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R 11 x w e ittes 11 4 UT of ot the distant past comes aI u a I whispered greeting that warms the heart of or humanity Merry t I Christmas 1 I It echoes echoed and ond reechoes reechoes re re- echoes back buck across the long 4 ages It throbs through the generations of ot life while whilo kingdoms king doms rise line and fall while men and nations move E like checkers on n checkerboard Merry Meny It U stirs the tho heart like some beautiful old memory It quickens s the pul pulse o like a u passionate violin We Wo forget to tu play nt ut grownup and In III a mono moment nt wo we are 1110 all nil children again gain Of ot nil the lire old festivals vals says Washington Ia Irving 1111 that of ot Christmas awakens tho the strongest and aull most heartfelt associations There Thero Is la a n tone tODO of ot solemn stud and sacred t feeling that blends with without out our 1 and lifts the spirit to a 11 state of hallowed told and elevated lItell enjoyment I Irom rotas the early el centuries lt of ot Christianity the of the birth of ot Christ has been c eels cele It It Is h called celled Christmas because eo e In early Haglund the Ilse test festival hul was called culled lp means Christs mass mOR At I first the time of ot the festival varied 1 11 In mu different places Some observed lr It In iu December r. r others In Jan Jan- utu Ula y April May In There U is no historical record us S to the exact birth date dul of Christ It s seems scents possible pos pOi bible sible says t-ays Lillian In her CU of ot Mankind Oh 1 that I IK t c cub i er 25 3 was established hed i as the thu festival day because It marked the tine bp beginning of the great winter festival when Gernon Germans Ger Gel non mil mans ns 1111 and made men merry In ht pagan fashion Christmas replaced d these old pagan IIII te festivities II the customs of the old blending Into the customs and symbols s. of the other The celebration of tit 1 December E 25 5 5 us HS Christmas spread to In arlous s parts of the world Later as its the Ihl festival spread 1111 difference differences In Iu date occurred owing to differences In calendar hut the tho general belief prevailed that Christ Christus was us born bore bornat rat at the hour of or midnight on Christmas eve Many of ot our popular holidays appear to have ve bt been n runt t. t festivals nt ut one time Easter Kaster and May dE dt re rl very ery likely spring festivals Ilal 1101 It pUI i II autumn lit festival Christmas was trios originally a tu festival al of ot the winter win ter solstice At this period of ot the year It II was WM customary u to hold I Rival great t feasts In honor of the heathen gods goIs to dance and make muk merry Iut the tha early curly teachers leathers her of Christianity prohIbit I d these festivities as liS unsuited to 10 the thC character of ot jurist Christ hll tYll t. t Yet Vet I Ita tie the old festival was riot not discarded entirely It Its t crud and customs were adapted to the new 11 f tf In III of the anniversary of Clients Client's tl II nativity And so 10 we fluid find I Christmas pat pat- with many curious toms customs that nr ore are of or The TIIe Yule 11 tl holl and the origin 1 log Ill holly go u much further farther back hOlk Into Inlo antiquity than wp WI suspect It lt Is III said that tin till first Christmas day fl festival tI held lil In III was wn cel by long King Arthur 11 hur In Inthe inthe the tilt dl city of York it A A. A I D. D KM It lasted l several sl days clays Tho Tito new 11 customs w wrt rt graft grafted 1 upon the till old and the new II were adaptation of or old ones The festivals appealed Instantly to tine the musses masses a II tiny spark was wu s funned Into lame and It him has burned brightly throughout nil all these thel generations fly Ity the lilt tarl early puddle Middle ages II Christmas 11 had become the greatest Bi of popular lr festivals and kin killa king observed Jh r the tut day Churches were decorated and ami quaint plays play's concerning tho the nativity were enacted Carols woo were sung In III the streets Images of ot the till Virgin and of ot were curried carried about from house bouse III to house And nl of lit course there were feastIng feast feast- Ing Ian noel I. I In n as there afore always tire are at ut a II festival fE lime thine In III Shakespeare's time those the Ihl fe festivities were sore t Sometimes 1111 hey Ibey lasted until Twelfth day or II twelve f lye days after burst tunas During 1 this period there was no DO work of It any jiny Mud The flue 1011 gUi gate over ovir to fiat fen ml ad r gay 11 Tin thin n t l. l I was as asI a it reaction ai of there Is III The Puritans developed a keen distaste distastE- for the Christmas festivities and prevailed pre upon parliament parlia II ment merit to prohibit them Christmas wits was declared a n day of fast fait and festivities were wele prohibited by bylaw law After Atler the however the till old observances came carne bacU somewhat bueL-somewhat somewhat sl subdued d. d but guy gay and festival as ever er The observance of ot the Christmas festival nl spread all ull over Et the lie Christian world The Tune date dute Is not everywhere hero the sa sane same ilK nor 1101 are Ire the customs Iden idea January 0 Is s the date observed ed In the Armenian church The rhe Dutch watch for tor St. St Nicholas on Oil the eve of ot J December G C. The French have their own particular Christ Christmas mils observances ls l's the Germans Hermans have ha theirs lint Hut wherever and whenever when when- ever mer Christmas Is celebrated It t U Is a n day of ot rejoicing ing lug and good cheer At one time line the cu customs and observances that hunt we rte associate late with Christmas had a n very definite significance significance- Today they survive I as all part of our social scheme In America we brave 1111 made madl of ot Christmas n a period pert peri od of great social activity The Tire old customs custom's of ot other lands londs combined with tender memories of ot the lie first In this country countr make of the holiday a n rare Interval of ot Joy and cheer which fluid find expression lon In u II cele cele- bration Everybody w wishes s everybody e else a II merry Christmas and even scar till the echoes are glad The first In America were tin not t tl the i e gay gny festivities tetI to which h we are accustomed They were wIro days like all the tho rest devoted oled to work and prayer Governor On wrote Ye th day dIY begane to erect ye 1 first house for use to re receive I e them and their goods A few years after this wins was written the Church of ot England established ed Christmas services In III Boston Roston Our Christmas celebration carries threads from many I lands People coming here from France England 1 Germany Italy Italy all all brought their own customs with them Our Christmas tree tret and Santa Claus Clans are ure Imported Our enrols carols and our stocking superstition came from aro across the thE- ocean Olan Even Kven our Merry Christmas belongs to England l 1 Yet t our festivities are Individual American They are like Iho those ll of ot no one country but hut like a tapestry that thul hll has been patterned with mall nanny many beautiful threads thread our festivities Illes reflect the customs beliefs and superstitions of nanny many and oUlI widely separated lands Jolly old Santa Claus Clau with his lute tinkling sleigh h belts bells and pack luck of ot toys Is III very ery closely tl associated with the Ihl American Christmas Our children hang up tip their stockings In inn high glee fully believing that Santa souse come dO 1 the chimney and fill there them with good god things until of course till they are 11 old enough h to fuel fact from separate sl Infancy or until sonic some cruel crull person shatters the beautiful h belief Santa canine came I t s America rh 1 by hy Wl way of Holland theold The Theold old Dutch settlers of ot NI New York brought with th them hens 11 all 1111 tho the Joyous and hospitable Oh observances H of their fatherland They Introduced to their neighbors neigh hors burs In his the Now New world worl 1 St. St Nl NI or San an patron saint of ot children n. n And San promptly grew a n tom long w white beard hell belted 1 1 his Jovial foetal stoutness In ire a 1 reel red coat ouch and suds made pals his bow to America as its Sunlit Santa Clout I Fn England and too ton hits has Its Santa Claus The hl name appears to be hI derived In III slurred t Interpretation from fronts San Hun Nic olans the l English for tor which would be he St St. Nicholas Arc According to th the popular myth here nod and In gangland Santa Honto Claus I Is t to sweep down the chimney and fill 1111 the Iho stockings stocking hanging before the IhA fireplace with gifts St St. Nicholas 1 became everywhere e the childs child's saint though hula his personality lIty underwent tnt some Mille striking changes ss IS he hI traveled d from front country to countr country In us Holland he remained St. St Nicholas but hl his personality was Willi modified h by memories of rod pod of ot tho Iho c e tend and the tho harvest lie He became secant tho tine patron saint of the children of France It Is Noel NOlI Father Tether although Christinas II sometimes called celled Iere Pere Noel 01 who livings brings tine the grand gond limas for tOl t e children In the Christ Christ- a r- r R h i Y t ln Is th the patron saint of ot the children From this Herman German phrase for Christ Child comes conies our out synonym for Santa Claus Claus l Among the Norwegians the toys are hidden away In is unexpected places and the children search for th theta them In III Ital Italy the gifts are ore drawn front from what Is known as al The rite fh Urn of ot Fat Fate 1 This ThU custom Constant originated with the th ancient who mud had also ulio an nut Urn Cru of ot Fate front from which gifts gitts w were cro drawn n In Inn Spain there then are elaborate street festivals fes ut at w which iii Ill I'll tine tile children receive gifts This old age custom of ot presenting the children with th gifts gin i makes one of lt our most enjoyable lIble festivals al In lit Elizabeth and Her Bier German Germau harden Garden the tine thought Is III beautifully expressed For days beforehand every time the three babIes go BO Into Inlo the garden Karden they expect to m meet mAet et tine the Child with III Iris Ills arms full Cull of or glUM They firmly be lIeve that It Is III thus Ihus their Choir presents present are brought and U it Is la such lIuch a charming Idea that Ihal 1 would be worth eel celebrating for Cor Its lis sake mice alone alona Ih There re I l an all ancient tradition In Holland that St. St Nicholas makes his rounds upon horse horst This turnouts famous old horse of ot Dutch mt mythology holos Is 11 represented led b by the reindeer whose hoots hoofs our children are supposed to hour hear on Christmas Christ mans mas eve ev- According to 10 I the tho old tale I the h. h children of ot Amsterdam Am set their little wooden shoes In the chimney chins chim ney corners because they believed d ner would puss pass h by unless lie he- saw them there rl And St. St Nicholas would gh give gl e no nn gifts unless ho tie saw the little shoes shines In iii n row II by the chimney place and so knew that thai the children were werl tucked unsay awny In bed I 1 Evidently some parents of ot long ago ngo created the myth for tor their 0 own n convenience coU It spread quickly as ns such things dui do and gradually became an established custom From Holland tine tho custom spread to 10 France am and children were tUII taught ht to III pore place their wooden n shoes upon the hearth to receive the gifts of Noel Nod In II Germany stud and Scandinavia vla I ho Iho gifts are 1111 not lIot placed In III the shot shoe but hut n In nu the w n way ny plu places th cs about the hou hue house e I In The lh stockings that t the Ihl children of ot and I the United Stales Slates lining hang up lIll on tilt Christmas coo evo developed de from Ibe Ihl shop shoe Shoes wont won't you I know mind stockings are so much more insure roomy I I Thus hull the shoe Khol of Amsterdam the blocking stocking of New w Amsterdam und lilt the lU was II II 1 There There- existed In the east of among the peasantry II ter ar III e aid ld custom whereby the young girl red discovered through divination whom she would heave as lIS hu husband The traditional formula St still III Ill prevalent la Is Is Come mind and take 11 my iny stocking stocking- s off otT Among the professional dU classes f and some some- rime In till the lender hasher nobility parents ph placed money In the tine stockings of ot their hll buy child or girl girl girl-at at marriage ns i a II gift for fur the other partner In its the ceremony Souse Some writers prominently among hem m Kills hills believe c unit that Iho tho custom of lumping up UI the Ihl stocking nt Christmas II It a retie nU nf f these two town customs from froth s J J I. 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