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Show ill CHRISTMAS AND MISTLETOE I' Nature Worship Reflected In Use of Mistletoe at Christmas Time. f A groat many years ago, boforo tho I Ume of Christianity, tho oak tree, and i -, especially tho mistletoe, growing out f of tho heart of tho oak, were revor- i onced for their auppoaed affinity with tlio sun. Tho Druids worshiped tho sun as tho ono suprotno god, and bo-Moved bo-Moved tho oak to be In eomo way as - soclatod with the sun becauso they , ! mado tiro by rubbing oak sticks to- gother, tho oak bolng at onco the most '' oommon troe nnd tho most aultablo for tho purpose. Twice each yoar tbeso Coltlc prlosts gavo a religious festival In honor of tho sun. tholr f jj places of worship being In tho oak ': 1 groves. In Juno, whon tho sun vns II known to hnvo ceased mounting high- or In tho heavens, tho Druids i?ave tlinnkB, bocnuso a nearer approach of 1 tlio sun was thought to bo noalb'o. y and this, of course, would ropuU In tho . i i burning up of tho earth, in n com- j j bor, at the tlmo of tho ulion-M dtivs. j I tho Druids prrpnrod n colibritlon In honor of the Bun's turning Inclc from ! ' his downward Journey, which was rec- j ognlzod na tho days began to grow longrr TIiIb second colobrntlon was i ' mlto naturally tho happiest time, tho -n-n. pcoplo holding tlio -mi In bucIi fonr " - In Juno. It was then tho mlstlotoo j Wis honorod as bolng tho vcrv essonco L of tho oalc f Whon eventually tho church was cs tabllshed and Its followers turned tho J onelpnt Dfponiber cflobratlon Into I Obrlptnias, tlio nitatlntoo wns hung up I by way of compromise, although It bad f 6 nothing to do with tho now rollglon. And so ovon today, In our use of over- i grcon and holly, and eke tho occasion- I nl sprig of mlstlotoo, wo reflect tho j i nature worship which gavo us, perhaps, per-haps, not only tho foundation of our I (Wtrlstmas, but for our lovo of uaturo j' mi well. |