Christmas; its History and Customs. THROUGHOUT the centuries of the Christian era, without one exception, the word Christmas has been familiar to the mind of Christendom. True, much of the pageantry of a former age has passed away. Where are the innumerable festivals and saints' days that anon held sway in "merrie England ?" Where are the tourneys and masques of a bygone day? Where are many of the customs that we shall have occasion to refer to? They are gone-swept off by the besom of civilisation. Whether we are wholly gainers by the change we will not say. Still Christmas itself remains; still king Christmas lords it over the latter dark December days. The word has a meaning still; and we know by many unmistakeable signs that Christmas is nigh upon us. Go down any of our main streets and business thoroughfares, and ask what mean those gay windows filled with all the wealth of the costumier's art. You will be told that Christmas is coming. What are those other shops made gay with ? "Lawn as white as driven snow; What maids lack from head to heel." -Winter's Tale. What, too, makes so much extra bustle in the streets? What is it that is perplexing so many a railway porter and official? 'Tis the fact that the Christmas season is close upon, even at our heels; and as loyal subjects of the jovial king we must ransack the kingdom for Christmas presents and Christmas fare to do honour to the Christmas day. In this paper it is our intention to deal very briefly, and, we fear, very feebly, with the origin, history, customs, and superstitions of Christmas. ORIGIN. In what has Christmas its origin? Several answers may be given to this question. Lightfoot, Edersheim, with many others, regard Christmas as having thrown its cloak over the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles, and as having transformed that into a Christian festival; as Passover became Easter, and Whitsuntide takes the place of old Pentecost. A more popular idea of the origin of Christmas is that it has taken the festivities, mirth, and Bacchanalian revelry of the Roman Saturnalia under its wing, purged it of its excesses, and changed the presiding deity from Saturn to Christ. Freya, the Scandinavian goddess, who held her festivities in this yule-tide, has also the honour of the parties in the case North v. South. Dr. Smith, or the writer of the article on Christmas in the "Dictionary of Christian Antiquities," however, will have nothing to do with any of these ideas. finds the mother of our Christmas in the Roman Burmalia, or Natalis Invicta-the festival of the winter solstice of the sun king—and he He 444 CHRISTMAS; ITS HISTORY AND CUSTOMS. ascribes to the early Christians a perception of the analogy between the 66 new birth as it were" of the sun at the winter solstice, and the appearance of the "Sun of Righteousness" rising over a darkened world. The inscription on the reverse of the copper coins of Constantine, retained after his conversion, is called in to support this theory. Who is right it is difficult to say. Certain it is that the Latin nations did hold a festival in honour of the sun's arrival at the solstice; for we must bear in mind what an important part the sun plays in all the ancient mythologies. Certain, too, it is, that from some source, Northern or Southern, we have got Christmas. And such being the case, what does it commemorate to us? What grand cardinal point in the Christian faith is called to mind at its annual recurrence? What theme will be proclaimed from every pulpit in two or three weeks' time? What will fill the Christmas organ and yule-tide carol with especial force and meaning? The recollection of a manger in yon khan at Bethlehem; of a young mother and her babe there enstalled "Mid the oxen and the straw;" of the long journey of the Magi, star-led to that baby; of Herod's futile rage; of the shepherd's reception of the annunciation song; in a word, of Paradise Regained. So that from wherever it came, and whatever it was previously, this yule-tide feast is to us the festival of the birth of Christ. HISTORY. Ever since England has been a civilized country Christmas has been a popular institution. During the middle ages that popularity was at its height; the modes in which it was celebrated will be touched on in our next section. One fact here will show how firmly fixed in the English heart of old was the Christmas festival. Henry, hero of Agincourt, although he was encamped outside the walls of Rouen, and had the stern business of war before him, suspended hostilities, and sent his heralds out to proclaim how that the English king would keep open table that Christmas-day for all French soldiers who would accept his hospitality. King Christmas held sway steadily on, though Saxon, Norman, Plantagenet, and Tudor each filled the throne, and passed away; but when the Stuart Charles, England's scourge and worst enemy, sat on a throne that had hitherto been filled by true men, he and his brought things to such a pass that a Cromwell had to be sent, heaven-inspired, to root out the flagrant sin and iniquity that abounded. The hero did his work. It was no time for gloved carpet-knights, but for the unsheathed sword of the terrible all-conquering Ironsides. England had to be saved from eternal hell by fire. Cromwell was the saviour. No wonder is it to any one who has read the history of these times that all amusements, linked as they were to such infamy, and Christmas amusements among the rest, should be deemed Satan-born, and with the rest of his offspring to be put down with a strong arm. So it was. a newspaper of the time occurs this sentence: In "The House before they rose were presented with a terrible remonstrance against Christmas-day, grounded upon Divine Scripture, 2 Cor. v. 16, 1 Cor. xv. 14-17, &c., in which Christmas is called CHRISTMAS; ITS HISTORY AND CUSTOMS. 445 'anti-Christ's masse,' and those 'masse-mongers' and Papists who observe it. In consequence of which Parliament passed orders to the effect that Christmas be abolished, and resolved to sit upon the following day, commonly called Christmas-day." The hero, Cromwell, died; the knave, Charles II., was crowned; and Christmas came back, and has reigned ever since; and rightly, too, we think for undoubtedly the Puritans went too far, and we dare not perpetuate the onesidedness of those grand and resolute men. CUSTOMS. Just a few selections next from some of our old Christmas customs. The day has always been connected with the presentation and reception of gifts. Santa Claus presides over that branch of the business in many countries; and his wondrous escapades as he canters along in his reindeer-drawn sled over the slates, down the chimneys, and into the bedrooms of the young scions of the Teutonic race are known to all. A different plan is, or was, popular in North Germany. All the fathers in a village would combine for the purpose, commission one who, "in high buskins, white robe, a mask, and an enormous flaxen wig," represented "Kneet. Rupert." He received all the presents from the said parents, and then went round the village. His story would be that his master Jesus Christ has sent him with these gifts. He is received with great awe by the children, and with much pomp by the parents. The presents were presented, accompanied by a commendation or a reproof as the case might require. Many of the olden customs clustered round the table. The boar's head, brought in with much ceremony, was a staff dish in every Christmas entertainment. A time-honoured institution, too, was the wassail bowl. It was filled with spiced ale, or wines of delicious odour and taste, as the case might be. The president drank first to the health of his guests, and then passed the cup round, each guest drinking to the president in turn. Sometimes the cows and horses would come in for a toast. Another custom was to go out at night to the orchard, and there "wassail" the apple-trees, with a view to the cider of the next season. "Wassail the trees, that they may bear Incomplete, too, would Christmas be to the "men of merrie England" without the yule-log; the largest that could be obtained, and often kindled from the brand of last year's log. For twelve days in the courts and mansions of old England the festivities were kept up under the direction of a regularly appointed officer, "the Lord of Misrule;" and while his reign lasted he could constrain to any excesses, and start any game, nearly all of which were redolent of wine and punch. Before we pass on to consider some of the superstitions that cluster round Christmas, one quotation must be given; it is from the "Encyclopædia Brittanica":"Nearly two centurias ago, on the eve of Christmas-day, they carried miseltoe to the high altar of the cathedral (York), and proclaimed a public and universal liberty, freedom, and 446 CHRISTMAS; ITS HISTORY AND CUSTOMS. pardon to all sorts of inferior and even wicked persons at the gates of the city, towards the four quarters of heaven." SUPERSTITIONS. Now for a word or two on the subject of Christmas superstitions. England has always been somewhat superstitious, and that being the case, many superstitions would cluster round her great festivals-round none more than Christmas. Joseph of Arimathæa came to England after the burial of Christ, went to Glastonbury, rested there, struck his staff in the ground, and from it sprouted the famous Glastonbury thorn. One moment it was leaves, the next milk-white blossoms. The thorn blooms annually, on Christmas-day; and the peasants from miles round were in the habit of coming to view it. The papers record that the peasants waited for the blooming of the thorn on New Christmas-day in 1753; it disappointed them then; but true to the olden spirit, the faithful thorn blossomed on Old Christmas-day. So says the tale. Down in Devonshire, on Christmas-day, the story runs, that at twelve p.m., if you go round to the oxen stalls, you will see the cattle on their knees. The yule-log, of course, comes in for a great many superstitious ideas. Woe to the person who was unfortunate enough to squint; she, entering the room, cast an unlucky spell on the festive scenes. Again, it was held to be an unlucky sign if the log was allowed to quite burn out. A brand must be kept for the next year's yule fire. The carrying of it, too, preserves from spells. A story is told in Nottingham that near the village of Raleigh in a bygone day an earthquake engulphed a whole village. Every Christmas morning the villagers would assemble in hopes of hearing the buried church-bells ring. The favourite custom of decorating houses and churches with evergreens had a considerable impetus given it from the belief that such a decoration would mark the house, passover fashion, and preserve it from all Satanic influences. Herrick, referring to the idea that all evergreen rubbish left in churches after the decorations would invite the evil spirits, says: "For look! how many leaves there lie Christmas-eve bread would not submit to the usual action of the air; Christmas bathing was a preservative from fevers, etc.; and last, but no, not quite last, if you marry on Christmas-day, luck will attend your steps through life. We will close with Shakspeare's beautiful allusion to a popular superstition : "Some say that ever 'gainst that season comes W. J. B. Why does Sunday School Teaching succeed in Winning more Girls than Boys to to decide for Jesus Christ? WITH A VIEW OF CORRECTING ANYTHING THAT MAY BE WRONG IN OUR METHOD OF TEACHING.* BEFORE, during, and after Sunday-school work comes thinking, and amidst the thinking the above query not unfrequently arises, for the honoured rule "girls first" seems generally to obtain in the results of our work. During the last two years, three times as many girls as boys have joined our church, and the observation of most teachers necessitates the conclusion that Sunday-school work has less success amongst the latter than the former. Before proceeding to notice the dispositions, influences, and circumstances, which combine to effect a greater success amongst girls than boys, it will be wise, perhaps, for us to guard against an exaggerated view thereof. Bare numerical facts are not a full nor fair estimate of our success in our work. Success is other than that which appears. We do not see, we cannot tabulate, all we win. Church membership is neither the end of success, nor a complete indicator thereof. While I have never seen much force in the remark that "the issues of our work belong to God" still, as toiling we sow, we rejoice in the sure truth that many a sheaf shall be ingathered in after years, though maybe by other hands than ours. In the home beyond, there will be many a glad renuion between the teacher and those whom he had taught "long since, but lost awhile." They went from him unwon, but not unblest; of these, and their name is not few, the church roll is silent. A further qualification of this success causes us to consider those who have only recently ceased to be scholars. Boys leave school earlier than do girls. While the thoughtful girl has decided and avowed her decision, the thoughtful boy is still thinking about it. The truth here takes longer time to germinate than there; and, as a not unfrequent sequence, we observe youths or young men, no longer scholars but junior officers or teachers perhaps, joining the church. But when such deductions are made, it still remains a plain fact that there are more girls and maidens led to decision for Christ, than boys and youths, in our Sunday-schools. The reasons for this uneven success must lie either with the scholar, the teacher and the teaching, or the circumstances incident to the lives of boys and girls respectively. I. With regard to the scholar we first notice that girl nature is more impressible than boy nature. It is a matter of common observation that girls and women are more nervous than boys and men; but what is this greater nervousness? Simply, that the organs of feeling and emotion are highly strung, more sensitive to the touch. You are crossing the road with a lady on your A Paper read at a Conference of the Five Schools, Praed Street, Hall Park, Westbourne Park, Stephen Street, and Bosworth Road, January 8th, 1888. |