The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1943-12-23
Turning Over An
Old Leaf
By PHILLIP A. GLADHEIM

Valley of the Shadow;
There were faces unregarded, there
were faces to forget;
There were fires of grief and fear
that are a few forgotten ashes;
There were sparks of recognition that
are not forgotten vet"
Prof. Franz Cumont, a Belgian
scholar, is credited for discovering
the customs associated with the Sat
urnalia, the season spOnding to
our Christmas. According to these mar
natives, based on Prof. Cumont's trans
lations, the Roman soldiers celebrated
the Saturnalia year by year in the
following manner:
Thirty days before the festival they
chose by lot from amongst themselves
a young and handsome man, who was
then clothed in royal attire to resemble
Saturn. Thus arrayed and attended by
q multitude of soldiers, he went about
in public with full license to indulge
his passions and to taste of every
pleasure, however base and shameful.
But if his reign was merry, it was
short and ended tragically, for when
the thirty days were up and the festi-
val of Saturn had come, he cut his own
throat on the altar of the god whom
he unprecedented.
In the year 3O3 A. D., the lot fell
upon the Christian soldier Dasius, but
he refused to play the part of the
heather god and soil his last days by
debauchery The threats and argu-
ments Of his commanding officer, Bas-
sis, failed to shake his constancy, and,
accordingly, he was beheaded at Duros-
forum by the soldier John on Friday,
the Goth day of November.
There is ample evidence to support
the belief that the martyrdom of
Dasius was a dominant motive of the
church to arbitrarily set the birthday
Of our Lord at the same season as the
Saturnalia, in order to draw people
away from the licentious customs as
sociated with this heather feast
The heather origin of Christmas is
plainly limited at by Augustine when
he eYhorts his Christian brethren not
to celebrate the solemn day like the
heather on account of the sun, but
on account of Him who made the sun.
The Gospels say nothing as to the
day Of Christs birth, and accordingly
the early church did not celebrate it.
An early Syrian writer, a Christian
states: "The reason why the church
fathers transferred the celebration of
the sixth Of January to the 18th Of
December. was this: 1t was a custom
of the heather to celebrate on the same
twenty fifth of December the birthday
of the Sun (the time when the days
started to grow longer) at which they
kindled lights in token Of festivity. In
these solemnities and festivities the
Christians also took part. Accordingly
when the doctors Of the church per
ceived that the Christians had a lean
ing to the Saturnalia, they took coun-
sci and resolved that the true Nativity
should be solemnized on that day"
This date was set for the Western
Church by 374 A. D.
Before and since the above date
Christians have celebrated the Christ
mas season in both carnal and spin
itual manner, the outward customs
differing in various centuries and coun-
tries, but beneath the customs. the old
heather ways have been supported,
along with a true Christian celebra
ton Of Christmas.
At this present writing, Christmas,
particularly in our towns and cities,
we are more Of the aspect Of Satur-
MALTA than of the Nativity. Store
keepers. without pang Of conscience,
use recorded Christmas carols to call
attention, not to Christ, but to Santa
Claus.
Most of the preparation for Christ
mas celebration has to do with pack
ages and parties. For most people
Christmas means a quantity of things
rather than a quality of spirit. By
quality of spirit for the true Chris
titan, like st. Dasius,, Christmas means
the reflection of the imagery of the
Christ Child in the home. 1t means
the Midnight Vigil on the Eve of the
notwithstanding up to the stars,
and joining the angels in heavenly
carols. It means the midnight Com
munion-the only service in the whole
church year that has been held at that
hour. 1t means the family reunion
around the parental hearth. 1t means
the breaking of the fast and rejoicing
in the spirit that God sent His most
precious gift to mankind. 1t means
making calls on the sick, neglected,
and fatherless, distributing gifts and
Christmas cheer.
Unfortunately most people derive
very little of the real Christmas cele-
bration in spite Of their extensive
preparations. For most of their prep
arations have to do with the material
things--the buying and receiving Of
material gifts. Along with this, they
fill their calendar at the holiday sea-
son with parties, dinners and shows.
Such a celebration of Christmas is a
modern counterpart Of the old Roman
Saturnalia. 1t would be well if more
Christians would follow the example
of St. Dasius and refuse to take part
in such customs, but rather center all
ones preparations in the church and
home and therein make much OF
Jesus Christ.
One Of the happiest Of all Christ
mas seasons in our family was that
of 1885. That year we lived during the
winter months in a log cabin in the
/ Youghiogheny Forest Colony. This
cabin was surrounded by a forest of
virgin hemlock. There was a deep
snow and the hemlock branches were
weighted down. These tall, symmetri-
cal hemlocks were transformed into a
forest of Christmas trees weighted
down with countless jewels Of crystal
snow that reflected myriads of
sparkles both by sunlight and moon
light. The days around Christmas
were so crispily silent that not even a
particle of snow blew nor melt off the
branches. Late on the Night of the
Nativity I remember walking away
from the cabin and forest on a path
between snow-wrapped rhododendron
in nrder 10 look LID al the stars. While