Show Christmas S In 1 i Many Lands Early Christians did not celebrate the birthday of Christ It was not until the fourth century that December December December Decem Decem- ber 25 came to be accepted as the presumed anniversary of the great event In that year Pope Gregory V set this day officially His Intention intention intention tion was partly to absorb the old pagan festival of the returning sun the winter solstice on December 22 in a Christian feast A number of pagan celebrations were overlapped overlapped over over- lapped in this manner during the first centuries of Christianity It is for this reason that the remnants remnants remnants rem rem- nants of ancient rites and customs have become intermingled intermingled inter inter- r mingled with genuine genuine genuine I ine Christian practices practices t tices tires and symbolism The Yule rites of the Scandinavian Germanic Germanic Germanic Ger Ger- manic and British nations blended with the new Christian holy day in northern Europe In Italy France Spain and other nations descended from Roman Roman Roman Ro Ro- Ro- Ro man colonies the rowdy festival spirit and customs of pagan Rome hung on to some extent and merged with the observation of Christmas In the main however the birth of Christ was a religious holiday joy holiday joy joyous ous but restrained in mood mood mood-in in inthe the early centuries of the Christian era Gradually however in the middle ages the feast became more robust as peasants and lords made I merry in the baronial halls I Nativity Plays Plas I On the other hand the Nativity plays were purely Christian in origin I having arisen spontaneously in inmany inmany many parts of Europe in the early middle ages In one form or another another another an an- other they have been enacted all allover allover allover over the world with additions and embellishments There are puppet versions elaborate pageants musical scores all treating of the birth of Christ In Spanish countries the Posadas is the name given to a combination procession and party with religious overtones that covers the nine days preceding Christmas Itself The Polish Christmas play is isan isan isan an intermingling of the Nativity story story story sto sto- I ry with elements of Polish history and legend letend The Santa Santa Claus tradition represents represents I cents the combining of a number of widely differing relics relics relics rel rel- I ics of old superstition j tion and beliefs The northern Europeans in in pre Christian r S times believed in a spirit of woods and fields who had to be placated now and then or he would ruin the harvests This being was known in Norway as the Nisse and by various names in other Scandinavian Scandinavian Scandinavian Scan Scan- countries It is still the custom custom cus cus- tom Jam in rural regions for children to set out porridge and beer on Christmas Christmas Christmas Christ Christ- mas eve to please the Nisse I In Britain the character known as Father Christmas is supposed to be a Christian version of this ancient ancient an an- dent spirit of the fields The Dutch Sinter Klass mass or St. St Nicholas is still recognizable as the good bishop of Myra 1 in Dutch plays but he too is being absorbed in the more popular version of Santa Claus the fat red- red coated little man with the big bag of presents This idea of Santa Claus is a south German tion In other parts of Germany the dispenser of gifts g ts is Dame Bertha Ber Ber- BerI I tha The custom of of hanging up stockings comes comes- from It Italy ly Switzerland has developed the custom custom custom cus cus- tom oJ parading from house to house and singing carols in ina a picturesque way Costumes are reI re re- Young lh I iJ V men and women wear headdresses I representing houses ships mountains and so forth Huge sleigh bells tinkle from their waists and shoulders These Swiss carolers also have a peculiar dance used only on Christmas Christmas Christmas Christ Christ- mas eve In Switzerland as in other other oth oth- S er southern European countries the gifts gilts are brought to good children not by Santa Claus but by the Christ Child who comes from the North Pole in in a fairy sleigh Members of of the Orthodox Greek church who cling to the old style calendar celebrate Christs Christ's birthday on January 6 Many p people in in hi Greece Serbia Romania and p d other Balkan states as well as many t l Russians belong to g the Orthodox church Their Christmas feast traditionally begins with a bowl of pf which is a combination of wheat honey ground poppy seed and pecans Mushroom soup fruit f fish h and nut t s ar yo a 1 is A d A e v o serve a y l. e small layer of hay is spread under the table cloth to show humility for Christs Christ's s birth in a stable So every country and every district district district dis dis- dis- dis often has its WIl special ways of keeping Christmas The United States being composed of people from everywhere has received customs customs customs cus cus- toms from every people and has adopted those it liked and altered them to fit the American style So I It has been with Santa Claus the Christmas tree holly and mistletoe the Christmas plays and carols the luscious menus everything has been gladly taken over with thanks to the many nations and peoples that have bequeathed them to us |