Putnam patriot., 1929-12-26
CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY
 IN HOLIDAY SPIRIT
The Origin of Christmas as a
 Holiday in America.

When Charles II died his son James came to the throne determined to con tinue his fathers policy. Opposition to the crown arose in England as well as America. and finally the English nation called upon William q Orange to take the throne. William permitted the colonies to resume their Charters. Massachusetts deposed Edmund An dros, the governor of the Dominion of New England, and shortly sent him back to England.
 The point to be made here is that 1t was he who fathered the establish ment of Kings Chapel, the iirst venture of the Church of England in- to Puritan country; and was not look ed upon sympathetically by the Fur itan inhabitants. For, Kings Chapel observed Christmas as a holiday in holiday spirit. but the early settlers had reacted against the revelry which accompanied Christmas in England. One of them had declared that It should be rather a day of mourning than rejoicing" But the Christmas service and Christmas music gradual ly won itself a place in Boston and Massachusetts.
 Christmas in Connecticut
 Cheshire. Connecticut was said to be the first to bring from old England the time honored customs. The festi- val of Christmas was celebrated in great pomp--a ceremony that called for the Yule Log and carols and the wassail in the light of the fire of the new Yu,e Log lighted by a brand from the log of the year before. Was sail 4 song sang to ones health while a liquor composed of wine or ale, sugar. roasted apples and spices is held aloft to sparkle in the light of the great Yule Log. The crowd loud in it's merriment was outdone by the jester as he eapered in the fire light. Carolers sang Ut the door and were bidden to the feast. Long since the Boar's head and the plum pudding have been carried to the long tables, and kings, pages and shepherds have feasted. Bay, holly and mistletoe, were everywhere and many red candles lighted the table and room. Over the great fireplace candles in silver holders were set before the Vlr- gin and Child. Candles were at the windows and doors in readiness for the feast and merry making.
 At time when such things were drowned upon and even forbidden in Massachusetts by law the people of the land of steady habits procured the finest and largest boar's head to be found-decorated it with garlands bays and rosemary-to be borne aloft into the hall by two servants tslaves) while was sung
 ' hear fhe boar's head
 Rendering praises to the Lord.
 Partaken of st Feast
 Whether this event had it's source in the ancient belief that Satan, the wild boar of the wood and the waster of the vineyard of the Lord, was de- feated by the coming of the newborn King and therefore the boar's head should be carried in triumph on Christmas eve, is net known. The boar's head being carved at the mas ter's table and then sent round to the other tables and partaken of by the aHeuHar 2.
 This ceremony serves as one very interesting example of the closeness with which the pagan and Christian elements are mixed in the forms of Christmas celebration. It is too late now to take sides in the matter and determine the real souee of these tra- ditions, for legends are so numerous and so finely woven into the fabric of fact that We can only listen, watch, enjoy and admire the old customs. They all do their part in making us regard Christmas as the best time of the year, because t makes US reach back into the past as well as because of all that Bethlehem has meant to man.