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

~ unHCt tkhc SUM- 0Ou1c Qay we may
have q truly American way of cele-
brating the Christmas holidays, but that day
is not yet. We borrowed the Christmas tree
from the Germans; holly and mistletoe from
the old Druids: feasting from the English, and
Santa Claus and gift-giving from jolly st.
Nicholas, who is the patron saint of Russia.
In the early days Of Christianity the pagan
celebration of the Winter solstice conceded
with Christs birthday. Gradually the pagans
embraced Christianity, but many Of their old
methods OF celebrating the season remained and
were incorporated in the Christmas festivities.
The celebration Of the Winter solstice was a
feast of thanksgiving for the suns ascent toward
the zenith. As Sol rose higher in the heavens
the sun worShiperS knew that the dark DAYS
of Winter would vanish and Spring would come
again with new light and heat and life
A this time the prince of the Druids took
his golden sickle and cut the mistletoe
from the oaks. In the northern countries great
logs were burned to the glory of Odin and Thor.
Often cattle and men were sacrificed on these
logs to appease the wrath of Winter. The
GothS and Saxons called their midwinter feast
Yule" and to this day many people in "bonny
Scotland" still say Yuletide instead of Christ
mas. The ancient Germans celebrated the suns
ascent by decorating large tree of the forest
with bright berries or anything bright and
shining
AT the same season of the year the Greeks
gods" which was called Epiphany. These rites
were held in the dead of night The Druids
used to arouse the men from sleep on cold
Winter nights with loud music This music
waketh" them so they would leave their warm
beds and perform the spectral ceremonies Of
the season. This music or ''waketh," has since
become known as waits" through the simple
slurring of the word by past generations. From
the waits" evolved the Christmas carols
The twelfth night was the grand climax
Of a l2-OaV celebration nv he
thanksgiving for the promise Of another Spring.
This was a season Of riotous games and merri-
ment and it lasted through six days of the old
year and six days of the new.
The Romans decorated their dwellings with
evergreens. These, branches were plucked from
the trees through kindness and brought into the
warm house to protect them from the cold
The pagan custom Of celebrating the Winter
solstice was at its height when the church recog.
nized Christmas as q feast day about 400 A D.
It is easy. then, 10 see how Christmas festivities
became interviewer with pagan customs.
HISTORY is rich with legends of the holy
night. The sacred significance and the
mystery Of the birth Of the Christ Child fired
the hearts and imaginations of all people
One OF the oldest legends tells us that the
cattle knelt down with the shepherds and wor.
shiDei the newborn king that long-ago night
IN Bethlehem. The little brown bees were 81
corner cf the manger. Only the goose remem-
beTed its manners and went out to meet the
three: wise men, who had been shown their way
By the "star Of the east"
N q foreign country called Bosnia the peouIe
claaTr the sum leaped into the heavens and the
s ars danced around it, This Is their way of
accounting for the strange light all about at
the birth Of Christ. They further say that the
wines In the forest were Stiled, and dead trees
budded and grew green ON the hillsides The
birds burst into songs of praise in the forests
Dry grasses grew and blcssoEned and the earth
was fragrant with an incense as sweet as myrrh
All the earth gave thanks and sang to the glory
Of the great God.
An England it is said that the Glastonbury
thorn blossoms only on Christmas day In
Switzerland to this day, the people believe that
the cattle talk and kneel on Christmas eve And
death shall surely and quickly come to any one
who listens to them.
The little children of Provence still hone
that they will some day see the weary came,s
of the magi. If they search for them on Christ
mas day with gifts Of sweet hay and carrots.
These small pilgrims never lose faith for they
say no one knows which road the King will
take, and perhaps next year they may see the
King or at least feed the camels Of the magi
Little is known about the true st. Nicholas
But he really lived in the early days of Chris
tIanity. He was a Bishop of Myra in Lycia
Myra is the Mediterranean coast northeast
OF the Island Of Crete. Nicholas was perse-
cuted and brutaIly tortured by Diocletian, who
hated all Christians. After suffering untold
agonies for many years In foul prison he was
released by Constantine, who was a friend of
the Christians. Nicholas was supposed to have
been present at the council of Nicea
He is listed among the sainted martyrs of
the ninth century, and two centuries later many
churches were dedicated to him. Nearly 400
English churches bear his name. He is the
patron saint OF Russia and because of him