The Wrangell sentinel., 1930-12-25
Christmas Customs Which
 Come From Many Lands

happened because he would not In terrupt himself and court in their tWe.re days celebration of the sea- son evel with the enemy horde at the gateA. the Danish king Edward, {, and Edward the Confesson and his son Harold. whose coronation toof place together with the conservation of Westminster Abbey in 1066.
 The next Christmas day saw Will liam the Conqueror crowned there, but it was in the days of the fif- teenth and sixteenth centuries when ''Merrie Englands" Christmas eele- brations rose to thein Anglo-Saxon rites and customs. It was then that | baronial castle and manor house rang with the merriment of the sea son, and every village inn kept hos pitable cheer. The Yule log roared and the wassail bowl was every where The ale went round and the sugar-and-cinnamon-sweetened water toast hailed friend to friend. Old Father Christmas rode his goat through the streets of the city and the lanes of the villages, and as he rested at the hearth from house to house, his kind-hearted sons looked in upon the poor.
 Everybody kept holiday then but | the cooks The turnspits watched great haunches of Christmas nut ton and ''sirlyons' of beef brown and sizzle above the open fires, ca pons and geese turned merrily round upon the spits. and the bal lads of the day sing of the plumb porridge." the plump puddings. !" 1 and the minced pies" The GUS tomary pewter pots for wine and beer were spurned as beneath the dignity of the occasion, and there was singing of the serving of the salmon. the wild boar, venison, hogs heads of honey, kilderkins of mus tard, bacon, swine. piggins, teal and mallard. pancakes, apple pies and cusmrds, "ciders of our own" and Gascon wine.
 Mock ceremonial, quaint humors, and the spirit of fellowship marked the celebrations of these times. From the days of the early Norman conquest to those of the Common wealth in England down through | the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI Bloody" Queen Mary and Good Queen Bess, into those of James I, | Charles I, and into the days of the Puritans, there is record that the Christmas revels made their way and the customs persisted through the centuries. The Puritans, how ever. would have none of the mon sense" and in New England in 1921 Governor Bradford rebuked a bevy of young men lately arrived from England, when they objected to working on Christmas Day and in- sisted upon giving it at least to games and sports while he looked on and drowned.
 Virginians Observe Day
 It was by way of the Virginias that Christmas observance came to America. and in England the res tomtior of the royal family to the throne restored the rites of Christ mae there It was not until 1859, however, that the law against it's celebration was repealed.
 Northern Germany holds the be- lief that Mary and the Christ child passed through the lanes and streets on Christmas Eve, and in Austria arises our adopted custom of plac- ing candles in the windows Christ mas Eve-that the Christ child passing by in darkened ways might not stumble
 The Christmas card originated in England in 1S40 as a successor to the Christmas piece" roll of ornamental paper bearing greetings from apprentice engravers to their friends. One Thomas Shamrock is credited with the originating of the first Christmas card, but tn first one of which a copy exists was by Sir Henry Cole, and 1000 impress sions of it were Autographed and hand-colored for sale in London. It was not until 1881, however, that the card was revived and reprinted in color process for general use and from that time the popularity of the card rose rapidly.