Putnam patriot., 1929-12-12
FIRST HOWELL AND
 THE CHRISTMAS TREE


 ried 1t home. When she emptied the cones upon the table, everyone was of silver. In the northern countries the fir is considered the king of the for est and the home of the wood genius or God of the Woods
 lWocden from which comes our Wednesday, from Wooden 'sday.
 Twelve Days We have twelve days for Christmas, or Xmas" The \ of Xmas arose, not out of any saerilegious feeling. we think. but is simply the Greek letter X or Chi, the initial letter of Christ's name. Although we speak of the Christmas holidays and think of the days between Christmas Day and January first. January 9th is called the Twelfth Day because it is the twelfth in number from Christmas. lt is also known as Epiphany (from the Greek word slgnifying appearance or manifestations,) because on this | day Christ was made manifest to the Gentiles," that is, to the Three Magi, ! or Wise Men of the East. who came, led by a star. to worship him immedia tely after his birth. The early Chris tians celebrated the Feast of the Ma [ tivity for twelve days, observing the E ! first and last with great solemnity. I and both these days were called l Epiphany, the first. the Greater Epi- I | phany and the second the Lesser [ 1 Epiphany By the year si3 Epi- phany tan. e was observed as a separate feast, quite distinct from the Feast of the Nativity. In certain parts of Ireland and Scotland the name "0ld I | Christmas" was given to January 9th. and New Christmas" to Decem- Der 25th.
 "The customs of this day. various in different countries, yet agree in the same end-that is, to do honor to the Magi who are supposed Co have been of royal gnity." In the Middle Ages, the worship by the Magi was cele- brated in the church by little drama, called "The Feast of the Star" Three i priests. clothed as kings. with their servants carrying offerings, met from different directions before the altar. As the procession approached, two priests standing by the altar drew aside a curtain and disclosed a child asleep. The Magi knelt in prayer while their servants gave the priests gold, frankincense and myrrh which they had brought According to we'll known legends as the Magi. Melchior. an old man, offered gold, in testimony of Christ's royalty as promised King of the Jews; Jasper, youth, offered frankineense. in token of Christ's div iuity; and Balthasar, a black or Moor. offered Myrrh. in allusion Co the sor- rows which were to come upon Christ.
 Feast of Kings
 The day WAS alsc called the Feast of Kings. and in some countries the monafehs either personally or through their ehamberlains were supposed Co offer gold, frankineense and myrrh on the altar in honor of the Magi. or the Three Kings. This practice con- tinued in England till some time dur ing the reign of George III.
 In celebrating Twelfth Day as q popular festival. the same idea of honoring the Three Kings is still kept in view. An old and very popular Christian custom. found in several countries, was called the "Election of Kings of Beans" and was probably suggested by pagan customs of similar nature. At the end of the Saturnalia the Roman children drew lots with beans to see who would be king" and among both Greeks and Romans persons of the same rank drew lots for kingdoms. and like kings, exer- cised their temporary authority In Engand there was the "twefth-cake," in which bean was baked. The fam ily and friends being assembled, the cake was divided. and whoever get the piece containing the bean was accepted as king for the day and called the King of Bean The importance of this ceremony in France, where the mock sovereign was named Le Roi de la Feve is indicated by the proverbial phrase for good luck: "Il trouve la feve au gateau" the has found the bean in the cake) In German schools and universities the students chose one of their number as king and provided a magnificent banquet on the occasion.
 In England there was usually a queen and king on Twelfth Night The twelfth-eake might contain a pea as well as a bean, and whoever found the pea was to be queen. In Herrick's "Hesperides" is poem called "TweIfe Night or King ard Queene. which begins
 Now now the mirth comes.
 With cake full of plums,
 Where Beane's the King of the
 sport here;
 Beside We must know,
 The Pea also
 1 Must revel as Queene, in the Court here.
 Ben Jonson's masque of Christmas, which was performed on Twelfth Night. contains the character of Baby Cake. attended by Gan Usher bearing great Cake with a bean and a pease."
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 STEPPING ON TT