck end offerings to ances-
tors. Before it the bride comes to meet
the bridegroom after the marriage has
been arranged by go-betweens in the
convention manner.