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Show Origin of Quaint Traditions I of thc Yulcride ! w -JliK holiday season recnlls BH I quulnt Ideas nnd Christmas Rl fancies of old. even bnck rC"1 Alii t0 ,,, nnc,c,,t ,,a'' f tho bde Druids a time when tho (ijfg mlstletoo sprig, as n po-SraS( po-SraS( u,,t nitiscnt, was presented 'sffiy ns nn omen of gond fortune, for-tune, as a symbol of health, wealth and prosperity, and In those dnjs long ago the house that ported a branch of mlstletoo nt IhiiMinns would never he unlucky. It Is from the Druids that the custom cus-tom of decorating our ihurche.s and homes with evergreens comes, for they believed that all tho s.Mvnn sprites Hocked together on these boughs, there to remain until the warm weath. t cmc. in L'UdwIiitiT the Druids """ "" ' I i,.K. toe to remind the people to decorate their dwellings with evergreens. In order to propitiate tho sylvnn sprites nnd secure protection from frosts nnd wintry blnsts. Holly berries long have been considered ns giving wonderful (tower when worn In the shnpo of a wreath, which must be made and worn In Imitation of a sucred crown of thorns nod of berries, and the wearer of this crown must go nlono at midnight mid-night on Christmas nnd sit In the dark, nnd, In accordance with that undent tradition, when worn on Christmas eve (he holly wreath will evoke visions of spirit forms coming In the nlr to sing their Noel songs, nnd nil the bensts will be seen to kneel down In worship. The Yule cake nnd Yulo log. too, have their Important part In tills undent un-dent Saxon tradition for the Christ-mas Christ-mas festival season. Tho cuke had tho wtinc powers as tliu bride cake has on Christmas night. Tho Yulo log was used to light the Christmas fire the next year because It preserved tho house from lire during tho year nnd subdued the spirit of the llames. Its powers were bestowed In tho days of the Druids, when tho belting fires were lighted nnd the brands secured from the fire to light the fire tho next year. The ancient Saxons burned tho Yulo log us n symbol of thc turning of tho sun toward spring. Kven the moon contributed Its ahuro to Christmas superstitions, for. as the legend runs. If Christmas comes during thu waning of the moon wo ahnll have a very good year, and Dm nearer to thc full moon thu better. Holland, perhaps, hns the prettiest custom of all nations for -the Christmas Christ-mas festival. On the night before Christians in commemoration of tho star of the enst, the young men of their towns assemble and carry through the dark streets n large, bright stnr: all the people go out to greet and give to the bearers of this "stnr of Hulhlcheiu," as It Is called, alms for tho poor. Seven days before their New Year, the Chinese worship the Kitchen Coil by preparing dishes of candy nnd vini ous sweets with which they smear his mouth. Later the. burn linn amid the firing off of crackers, the deity being sent up In u chariot of smoke and lire to a conference with the king of ihe celestial regions. The Idea of smear Ing his mouth with sweets Is that he may not say anything but honey ed words, or that bis lips may stli-l, together nnd so prevent hl talkim too much, The Kitchen God denuding m ti.r nna been 111 treated Dy nts urotnor una sistcr-ln-lnw, who were very rich nnd had mnny servants, but allowed their brother to work with tho servants and havo dinner with them. Their cruelty developed day after dny, until at last they treated him heavenly by seating him tn n sedan chair mndc of paper. The creutlon of .giving gifts nt riirlBtiuuH ratlin not from nraoanta nt gold nnd sliver given to the Christ H child, as many believe, but from an B old custom of priests putting on board B of all outgoing ships n box of alms, fl This box was opened at Christmu fl time nnd musses said for the given fl of the alms, nnd was called "Chrltt fl mass" box, and from this has con fl on- custom of Christmas boxes and fl r gift giving. fl , ' " fl |
