Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-22

yule log was tremendously lighted from the
glowing embers kept alive from the Goals of the
preceding log. This was to bless the family
for the coming year. Long before breakfast
the children were up peeping into their stock:
tngs, which had been hung by the chimney
with care to get the presents st. Nicholas had
left for them. An the neighbors servants and
tenants were invited to breakfast in the great
hall This was no light repast. EvergreenS
ana mistletoe gayly feStooned the walls. WaIlS
were sung. The singers treaded the snow from
door to door. singing as they went. 1t seems
there was always snow at Christmas time IN
England.
The yule feast of the sixteenth century knew
no bounds. But it is certain that meats Of
every variety graced the long, cracking tables
on that day. There was beef and mutton, pork;
roast young pig, veal, goose, bullock capons,
turkeys and ducks. Besides the meats there
was an abundance of fruits vegetables, nuts
and pickles. And they the Britons) were "alI
wet" for history tells us, ale, beer, barley and
wines were rolled to the tables in huge kegs.
The boar's head was brought in with great
ceremony. This part of the feast was in menu
DRY OF an Oxford student who was attacked by
vicious wild boar one long past Christmas
day. The students only weapon was a copy
of Aristotle He hurled the book at the beast
and 1t lodged in his open mouth, choking it
to death. The student then cut off the boax's
head and carried it home to feast upon
Mince pie, which was made of rare spices
gifts of the magi, and the mutton in it SYM
bolized the sheep over which "the shepherds
watched by night" at the time of Christ's birth:
Mince pie was called Christmas pie and must
never be eaten before December 16.
The PurianS hated all these dissertations of
the Lords birthday, and IN 1913 the Roundhead
Parliament abolished Christmas as feast day.
They even forbade the eating of the famous
mince pie. For IL years there was no feasting
IN England, but the old customs returned with
the Restoration However he
was transplanted to the American colonies in
the New England States. In 1853 we find that
the General Court of Massachusetts passed a
law saying, Anybody who is found Observing
by abstinence from labor, feasting or any
other way, any such day as Christmas shall
pay for such offense with S shillings" This
law was repealed In 1884, but the old Puritan
sentiment against truly Joyous celebration Of
Christmas remained in New England until the
beginning of the twentieth century
IT WAS a custom Of the early American set.
tiers to fire their fintlocks promptly on the
stroke of IL on the night before Christmas.
This Christmas eve ceremony was usually per-
formed by the master of the house and it was
signal for all merrymaking and riotous parties
to cease The Southerners deemed this the
hottest moment Of the holy night and must be
respected. This custom of firing the gun on
the stroke of IL is still practiced by the noun,
taineers of the Southern Appalachians
Another custom which grew from the gift
giving on st. Nicholas day was the Christmas
gift" game originated by the slaves of the old.
South. The slaves. instead Of saying MERRY
Christmas" (Which, by the way, is an old Eng
fish salutation Of the day., would call, Christ
mas gift, missus," or master" as the case might
be- Then the "misSus" must give the slave a
present. BY and by this term began to be used
by the white folks and then the fun began:
When two or more people met they greeted
each other by saying, Christmas gift" The first
person to say these words must be presented
with gift by the other. Many clever schemes
were devised to get each others Christmas
gift and many were the small gifts stored
away to pay the forfeits should one be caughh
unawareS. This hilarious and interesting olR
custom has almost vanished just as many OtheP
Colonial customs have gone
But We still have st. Nicholas although we
call him Santa Claus He drives his reindeer
from the cold North country, which according,
to the legend used to be Russia but is now the.
North Pole. How Santa must love the UniteM
States. for his feats are more remarkable here
than In any other country. He not only comes
down the chimney with his pack on his haese
and fills the stockings to overlooking. but he;
trims and hangs presents on the Christmas
tree besides. He is truly a magnanimous old
saint.
We also have evergreens mistletoe red berries.
general gift-giving. feaSting and merriment at:
Christmas time. While In our churches we sing
carols and on January we sim hold the fes-
tivaI OF the Epiphany or twelfth night, but to-.
gay this feast commentaries the visit of the
magi to Bethlehem a
So We see the various American customs are
either borrowed or adapted. We have taken
tnoSe Oh other countries, tranSplanted them into