Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-12-23
CHRISTMAS CUSTOMS DATE
BACK MAINLY CENTURIES
SOME TO 1000 YEARS B. C.

-vITH more than 600,O0O,o 900
\x/ throughout the world observing
wv Yuletide, the ceremonies, alike
in most of their fundamental
religious aspects, will differ materially IN
various countries as to details. Two tnou-
sand years before Christ fuletloe Was
celebrated by the Aryans, the great
branch of the human family from which
most of the Christian races are descend
Cd The Aryans were sun Worshlpers'
Day by day, as the suns power decreaseu,
these primitive people feared ne Woulu
be overwhelmed by darkness and remain
forever in the underworld. Wheh ne
apparently wheeled about ana grew
STRONGER they felt he had been porn
apain The Hweolor-tid, or turning time,
therefore. was a period of rejoicing at
the annual rebirth of the sun. The origin
of MANY Yuletide customs may be founu
in the myths and legends of our lndo-
European ancestors.
Bladder. the sun god, was slain when
the Jealous fire god, Lokl, had MN
pierced through INC through with a sprlg
Of mistletoe, the only missile that could
harm him. Gifts from the gods ana
~goddesses were laid on Balder's pier, ana
he sent back gifts from the realm OF
darkness 1t probably is from the Ro-
man Saturnalia, however, that tn ecus-
tom of exchanging presents and much OF
the spirit of revelry is derived. Mistletoe,
h ''heal-all' of the Druids, was held
in peculiar reverence. 1t was cut by the
chief priest with a golden sickle, used
for no other purpose.
Since the fact of Christs birth was
not recorded and there was no certainty
as to date. the early Christian fathers
wisely ascrfbed 1t to Yuletide, and the
birthday of the sun became that OF the
Son. The birth of Christ was celebrated
on dates varying from the first to the
sixth of January. on dates OF sue lestl-
walls as the Jewish passover, or the feast
Of the t~abernacles. But December 20 was
ever a favorite date. Pope Julius, 331-
$50 A. D., after careful investigation,
considered it settled beyond doubt that
Christ was born on December 20.
Emblem of Hope
The holly, laurel, mistletoe Of the
Druids still serve as decorations OF the
season. standing as emblems Of resurrec-
ton and immortal hope. New Years day
as a feast day is one Of the oldest, being
mentioned by Tacitus in the first CEN
tury. but it is first referred to as a Chris
tan festival about SGT. The Romans
dedicated the day TO the god Janus, for
whom January was named. Numa or
dained it as a day OF good Fellowship,
when grudges were to be forgotten ana
GdCrlllCeS Oh CAKE anu WliiC illdOt W SAS
two-faced god who looked forward
backward.
Few countries have entered more heart
ily into Yuletide observance than Eng
land. To the customs of the Druids
were added many of the Romans and
Sayons. The Yule log, carols, the boars
head, mummers and the mystery plays,
and the famous beverage of lambs
WOOL made by b~ruising roasted apples
and mixing the Juice with ale or milk,
all played a part in the observance.
here is some uncertainty as to the
date of the first Christmas cards, but
general opinion is that the initiative be-
longs to j. c. Horsley, r. A., who in
1886, on behalf of Sir Henry Cole, dis
patched a card described as IAN elab-
crate affair, showing two categorical de-
signs of clothing the naked and feeding
the hungry, with a family group Of three
generations. q~uaffing wine"
In feudal times in England, Yuletide
observance was on a magnificent scale,
several thousand retainers sometimes be-
ing Toasted in the baronial hall. In 1248
King Henry III held a feast for the poor
which lasted a week. Richard II held
Christmas at Litchheld and 1000 oxen
and 200 tuns Of wine were consumed.
Tenants Present Gifts
The lords received gifts from their
tenants at Yuletide and sovereigns re-
ceived presents from their nables. Queen
Elizabeth replenished her wardrobe in
this way and if quantity and quality
didn't satisfy, the donors were informed
of the fact. In 1861 she received a pres
ent of a pair of black silk stockings knit
by one Of her maids, and never afterward
would she wear those made of cotton"
From the first the Puritans of England
opposed the observance of Christmas, n
on December %, 1862, parliament decreed
that there should be no observance of