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Show . CHRISTMAS DAY Although tlw hiitii of Christ is the event which is supposed sup-posed to he cell hi -sited on Christmas, we are more and more inclined, as a recent writer siiKftcsts, to celebrate Santa Claus on December 2. Certainly in the minds of most persons the giving and receiving of ifts holds a largo r place than the! holy event which the day commemorates. Christmas customs and symbolism are drawn from many sources, some of them of pagan origin. The date, December 2.r, approximates that of certain ancient festivals which were observed long before the Christian era, such as the Roman Saturnalia, the .Scandinavian Yule, the winter festival of the heathen Britons, and later, the Roman festival of the sun god Mithra. This date was not incorporated in the Christan calendar until about the fourth or fifth century. The Christmas tree is believed to have been derived from 1 the Egyptian use of a palm branch of 12 shoots to signify! the complete year, but its present significance is thought to i have originated in Germany. The use of evergreen decorations, decora-tions, particularly mistletoe, has been observed since the time of the Druids in Britain. The sending of Christinas gifts may be traced back to ancient Rome. This custom is by no means universal, however, how-ever, and is almost unknown in the Holy Land and among; Asiatic Christians generally. Children of the Orient have no Santa Claus. j o |