The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1935-12-12

ECEMBEk brings us one OF Cne
two greatest of Christian hol-
~ idays-ChristmaS. In every
Christian nation on the globe the peo-
pie will soon be observing the sacred
and joyous festival which commence
rates the birth of Jesus In the United
States the celebration seems to become
more general each year. Again this
year church observances and the sing
ing of carols will be heard every
where, while the true Christian spirit
will be observed among friends by the
exchange of Christmas greetings in
the form of gifts or other messages.
Perhaps the most celebrated Christ
mas in the United States was that of
the year 1776 in Revolutionary days
which is always associated with the
surprise advance of Washington and
his patriots on the town of Trenton,
and the surprise and defeat of the
Hessian troops under Colonel Rail.
This is considered one Of the master
strokes of military maneuver.
NIX
But to return to the ancient signif-
canoe of the holiday: although Christ
mas was originally known among
church people as "Christes Masse," it
is a well known fact that the cele-
bration of Christmas goes back of the
Christian era. 1t was commenced il
ancient times, before the dawn of re-
corded history, when a festival was
held in the observance Of the winter
solstice which occurs about December
%. 1t is on this occasion that the solar
day has reached its shortest point of
duration and that the days instead Of
growing shorter, begin slowly to
lengthen again.
In these ancient times the people
were profoundly interested in the sun
and its movements which furnished
them with many occasions for festi-
walls.
Celebrations for the winter solstice
were held among the ancient Egyp-
tians, the Greeks, the Romans, the
Celtic and Teutonic nations.
In Rome the December celebration
was held in honor of the Roman god
Saturn, and was called the Saturna-
liza. Schools were dismissed, workmen
went on a holidays, there was an eX
oh of oh
tion. There was a great deal of IL
cense and disorder, which condition
gave US our modern word Of "satur-
MALTA" Small wonder then that the
stern Christian fathers fr0Wned down
on this sort of festival and deter
mined to change heather "riot" into
a decorous Christian festival. Many
early pagan festivals were converted
into Christian services for the same
reason.
But to go back to the ancients. The
old Teutons celebrated pagan festivals
and Saxons, one of the most aggres-
sive of the tribes, called the celebra-
ton "Jul,' or as it afterward came to
be called the "Yule." Great fires were
kindled in honor Of the Teuton god
Thor, whence came the modern GUS
tom, still prevailing in England, of
lighting the Yule leg.
Ancient Germany called it the fes
tival Of the Twelve Nights, and i'll
lasted from late in December until
about the sixth of January. The period
was observed with many feasts and the
very early Germans regarded it as a
very holy festival,
From these ancient festivals came
the Christian observance Of Christmas.
The real date Of the birth Of Christ was
unknown. The western churches in the
earlier Christian era observed Deem
Der % and the Eastern church January
g. Gradually December Is came to be
observed generally as Christmas. Some
authorities claim that December Is
was officially designated as Christmas
by Julius l, who was Pope from 337 to
352 A. D.
There has always been SEINE differ
ence in the customs surrounding the
celebration in the various countries. In
England, for example, as in Germany,
in the Middle Ages, the Christmas fes-
tival lasted two weeks. There was mu-
sic, games, dramatic performances and
the great Yule log in the Castle. Great
feasts were held at which the boar's
head was a feature, along with the
wassail bowl. But Cromwell and the
Puritans frowned on what they termed
these "heatheuish" celebrations. They
enacted laws in Parliament prohibiting
merry celebrations Of Christmas. These
laws were Of course repealed or re-
pudiated in the reign of the later kings,
and this brings US down to the modern
times when there are both solemnity
and merry-making in England as the
Christmas season occurs. The develop
ment cf Christnes in other Teutonic
nations followed the same general line.