Show ROMANS WERE FIRST TO GIVE PRESENTS From the first the Western or Roman church commemorated tho the birth of Christ during the last week of each euch December Tho rho Eastern or Greek I church for a while had no fixed dato date I Ifor for this observance an e but Popo Julius L T. I convoked a body of the most I learned men of both great reat churches an and the they declared December 25 5 to bethe be bethe I Ithe the natal nata day dav of ot the Savior It was the clay day of tho the Jewish Pc Feast t of Lights nn and it now by slow degrees combined combined- all the most striking customs of tho the different different different dif dif- ferent races in their welcome to the turning sun Common to all nIl were the Christmas candles bonfires an and torches now sym sm symbolizing symbolizing tho l light ht of ot the world From rom the tho camo came tho great reat Yule lo logs s. s From the tho Druids came tho sprays of pine pino and evergreen the mistletoe and the holy holly while tho the hugo huge sirloin of beef wl which ch was once a part of Eng Eng- I lands landa Christmas merrymaking re alts tho sacrifice of bus bulls From Prom the tho no Romans mans came the joyous salutation on Merry Christmas 10 lo Saturnalia tho the exchange e of J gifts the feasting and tho the Christ Christmas ns carols |