| Show p nt yc T 4 J 11 ll I 1 h ci ap vm llop oc h az 11 UL twenty fifth of december I 1 i ber rather the week about that time has been celebrated for many ages with rejoicing long before the christian era the pagan astronomers decided that these w were e re the r shortest hor test days before the sun returned re t arned to northern lands to bring an another other spring and seed time and harvest the dreary winter was at its worst and the coming coining days would have longer hours of light and sun abdine and the reawakening of nature ure therefore slug sing and be ba joyful the el held a festival in honor of the birth of their god horns the romans called it ft the birthday of the tha invincible sun and dedicated it to Da Ilac chus cellus rejoicing with him that the sun was about to return and revivify the vineyards the persians held a fes festival of uncommon splendor as the birthday of I 1 the mediator a spirit of ther tha sun in the north country among the worshipers of odin it was ft as a nature festival of riotous feasting because the fast of winter was approaching its end it has been a time of universal celebration according to ancient written history since the beginning and obscure tribes in remote nations have legends of their own about what wa we call christmas tide the feast of peace and good will As christianity brought its blessings to follow the good of past religions it seems only right that the birth of christ should come at a time of general rejoicing tt it made it easier for th the e pagans to turn to the saviour of ll 11 light at a time when the returning sunshine in n the skies was symbolical of the feeling of brotherly kindness which was taught in the love of a little child and so as early as the second century the church celebrated christmas day when the heathen were honoring their gods the christmas celebration as we know it is but a reincarnation of the yuletide Yule tlde of the anglo saxon tribes singing is a proper way to manifest joy it delights delight 4 the singer and gives pleasure to others tho the churchly carols ar were not enough for the hearty fee feeling ing the pagan feasting remains and so with that divine old carol adeste mdella ri dells are convivial songs gongs come hither ye faithful triumphantly sing come see the manger our saviour and kingl to bethlehem neth lehem hasten basten with joyous accord 1 oh come ye come hither to worship the lord I 1 the contrast lies in A carole Dry nging in ye dores dorea heed capri defero reddens laudes domino the dores bores head in hand band bring 1 with garlands gay and rosemary and I 1 pray you all sing merely quis estlla in con tho the church of the early days had some ome of the wisdom of modern social service ervice it entertained its parishioners in a gordly wily way as well as instilled religious doctrine the mystery miracle plays and mummeries mum meries merles enacted under tho the direction of the clergy rehearsed the scene in the stable these plays gave rise to a number of leger legendary dary carols tho rho cherry tree carol was wag popular in london in the last century it related the story of the virgin begging joseph to pluck some gome cherries for her and when lie ru fusing the unborn babe speaks aks and tells tella his mother to reach out her hand band and the tree will bow before her and the carol goes on to say then bespoke joseph I 1 have bavo done mary alary wrong etc another carol of this time Is full of beautiful imagery As joseph was a walking lie he heard an angel sing the night shall be born our heavenly king ile he neither snail shall be ba born in house bouso nor in hall ball nor in the place 0 of paradise but lu ill an coxs stall etc this is in the same spirit as our familiar while shepherds watched their flecka by night all seated on the ground the angel of the lord came down and glory bon around fear not said ile he tor for mighty dread had bad ie zed their troubled min glad tidings of great joy I 1 bring to you and all mankind and who would forget the swing ot of melody and the charity taught in good king weceslaus Blaus looked forth on on the least of stephen lie ile saw the beggar gathering fuel in the snow that lay round about ind and calls to hla his servants to bring him robes and wine and to fetch the poor man in from the cold in the rural districts the nature festival lived long after the church had taken the feast there thera were remains of tree worship and sacrifice to po niona mona in cornwall as last jast as years ago tile the peasants used to so go into the orchards on christmas day with pall pail fuls of elder cider and roasted apples the health of the trees was drunk to song and libations poured upon the roots in various sections of north ern europe it Is the custom to deco rate trees out of doors the fir trees as evergreens ever evergreens ever greens and fruit trees for their promises were trimmed with long streamers of ribbon or paper the christmas tree finds its ances tor in the german ash a great tree whose top reached to wal halla the home of the gods and whose roots were fast in the earth the germans have a wealth of car but nearly all are of a religious nature oh tannenbaum oh tannen baum or the song of the fir r tree at christmas time has become world wide who could count tho the house holds that gather around the tapers lighted and the tree loaded with gifts giftie to sing this in unison in the english household the song Is gather around the christmas tree ever green has its branches been it Is king of all the woodland scene or it may be carol brothers carol caroi carol joyfully carol for the coming of christs christ s na the good goad old custom of sing singing ing from house bouse jo 0 o house on christmas ey evo 0 has crept across the water from eng land to america it was a part of the program of the season to learn these carols and to gather in bands going from house to house across the sno snow w and singing before the doors T the h e neighbors know knew they were vero coming preparing cakes and warm drinks and sometimes gifts of money whoever has heard beard god rest ye merry gentle men let nothing yo ye dismay sung heartily in the frosty air has bas a thrill and an experience that returns to him every christmas after and every christmas christman morn Is awak w a it ened with the stirring strains 0 of f shout tho the glad tidings exultingly sing but we must not think that england or germany sing all the carol music prance france had a quaint literature of its own here la Is one of now nowell ell or noel and from north to south there are delightful variations ot of it nowell nowell nowell nowell this Is the saluta cyon of the angell gabriell Gabr yell tydings true ther be cum neu sent frome the try go do gabriell gabr yell to nazareth acety of balile A dene clene maudyn and pure virgyn her humy lyte hath the person secund in delte pere noel comes down the chimney and gives gifts just as rather father christ mas does across the channel and the little french children sing noel noel noel noel clear halpen are all folk on an earth born la is gods god s son ion so BO dear L 11 mccauley 0 4 |
