The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-12-25
SCHOOL CHRISTMAS 49, The
= History Of the Day We
ri n IN Are Celebrating.


ROM the early centuries Of
III Christianity, the anniversary
- OF the birth of Christ has
been celebrated by a special church
festival. In early England this fes-
tival was called Christes messe,
meaning "Christ's mass" whence we
get our word Christmas" At first
the date of the celebration varied in
different places, some churches OBJ
serving 1t in December, others in
January, April, or May, because of
the absence of historical record as
to the exact date Of Christ's birth.
Jan. 6 was the usual date observed
in the eastern church, as it still con-
tinues to be IN the Armenian church.
The celebration of Dec. 20 spread to
most parts of the Christian world
in the fourth and fifth centuries,
but differences in the calendar still
cause differences In the time of the
celebration.
One of the causes that worked to
establish the new festival on Dec.
25 was probably the fact that this
day marked the beginning of the
great winter solstice festival Of the
pagan Gauls, Germans and Britons.
AS in other instances where pagan
festivals were replaced by Christian,
many of the old preC hristian Gus
toms and symbols were taken over.
The yule log, holly, mistletoe and
wassail bowl are all relics of pagan
observances.
Greatest Fete
During the Middle Ages, Christ
mas became the greatest of popu-
lar fetes. Churches were adorned
with rustic decorations and quaint
little plays were gliven portraying
events connected with the birth OF
Christ and his early years. Even to-
day such nativity plays are still per-
formed every Christmas in some
of the old cities of Spain. Some of
the Christmas carols sung In our
churches and at our community
Christmas tree celebrations have
come down from these early plays.
Nowhere was the Christmas fesu-
val celebrated with more pomp and
merriment than in England. In
Shakespeare's time the festivities
lasted until Twelfth Day or Epiph-
any, twelve days after Christmas
day. Work was given over and all,
high and low, old and young, gave
themselves over to feasting and
merrymaking. The Puritans, how
ever, regarded Christmas observance
as a relic of Catholicism, and in
1914 Parliament went so far as to
prohibit any festivities and ordered
the day to be kept as fast. Purt-
tans of New England also passed
laws forbidding the observance of
Christmas. After the Restoration,
the old observances came back,
somewhat subdued. The jovial old
Dutch settlers of New York, how
ever, brought with them across the
ocean the joyous observances of the
fatherland. We of the New World
owe our Santa Claus to them, for
this jolly old saint is none other
JIleLIl 81. 1NlCllOleS VI OcbIl
the patron saint of children-as
pronounced in Dutch.
ChiIdren's Holiday
Today the observance of Christmas
is well-nigh universal through the
Christian world. Everywhere it is
above all the children's holiday. In
England and America the little folks
hang up their stockings in row be-
fore the fireplace, and Santa Claus,
we are told, rushing down from the
north in a sled drawn by reindeer,
scrambles down the chimseys and
fills them from the great pack on
his back.
In some of the Baltic lands the
gifts are supposed to be brought by
the Christ child Kris Kringle) him
self. In France the children place
wooden shoes on the hearth to re-
ceive the presents which "Bon-
homme Noel Gather Christmas)
brings. Norwegian children have a
lot Of fun hunting their new toys
which have been tucked away in un-
expected places. In Italy presents
are drawn from the urn of Fate"
a custom which originated in the
Urn of Fate of the ancient Romans