,illustration3 ,,christmas ,,in ,,naples4 ,an ,italian ,,presipio4 ,,yule-,,tide ,,in ,,many ,,lands ,,by ,,mary ,p4 ,,pringle ,reference ,librarian1 ,minnesota ,public ,library ,commission and ,,clara ,a4 ,,urann ,illustrated by ,l4,j4 ,bridgman and from photographs ,,boston ,,lothrop4 ,,lee ,,shepard ,,co4 #aiaf ,copyright1 #aiaf ,,by ,,lothrop1 ,,lee ,,shepard ,,co4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the old order changeth1 yielding place to new1 ,and ,god fulfills ,himself in many ways1 ,lest one good custom should corrupt the world4 --,alfred ,tennyson4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,acknowledgments ,thanks are due to the following publishers for permission to reprint poems3 ,houghton ,mifflin ,company for ,king ,olaf's ,christmas by ,h4 ,w4 ,longfellow1 ,night of ,marvels by ,violante ,do ,ceo2 ,paul ,elder ,company for ,the ,christmas ,tree by ,h4 ,s4 ,russell1 ,at ,christmas ,time2 ,edgar ,s4 ,werner ,company for ,the ,christmas ,sheaf by ,mrs4 ,a4 ,m4 ,tomlinson2 ,john ,lane ,company for ,a ,palm ,branch from ,palestine by ,m4 ,y4 ,lermontov2 ,american ,ecclesiastical ,review for ,the ,eve of ,christmas by ,pope ,leo ,,xiii2 ,e4 ,p4 ,dutton ,company for ,the ,voice of the ,christ-child by ,phillips ,brooks4 ,,mary ,p4 ,,pringle ,,clara ,a4 ,,urann 99 99 99 99 99 ,,contents ,,chapter ,i4 ,,yule-,,tide ,,of ,,the ,,ancients ,,ii4 ,,yule-,,tide ,,in ,,england ,,iii4 ,,yule-,,tide ,,in ,,germany ,,iv4 ,,yule-,,tide ,,in ,,scandinavia ,v4 ,,yule-,,tide ,,in ,,russia ,,vi4 ,,yule-,,tide ,,in ,,france ,,vii4 ,,yule-,,tide ,,in ,,italy ,,viii4 ,,yule-,,tide ,,in ,,spain ,,ix4 ,,yule-,,tide ,,in ,,america ,,index ,,illustrations ,christmas in ,naples4 ,an ,italian ,presepio ,frontispiece ,king ,olaf's ,christmas ,serenaded by the ,waits ,toy-,making in ,germany ,decorating the ,christmas ,tree ,on the ,way to ,christmas ,eve ,service in ,norway ,a ,christmas ,bonfire in ,russia ,a ,christmas ,tree in ,paris ,a ,game of ,loto on ,christmas ,evening in ,naples ,christmas ,festivity in ,seville ,lighting the ,yule-,log in ,colonial ,days ,children of ,many ,nationalities at ,christmas ,celebration in a ,new ,york ,school ,,chapter ,i4 ,illustration ,,yule-,,tide ,,of ,,the ,,ancients ,there in the ,temple1 carved in wood1 ,the image of great ,odin stood1 ,and other gods1 with ,thor supreme among them4 ,as early as two thousand years before ,christ ,yule-tide was celebrated by the ,aryans4 ,they were sun-worshipers and believed the sun was born each morning1 rode across the upper world1 and sank into his grave at night4 ,day after day1 as the sun's power diminished1 these primitive people feared that he would eventually be overcome by darkness and forced to remain in the under world4 ,when1 therefore1 after many months1 he apparently wheeled about and grew stronger and stronger1 they felt that he had been born again4 ,so it came about that at ,hweolor-tid1 the turning-time1#a there was great rejoicing at the annual re-birth of the sun4 ,in the myths and legends of these1 our ,indo-,european ancestors1 we find the origin of many of the ,yule-tide customs now in vogue4 ,footnote #a3 ,yule-tide ,according to the ,younger ,edda1 ,wodin or ,odin1 the pioneer of the ,north1 a descendant of ,saturn1 fled out of ,asia4 ,going through ,russia to ,saxland 7,germany71 he conquered that country and left one of his sons as ruler4 ,then he visited ,frankland1 ,jutland1 ,sweden1 and ,norway and established each one of his many sons on a throne4 ,this pioneer traveler figures under nearly two hundred different names1 and so it is difficult to follow him in his wanderings4 ,as ,wodin1 he established throughout the northern nations many of the observances and customs common to the people of the ,northland to-day4 ,the ,edda gives an ancient account of ,balder1 the sun-god1 who was slain because of the jealousy of ,loki 7fire74 ,loki knew that everything in nature except the mistletoe had promised not to injure the great god ,balder4 ,so he searched for the mistletoe until he found it growing on an oak-tree on the eastern slope of ,valhalla4 ,he cut it off and returned to the place where the gods were amusing themselves by using ,balder as a target1 hurling stones and darts1 and trying to strike him with their battle-axes4 ,but all these weapons were harmless4 ,then ,loki1 giving the twig of mistletoe to the blind god1 ,hder1 directed his hand and induced him to throw it4 ,when the mistletoe struck ,balder it pierced him through and through and he fell lifeless4 ,so on the floor lay ,balder dead2 and round#b ,lay thickly strewn swords1 axes1 darts1 and spears1 ,which all the ,gods in sport had idly thrown ,at ,balder1 whom no weapon pierced or clove2 ,but in his breast stood fixt the fatal bough ,of mistletoe1 which ,lok the ,accuser gave ,to ,hder1 and unwitting ,hder threw-- ',gainst that alone had ,balder's life no charm4 ,footnote #b3 ,from ,matthew ,arnold's ,balder ,dead4 ,great excitement prevailed among the assembled gods and goddesses when ,balder was struck dead and sank into ,hel1#c and they would have slain the god of darkness had it not occurred during their peace-stead1 which was never to be desecrated by deeds of violence4 ,the season was supposed to be one of peace on earth and good-will to man4 ,this is generally attributed to the injunction of the angels who sang at the birth of ,christ1 but according to a much older story the idea of peace and good-will at ,yule-tide was taught centuries before ,christ4 ,footnote #c3 ,hel or his grave2 the terms were once synonymous4 ,according to the ,edda1 gifts from the gods and goddesses were laid on ,balder's bier and he1 in turn1 sent gifts back from the realm of darkness into which he had fallen4 ,however1 it probably is from the ,roman ,saturnalia that the free exchange of presents and the spirit of revelry have been derived4 ,the ,druids held the mistletoe in great reverence because of its mysterious birth4 ,when the first new growth was discovered it was gathered by the white-robed priests1 who cut it from the main bough with a golden sickle never used for any other purpose4 ,the food peculiar to this season of rejoicing has retained many features of the feasting recorded among the earlier people4 ,the boar made his appearance in mythological circles when one was offered as a gift to ,frey1 god of rain1 sunshine1 and the fruits of the earth4 ,this boar was a remarkable animal2 he could run faster than a horse1 through the air and over water4 ,darkness could not overtake him1 for he was symbolical of the sun1 his golden bristles typifying the sun's rays4 ,at one time the boar was believed to be emblematical of golden grain1 as he was the first to teach mankind the art of plowing4 ,because of this service he was most revered by our mythological ancestors4 ,in an account of a feast given in ,valhalla to the dead heroes of many battles1 ,saehrimnir1 a sacred boar1 was served4 ,huge pieces were apportioned to the deceased heroes and the meat had such a revivifying effect that1 restored to life1 they called for arms and began to fight their battles over again4 ,an abundance of heavenly mead made from goats' milk and honey was provided for the feasts and on occasions ale1 too1 was served4 ,toasts were usually drunk in honor of ,bragi1 god of poetry1 eloquence1 and song4 ,the gods pledged themselves to perform remarkable deeds of courage and valor as they tossed off horn after horn of mead and ale4 ,each time their mighty valor grew until there was no limit set to their attainments4 ,it is possible that their boastful pledges may have given rise to the term1 to brag4 ,apples were the favorite fruit1 as they prevented the approach of age and kept the gods and goddesses perpetually young and vigorous4 ,certainly ,yule-tide was a very merry season among the ancient people who feasted1 drank1 and danced in honor of the return of the sun1 the god of light and new life4 ,when messengers went through the various countries bearing tidings of a new religion and of the birth of a ,son who brought light and new life into the whole world1 they endeavored to retain as many of the established customs as possible1 but gave to the old-time festivals a finer character and significance4 ,as the fact of ,christ's birth was not recorded and there was no certainty as to its date1 the early ,christian ,fathers very wisely ascribed it to ,yule-tide1 changing the occasion from the birthday of the sun to that of the ,son4 ,for a while the birth of ,christ was celebrated on dates varying from the first to the sixth of ,january2 on the dates of certain religious festivals such as the ,jewish ,passover or the ,feast of ,tabernacles2 but the twenty-fifth of ,december1 the birthday of the sun1 was ever the favorite date4 ,pope ,julius1 who reigned from #ccg to #ceb ,a4 ,d41 after a careful investigation1 considered it settled beyond doubt that ,christ was born on or about the twenty-fifth of ,december1 and by the end of the fifth century that date was very generally accepted by ,christians4 ,the transition from the old to the new significance of ,yule-tide was brought about so quietly and naturally that it made no great impression on the mind of the masses1 so nothing authentic can be learned of the early observance of ,christmas4 ,the holly1 laurel1 mistletoe1 and other greens used by the ,druids still served as decorations of the season1 not as a shelter for fairies1 as in former days1 but as emblems of resurrection and of immortal hope4 ,the glorious luminary of day1 whether known as ,balder1 ,baal1 ,sol1 or any other of the innumerable names by which it was called by the primitive peoples1 still gladdens the hearts of mortals at ,yule-tide by turning-back as of old2 only to-day it yields its place to a ,superior ,power1 in whose honor ,yule-tide is observed4 99 99 99 99 99 ,all ,christendom owes a debt of gratitude to its pagan forbears for the pleasant features of many of its holidays and especially for those of ,yule-tide4 ,the ,fathers of the early church showed rare wisdom in retaining the customs of these ante-,christian festivals1 imbuing them with the spirit of the new faith and making them emblematic of a purer love and hope4 ,new ,year's ,day as a feast day is one of the oldest1 if not the oldest1 on record4 ,it is mentioned by ,tacitus in the ,first ,century1 but first referred to as a ,christian festival about the year #efg4 ,in ,rome the day was dedicated by ,numa to the honor of god ,janus1 for whom ,julius ,csar named the month of ,january4 ,numa ordained that it should be observed as a day of good-humor and good-fellowship4 ,all grudges and hard feelings were to be forgotten4 ,sacrifices of cake1 wine1 and incense were to be made to the two-faced god who looked forward and backward4 ,men of letters1 mechanics1 and others were expected to give to the god the best they had to offer of their respective arts4 ,it was the great occasion of the entire year1 as it is now in many countries4 ,the date of ,new ,year's ,day has varied among different nations4 ,among the ,egyptians1 ,chinese1 ,jews1 and ,romans it has been observed on dates varying from ,march first to ,december twenty-fifth4 ,it was as late as the ,sixteenth ,century before the date of ,january first was universally accepted as the ,new ,year by the ,romans4 ,nations retaining the ,gregorian calendar1 such as ,russia and ,greece1 observe it thirteen days later than those who reckon time by the ,julian calendar4 ,among northern nations the love of fire and light originated the custom of kindling bonfires to burn out the old year and destroy all evil connected with its past4 ,light has long been an expression of joy and gladness among all branches of the ,aryan race4 ,the ,greek and ,latin ,churches still term ,christmas the ,feast of ,lights1 and make it a period of brilliancy in ,church and home4 ,the ,protestant covers the ,christmas tree with lighted candles and builds a glowing fire on the hearth4 ,the innate love of light and warmth--the inheritance from the sun-worshipers of ages past--is always dominant in humanity at ,yule-tide festivals4 ,the ,king of ,light1 father of aged ,time1 ,hath brought about that day which is the prime1 ,to the slow-gliding months1 when every eye ,wears symptoms of a sober jollity1 ,and every hand is ready to present ,some service in a real compliment4 ,illustration3 ,,king ,,olaf',s ,,christmas4 ,the ,king that gave ,christianity to ,norway4 ,,king ,,olaf',s ,,christmas ,at ,drontheim1 ,olaf the ,king ,heard the bells of ,yule-tide ring1 ,as he sat in his banquet-hall1 ,drinking the nut-brown ale1 ,with his bearded ,berserks hale ,and tall4 ,three days his ,yule-tide feasts ,he held with ,bishops and ,priests1 ,and his horn filled up to the brim2 ,but the ale was never too strong1 ,nor the ,saga-man's tale too long1 ,for him4 ,o'er his drinking-horn1 the sign ,he made of the cross divine1 ,as he drank1 and muttered his prayers2 ,but the ,berserks evermore ,made the sign of the ,hammer of ,thor ,over theirs4 ,the gleams of the firelight dance ,upon helmet and haubert and lance1 ,and laugh in the eyes of the ,king2 ,and he cries to ,halfred the ,scald1 ,gray-bearded1 wrinkled1 and bald1 ,sing6 ,sing me a song divine1 ,with a sword in every line1 ,and this shall be thy reward4 ,and he loosened the belt at his waist1 ,and in front of the singer placed ,his sword4 ,quern-bitter of ,hakon the ,good1 ,wherewith at a stroke he hewed ,the millstone through and through1 ,and ,foot-breadth of ,thoralf the ,strong1 ,were neither so broad nor so long1 ,nor so true4 ,then the ,scald took his harp and sang1 ,and loud through the music rang ,the sound of that shining word2 ,and the harp-strings a clangor made1 ,as if they were struck with the blade ,of a sword4 ,and the ,berserks round about ,broke forth in a shout ,that made the rafters ring2 ,they smote with their fists on the board1 ,and shouted1 ,long live the sword1 ,and the ,king4 ,but the ,king said1 ,o my son1 ,i miss the bright word in one ,of thy measures and thy rhymes4 ,and ,halfred the ,scald replied1 ,in another 't was multiplied ,three times4 ,then ,king ,olaf raised the hilt ,of iron1 cross-shaped and gilt1 ,and said1 ,do not refuse2 ,count well the gain and the loss1 ,thor's hammer or ,christ's cross3 ,choose6 ,and ,halfred the ,scald said1 ,this ,in the name of the ,lord ,i kiss1 ,who on it was crucified6 ,and a shout went round the board1 ,in the name of ,christ the ,lord1 ,who died6 ,then over the waste of snows ,the noonday sun uprose1 ,through the driving mists revealed1 ,like the lifting of the ,host1 ,by incense-clouds almost ,concealed4 ,on the shining wall a vast ,and shadowy cross was cast ,from the hilt of the lifted sword1 ,and in the foaming cups of ale ,the ,berserks drank ,was-hael6 ,to the ,lord6 --,henry ,wadsworth ,longfellow4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,illustration ,,yule-,,tide ,,in ,,england ,christians in old time did rejoice ,and feast at this blest tide4 --,old ,carol4 ,no country has entered more heartily into ,yule-tide observance than ,england4 ,from the earliest known date her people have celebrated this festival with great ceremony4 ,in the time of the ,celts it was principally a religious observance1 but this big1 broad-shouldered race added mirth to it1 too4 ,they came to the festivities in robes made from the skins of brindled cows1 and wearing their long hair flowing and entwined with holly4 ,the ,druids in the temples kept the consecrated fires burning briskly4 ,all household fires were extinguished1 and any one wishing to rekindle the flame at any time during the twelve days preceding ,yule-tide must buy the consecrated fire4 ,the ,druids also had a rather unique custom of sending their young men around with ,yule-tide greetings and branches of mistletoe 7quiviscum74 ,each family receiving this gift was expected in return to contribute generously to the temples4 ,with the coming of the ,saxons1 higher revelry reigned1 and a ,saxon observance of ,yule-tide must have been a jolly sight to see4 ,in the center of the hall1 upon the open hearth1 blazed a huge fire with its column of smoke pouring out through an opening in the thatched roof1 or1 if beaten by the wind1 wandering among the beams above4 ,the usually large family belonging to the house gathered in this big living-room4 ,the table stretched along one side of the room1 and up and down its great length the guests were seated in couples4 ,between them was a half-biscuit of bread to serve as a plate4 ,later on this would be thrown into the alms-basket for distribution among the poor4 ,soon the servers entered carrying long iron spits on which they brought pieces of the meats1 fish1 and fowls that had been roasted in isen pannas 7iron pans7 suspended from tripods out in the yard4 ,fingers were used instead of forks to handle the food1 and the half-biscuit plates received the grease and juices and protected the handsome bord-cloth4 ,there was an abundance of food1 for the ,saxons were great eaters4 ,besides flesh1 fish1 and fowls their gardens furnished plenty of beans and other vegetables1 and their ort-geards produced raspberries1 strawberries1 plums1 sweet and sour apples1 and cod-apples1 or quinces4 ,the cider and stronger drinks were quaffed from quaint round-bottomed tumblers which1 as they could not stand up1 had to be emptied at a draught4 ,the ,saxons dined at about eleven o'clock and1 as business was not pressing in those days1 could well afford to spend hours at the feast1 eating1 drinking1 and making merry4 ,after every one had eaten1 games were played1 and these games are the same as our children play to-day--handed down to us from the old ,saxon times4 ,when night came and the ear-thyrls 7eyeholes1 or windows7 no longer admitted the light of the sun1 long candlesticks dipped in wax were lighted and fastened into sockets along the sides of the hall4 ,then the makers1 or bards as they came to be called in later days1 sang of the gods and goddesses or of marvelous deeds done by the men of old4 ,out-of-doors huge bonfires burned in honor of ,mother-,night1 and to her1 also1 peace offerings of ,yule cakes were made4 ,it was the ,saxon who gave to the heal-all of the ,celts the pretty name of mistletoe1 or mistletan1--meaning a shoot or tine of a tree4 ,there was jollity beneath the mistletoe then as now1 only then everybody believed in its magic powers4 ,it was the sovereign remedy for all diseases1 but it seems to have lost its curative power1 for the scientific men of the present time fail to find that it possesses any medical qualities4 ,later on1 when the good ,king ,alfred was on the ,english throne1 there were greater comforts and luxuries among the ,saxons4 ,descendants of the settlers had built halls for their families near the original homesteads1 and the wall that formerly surrounded the home of the settler was extended to accommodate the new homes until there was a town within the enclosure4 ,yule within these homes was celebrated with great pomp4 ,the walls of the hall were hung with rich tapestries1 the food was served on gold and silver plates1 and the tumblers1 though sometimes of wood or horn1 were often of gold and silver1 too4 ,in these days the family dressed more lavishly4 ,men wore long1 flowing ringlets and forked beards4 ,their tunics of woolen1 leather1 linen1 or silk1 reached to the knees and were fastened at the waist by a girdle4 ,usually a short cloak was worn over the tunic4 ,they bedecked themselves with all the jewelry they could wear2 bracelets1 chains1 rings1 brooches1 head-bands1 and other ornaments of gold and precious stones4 ,women wore their best tunics made either of woolen woven in many colors or of silk embroidered in golden flowers4 ,their abundant tresses1 curled by means of hot irons1 were confined by the richest head-rails4 ,the more fashionable wore cuffs and bracelets1 earrings and necklaces1 and painted their cheeks a more than hectic flush4 ,in the ,fifteenth and ,sixteenth ,centuries the magnificence of the ,yule-tide observance may be said to have reached its height4 ,in the old baronial halls where3 ,the fire1 with well-dried logs supplied1 ,went roaring up the chimney wide1 ,christmas was kept with great jollity4 ,it was considered unlucky to have the holly brought into the house before ,christmas ,eve1 so throughout the week merry parties of young people were out in the woods gathering green boughs1 and on ,christmas ,eve1 with jest and song1 they came in laden with branches to decorate the hall4 ,lo1 now is come our joyfull'st feast6 ,let every man be jolly1 ,eache room with yvie leaves be drest4 ,and every post with holly4 ,later on1 men rolled in the huge ,yule-log1 emblematic of warmth and light4 ,it was of oak if possible1 the oak being sacred to ,thor1 and was rolled into place amidst song and merriment4 ,in one of these songs the first stanza is3 ,welcome be thou1 heavenly ,king1 ,welcome born on this morning1 ,welcome for whom we shall sing1 ,welcome ,yule4 ,the third stanza is addressed to the crowd3 ,welcome be ye that are here1 ,welcome all1 and make good cheer1 ,welcome all1 another year2 ,welcome ,yule4 ,each member of the family1 seated in turn upon the log1 saluted it1 hoping to receive good luck4 ,it was considered unlucky to consume the entire log during ,yule2 if good luck was to attend that household during the coming twelve months1 a piece ought to be left over with which to start the next year's fire4 ,illustration3 ,,serenaded ,,by ,,the ,,waits4 ,part must be kept wherewith to tende ,the ,christmas log next yeare1 ,and where 'tis safely kept1 the fiend ,can do no mischiefe theere4 ,the boar's head held the principal place of honor at the dinner4 ,so during ,september and ,october1 when the boar's flesh was at its best1 hunters with well-trained packs of boar-hounds set out to track this savage animal4 ,they attacked the boar with spears1 or surrounded him and drove him into nets4 ,he was a ferocious antagonist to both dogs and men1 and when sore pressed would wheel about1 prepared to fight to the death4 ,before the dogs could grip him by the ear1 his one weak point1 and pin him down1 his sharp teeth would often wound or even kill both the hunter and his dogs4 ,the pluckier the animal the louder the praise sung in his honor when his head was brought into the hall4 ,the great head1 properly soused1 was borne in on an immense salver by the old blue-coated serving-man on ,christmas day4 ,he was preceded by the trumpeters and followed by the mummers1 and thus in state the boar's head was ushered in and assigned to its place on the table4 ,the father of the family or head of the household laid his hand on the dish containing the boar of atonement1 as it was at one time called1 swearing to be faithful to his family and to fulfil all his obligations as a man of honor4 ,this solemn act was performed before the carving by every man present4 ,the carver had to be a man of undaunted courage and untarnished reputation4 ,next in honor at the feast was the peacock4 ,it was sometimes served as a pie with its head protruding from one side of the crust and its wide-spread tail from the other2 more often the bird was skinned1 stuffed with herbs and sweet spices1 roasted1 and then put into its skin again1 when with head erect and tail outspread it was borne into the hall by a lady--as was singularly appropriate--and given the second place on the table4 ,the feudal system gave scope for much magnificence at ,yule-tide4 ,at a time when several thousand retainers#d were fed daily at a single castle or on a baron's estate1 preparations for the ,yule feast--the great feast of the year--were necessarily on a large scale1 and the quantity of food reported to have been prepared on such occasions is perfectly appalling to ,twentieth-,century feasters4 ,footnote #d3 ,the ,earl of ,warwick had some thirty thousand4 ,massinger wrote3 ,men may talk of ,country ,christmasses1 ,their thirty-pound butter'd eggs1 their pies of carp's tongue1 ,their pheasants drench'd with ambergris1 the carcasses ,of three fat wethers bruis'd for gravy1 to ,make sauces for a single peacock2 yet their feasts ,were fasts1 compared with the ,city's4 ,in #abdh ,king ,henry ,,iii held a feast in ,westminster ,hall for the poor which lasted a week4 ,four years later he entertained one thousand knights1 peers1 and other nobles1 who came to attend the marriage of ,princess ,margaret with ,alexander1 ,king of the ,scots4 ,he was generously assisted by the ,archbishop of ,york who gave #bgjj1 besides six hundred fat oxen4 ,a truly royal ,christmas present whether extorted or given of free will6 ,more than a century later ,richard ,,ii held ,christmas at ,litchfield and two thousand oxen and two hundred tuns of wine were consumed4 ,this monarch was accustomed to providing for a large family1 as he kept two thousand cooks to prepare the food for the ten thousand persons who dined every day at his expense4 ,henry ,,viii1 not to be outdone by his predecessors1 kept one ,yule-tide at which the cost of the cloth of gold that was used alone amounted to #fjj4 ,tents were erected within the spacious hall from which came the knights to joust in tournament2 beautiful artificial gardens were arranged out of which came the fantastically dressed dancers4 ,the ,morris 7,moresque7 ,dance came into vogue in ,england during the reign of ,henry ,,vii1 and long continued to be a favorite4 ,the dancers were decorated from crown to toe in gay ribbon streamers1 and cut all manner of antics for the amusement of the guests4 ,this dance held the place at ,yule that the ,fool's ,dance formerly held during the ,roman ,saturnalia4 ,henry ,,viii's daughter1 ,elizabeth1 kept the season in great magnificence at ,hampton ,court where plays written for the occasion were presented4 ,the poet ,herrick favored3 ,of ,christmas sports1 the wassell boule1 ,that's tost up after ,fox-i-th'-hole4 ,this feature of ,yule observance1 which is usually attributed to ,rowena1 daughter of ,vortigern1 dates back to the grace-cup of the ,greeks and ,romans which is also the supposed source of the bumper4 ,according to good authority the word bumper came from the grace-cup which ,roman ,catholics drank to the ,pope1 au bon ,pre4 ,the wassail bowl of spiced ale has continued in favor ever since the ,princess ,rowena bade her father's guests ,wassheil4 ,the offering of gifts at ,yule has been observed since offerings were first made to the god ,frey for a fruitful year4 ,in olden times one of the favorite gifts received from tenants was an orange stuck with cloves which the master was to hang in his wine vessels to improve the flavor of the wine and prevent its moulding4 ,as lords received gifts from their tenants1 so it was the custom for kings to receive gifts from their nobles4 ,elizabeth received a goodly share of her wardrobe as gifts from her courtiers1 and if the quality or quantity was not satisfactory1 the givers were unceremoniously informed of the fact4 ,in #aefa she received at ,yule a present of a pair of black silk stockings knit by one of her maids1 and never after would she wear those made of cloth4 ,underclothing of all kinds1 sleeves richly embroidered and bejeweled1 in fact everything she needed to wear1 were given to her and she was completely fitted out at this season4 ,in #ahdf ,sir ,henry ,cole is said to have originated the idea of sending ,christmas cards to friends4 ,they were the size of small visiting-cards1 often bearing a small colored design--a spray of holly1 a flower1 or a bit of mistletoe--and the compliments of the day4 ,joseph ,crandall was the first publisher4 ,only about one thousand were sold the first year1 but by #ahfb the custom of sending one of these pretty cards in an envelope or with gifts to friends became general and has now spread to other countries4 ,during the ,reformation the custom of observing ,christmas was looked upon as sacrilegious4 ,it savored of popery1 and in the narrowness of the light then dawning the festival was abolished except in the ,anglican and ,lutheran ,churches4 ,tenants and neighbors no longer gathered in the hall on ,christmas morning to partake freely of the ale1 blackjacks1 cheese1 toast1 sugar1 and nutmeg4 ,if they sang at all1 it was one of the pious hymns considered suitable-and sufficiently doleful--for the occasion4 ,one wonders if the young men ever longed for the sport they used to have on ,christmas morning when they seized any cook who had neglected to boil the hackin#e and running her round the market-place at full speed attempted to shame her of her laziness4 ,footnote #e3 ,authorities differ as to whether this was a big sausage or a plum pudding4 ,protestants were protesting against the observance of the day2 ,puritans were working toward its abolishment2 and finally1 on ,december #bd1 #afeb1 ,parliament ordered ,that no observance shall be had of the five and twentieth day of ,december1 commonly called ,christmas day2 nor any solemnity used or exercised in churches upon that day in respect thereof4 ,then ,christmas became a day of work and no cheer4 ,the love of fun which must find vent was expended at ,new ,year1 when the celebration was similar to that formerly observed at ,christmas4 ,but people were obliged to bid farewell to the ,christmas ,prince who used to rule over ,christmas festivities at ,whitehall1 and whose short reign was always one of rare pleasure and splendor4 ,he and other rulers of pastimes were dethroned and banished from the kingdom4 ,yule cakes1 which the feasters used to cut in slices1 toast1 and soak in spicy ale1 were not to be eaten--or certainly not on ,christmas4 ,it was not even allowable for the pretty ,yule candles to be lighted4 ,christmas has never regained its former prestige in ,england4 ,year after year it has been more observed in churches and families1 but not in the wild1 boisterous1 hearty style of olden times4 ,throughout ,great ,britain ,yule-tide is now a time of family reunions and social gatherings4 ,ireland1 ,scotland1 ,wales1 and the ,islands each retain a few of their own peculiar customs1 but they are not observed to any extent4 ,in ,ireland--or at least in some parts--they still indulge in drinking what is known as ,lamb's-wool1 which is made by bruising roasted apples and mixing the juice with ale or milk4 ,this drink1 together with apples and nuts1 is considered indispensable on ,christmas ,eve4 ,england of all countries has probably known the merriest of ,yule-tides1 certainly the merriest during those centuries when the mummers of yore bade to each and all ,a merry ,christmas and a happy ,new ,year1 ,your pockets full of money and your cellar full of beer4 ,there seems always to have been more or less anxiety felt regarding ,new ,year's ,day in ,england1 for ,if the morning be red and dusky it denotes a year of robberies and strife4 ,if the grass grows in ,janivear ,it grows the worse for 't all the year4 ,and then very much depended upon the import of the chapter to which one opened the ,bible on this morning4 ,if the first visitor chanced to be a female1 ill luck was sure to follow1 although why it should is not explained4 ,it was very desirable to obtain the cream of the year from the nearest spring1 and maidens sat up till after midnight to obtain the first pitcherful of water1 supposed to possess remarkable virtues4 ,modern plumbing and city water-pipes have done away with the observance of the cream of the year1 although the custom still prevails of sitting up to see the ,old ,year out and the ,new ,year in4 ,there was also keen anxiety felt as to how the wind blew on ,new ,year's ,eve1 for ,if ,new ,year's ,eve night wind blow ,south1 ,it betokeneth warmth and growth2 ,if ,west1 much milk1 and fish in the sea2 ,if ,north1 much cold and storm there will be2 ,if ,east1 the trees will bear much fruit2 ,if ,northeast1 flee it man and brute4 ,,at ,,christmas ,,time ,at ,christmas time the fields are white1 ,and hill and valley all bedight ,with snowy splendor1 while on high ,the black crows sail athwart the sky1 ,mourning for summer days gone by ,at ,christmas time4 ,at ,christmas time the air is chill1 ,and frozen lies the babbling rill3 ,while sobbingly the trees make moan ,for leafy greenness once their own1 ,for blossoms dead and birdlings flown ,at ,christmas time4 ,at ,christmas time we deck the hall ,with holly branches brave and tall1 ,with sturdy pine and hemlock bright1 ,and in the ,yule-log's dancing light ,we tell old tales of field and fight ,at ,christmas time4 ,at ,christmas time we pile the board ,with flesh and fruit and vintage stored1 ,and mid the laughter and the glow ,we tred a measure soft and slow1 ,and kiss beneath the mistletoe ,at ,christmas time4 ,o ,god and ,father of us all1 ,list to ,thy lowliest creature's call3 ,give of ,thy joy to high and low1 ,comforting the sorrowing in their woe2 ,make wars to cease and love to grow ,at ,christmas time4 ,let not one heart be sad to-day2 ,may every child be glad and gay3 ,bless ,thou ,thy children great and small1 ,in lowly hut or castle hall1 ,and may each soul keep festival ,at ,christmas time4 ,,the ,,new ,,year ,a good ,new ,year1 with many blessings in it6 ,once more go forth the kindly wish and word4 ,a good ,new ,year6 and may we all begin it ,with hearts by noble thought and purpose stirred4 ,the ,old ,year's over1 with its joy and sadness2 ,the path before us is untried and dim2 ,but let us take it with the step of gladness1 ,for ,god is there1 and we can trust in ,him4 ,what of the buried hopes that lie behind us6 ,their graves may yet grow flowers1 so let them rest4 ,to-day is ours1 and it must find us ,prepared to hope afresh and do our best4 ,god knows what finite wisdom only guesses2 ,not here from our dim eyes the mist will roll4 ,what we call failures1 ,he may deem successes ,who sees in broken parts the perfect whole4 ,and if we miss some dear familiar faces1 ,passed on before us to the ,home above1 ,even while we count1 through tears1 their vacant places1 ,he heals our sorrows with ,his balm of ,love4 ,no human lot is free from cares and crosses1 ,each passing year will bring both shine and shower2 ,yet1 though on troubled seas life's vessel tosses1 ,the storms of earth endure but for an hour4 ,and should the river of our happy laughter ,flow 'neath a sky no cloud yet overcasts1 ,we will not fear the shadows coming after1 ,but make the most of sunshine while it lasts4 ,a good ,new ,year6 ,oh1 let us all begin it ,with cheerful faces turning to the light6 ,a good ,new ,year1 which will have blessings in it ,if we but persevere and do aright4 --,e4 ,matheson4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,illustration ,,yule-,,tide ,,in ,,germany ,feed the wood and have a joyful minute1 ,for the seeds of earthly suns are in it4 --,goethe4 ,it was away back in the time of ,alexander the ,great that ,germany was made known to the civilized world by an adventurous sailor named ,pytheas1 a man of more than ordinary talent1 who was sailing northward and discovered a land inhabited by a then unknown people4 ,he reported his discovery to the ,romans1 but the difficulty was that ,pytheas had seen so much more than any of the ,greeks or ,romans of those days that they utterly refused to believe his statements4 ,time has proved that the sailor was nearer right in many of his apparently visionary statements than his countrymen dreamed1 although it has taken centuries to prove the fact in some cases4 ,the people whom ,pytheas then introduced to the polite world were ,teutons1 a branch of the great ,aryan race and closely related to the early ,english4 ,the men were simple1 truthful1 and brave1 but were sadly addicted to drink1 it was said1 and consequently were often quarrelsome4 ,the women were much like those of to-day in their characteristics3 virtuous1 proud1 and dignified2 very beautiful1 with golden-hued hair1 blue eyes1 and fresh1 fair complexions4 ,like most of the early peoples1 the ,teutons worshiped gods and goddesses1 and so have many customs and traditions in common with other branches of the ,aryans4 ,if ,england has enjoyed the merriest ,yule-tides of the past1 certainly ,germany enjoys the merriest of the present1 for in no other country is the day so fully and heartily observed4 ,it is the great occasion of the year and means much to the people4 ,for a week or more before the day1 loads of evergreen trees of all sizes may be seen coming into the cities and towns to be piled up in squares and open places until the entire place looks like a forest of small firs4 ,one wonders where they all come from and for how many years the supply will last1 but it is not likely to fail at present4 ,the ,lutherans gave ,martin ,luther the credit of introducing the ,christmas tree into ,germany4 ,he may have helped to make it popular1 but certainly there is abundant evidence to prove that it was known long before the ,reformer's time4 ,it is generally supposed to have its origin in mythological times and to be a vestige of the marvelous tree1 ,yggdrasil4 ,possibly ,martin ,luther thought of the old story of the tree and imagined1 as he traveled alone one cold night1 how pretty the snow-laden fir-trees along his path would look could they be lighted by the twinkling stars overhead4 ,but whether he had anything to do with it or not1 the tree is now one of the most important features of ,yule-tide among the ,germans of all denominations4 ,nearly ten million households require one or two trees each ,christmas1 varying in height from two to twenty feet4 ,societies provide them for people who are too poor to buy them1 and very few are overlooked at this happy holiday season4 ,the grand ,yule-tide festival is opened on the eve of ,st4 ,nicholas ,day1 ,december sixth2 in fact bazaars are held from the first of the month1 which is really one prolonged season of merrymaking4 ,in ,germany1 ,st4 ,nicholas has a day set apart in his honor4 ,he was born in4 ,palara1 a city of ,lycia1 and but very little is known of his life except that he was made ,bishop of ,myra and died in the year #cdc4 ,it was once the custom to send a man around to personate ,st4 ,nicholas on ,st4 ,nicholas ,eve1 and to inquire how the children had behaved through the year1 who were deserving of gifts1 and who needed a touch of the birch rods that he carried with him into every home4 ,st4 ,nicholas still goes about in some parts of the country1 and in the bazaars and shops are sold little bunches of rods1 real or made of candy1 such as ,st4 ,nicholas is supposed to deal in4 ,in some places ,knight ,rupert takes the place of ,st4 ,nicholas in visiting the houses4 ,but ,kriss ,kringle has nearly usurped the place ,st4 ,nicholas once held in awe and respect by ,german children4 ,illustration3 ,,toy-,,making ,,in ,,germany4 ,how the rough figures are chipped from the wooden ring coming from the cross-section of a tree4 ,because ,st4 ,nicholas ,day came so near to ,christmas1 in some countries the ,saint became associated with that celebration1 although in ,germany the eve of his birthday continues to be observed4 ,germans purchase liberally of the toys and confectionery offered at the bazaars1 and nowhere are prettier toys and confectionery found than in ,germany--the country which furnishes the most beautiful toys in the world4 ,from the palace to the hut1 ,yule-tide is a season of peace1 rest1 joy1 and devotion4 ,for three days1 that is the day before ,christmas1 ,christmas1 and the day after--known as ,boxing-day--all business not absolutely necessary to the welfare of the community is suspended4 ,stores1 markets1 and bazaars present a festive appearance2 the young girl attendants are smiling and happy1 and every one seems in the best of humor4 ,many of the poorer class1 of ,germans do not eat much meat1 but at ,christmas all indulge in that extravagance1 so the markets are unusually crowded4 ,they all like to purchase a plant or a flower for ,christmas and the flower stores are marvels of beauty and sweetness4 ,every one is busy preparing for the great occasion4 ,grown folks become children again in the simplicity of their enjoyment and enter into the excitement with as much enthusiasm as do the children4 ,newspapers are not generally published during the three days of business suspension1 for no one would have time or interest to read them at such a season4 ,in many places churches are open during the week before ,christmas1 for with all the bustle and excitement incident to the preparations1 the people1 young and old1 are filled with a deep spirit of devotion1 and never for an instant forget the significance of the occasion they commemorate4 ,churches are not trimmed nor are they made attractive with flowers1 songs1 or in any special way1 but the people go to listen with devotion to the telling of the old1 old story of ,christ's birthday and of the first ,holy ,night at ,bethlehem4 ,the day before ,christmas all are busy trimming up their homes and preparing for the great day4 ,usually the mother of the household trims the tree1 not admitting any other member of the curious and expectant family into the room4 ,tables are provided for holding the gifts1 as every one in the family is expected to make a gift to every other member1 and it is surprising to note the interest taken in these simple gifts--often a soap-rose1 an artificial flower1 knitted lace1 even sausages1 cheese1 or butter--and with each and all the ever-present ,christmas cake4 ,it is spiced and hard1 cut into every manner of device--men1 women1 animals1 stars1 hearts1 etc4 ,the ,pfeffer ,kuchen 7pepper cakes7 or some similar cakes are to be seen everywhere at ,christmas time4 ,the gifts are often accompanied with short verses1 good1 bad1 or indifferent1 according to the talent of the giver1 but all serve to make the occasion merry4 ,in some families these simple inexpensive gifts are so carefully kept that collections may be seen of gifts received by different members of the family since their infancy4 ,illustration3 ,,decorating ,,the ,,christmas ,,tree4 ,on ,christmas ,eve the guests assemble early1 and by six o'clock a signal is given for the door of the mysterious room to be opened to admit the family to the tree3 ,o ,hemlock tree6 ,o ,hemlock-tree6 how faithful are thy branches6 ,green not alone in summer time1 ,but in the winter's frost and rime6 ,o ,hemlock-tree6 ,o ,hemlock-tree6 how faithful are thy branches6 ,it is ablaze with tiny lighted tapers and radiant with shiny tinsel cut in pretty devices or in thread-like strips4 ,bright balls1 gay toys1 and paper flowers help to enhance its beauty1 and sometimes scenes from sacred history are arranged with toys at the base of the tree4 ,with the distribution of the gifts the fun begins2 each person is expected to kiss every other person present and help make the occasion a merry one4 ,holy ,night1 or1 as the ,germans term it1 ,weihnacht--the ,night of ,dedication--is the time of family reunions1 fun1 and frolic4 ,not alone in homes1 hospitals1 prisons1 barracks1 and elsewhere is the pretty betinseled tree to be seen on ,christmas1 but in burying-grounds1 on the resting-places of the dead1 stand these fresh green trees in evidence of keeping the loved one's memory green4 ,while the custom of having a tree is universal throughout ,germany1 and from thence has been introduced into other countries1 there are many customs peculiar to certain sections4 ,in some of the little out-of-the-way places in the ,tyrolese ,alps the old-time ,miracle ,plays are enacted in a most primitive manner4 ,as the peasants rarely1 if ever1 attend the theatre or have any opportunity to see a modern play1 this occasion attracts them from far and near4 ,where is the theatre1 who are the actors1 do you ask8 ,the theatre is the largest place available1 sometimes a large room1 sometimes a barn1 anything that will accommodate the crowd that is sure to come4 ,in one description of a play given on ,christmas ,day it is stated that the people assembled in a barn belonging to the vicarage to witness the ,paradise ,play4 ,the top of a huge pottery stove at least five feet high served for the throne of ,god the ,father1 the stove being hidden by screens painted to represent clouds4 ,the play began at the beginning1--at ,chaos4 ,a large paper screen bedecked with a profusion of suns1 moons1 stars1 and comets formed a background1 while in front sprawled a number of boys in tights with board wings fastened to their shoulders to represent angels4 ,the language was as simple and primitive as the scenery1 yet for the credulous1 devout peasants no distance is too great1 no passes too steep or rough1 no march on dusty highroads too fatiguing1 if a ,miracle or ,passion ,play is their goal4 ,does it seem sacrilegious8 ,not to those who attend it in the spirit of humility and devotion1 as do these ,tyrolese peasants4 ,in some places plays are given in churches on ,christmas as they were formerly in ,england1 but these are not common1 and are only found in remote places4 ,throughout this country there is always a church service in the morning which is very generally attended1 ,protestants and ,catholics alike making ,christmas the day of all the year in which they attend church4 ,the name ,christmas probably originated from the order that was given for saying mass 7called ,christ-mass7 for the sins of the people on the day that commemorates the ,saviour's ,birth4 ,one beautiful feature of a ,german ,christmas is the wide-spread thought for the poor and the interest taken in them4 ,many wealthy families have charge of a certain number of poor families1 and on ,christmas ,day invite them to their own luxurious homes to receive gifts and enjoy the tree prepared for them4 ,an address1 prayer1 and song as they stand around the tree precedes the distribution of gifts1 usually of clothing and food1 with which the guests fill the bags and baskets they bring with them4 ,and for all there is an abundance of ,pfeffer ,kuchen1 or some other ,christmas cake4 ,in the midst of all the excitement of lighted tree and pretty gifts1 ,german children seldom forget to return thanks for what they receive4 ,they are taught that all these gifts come through the ,christ-child1 and that the occasion is not for selfish enjoyment but to give pleasure to others1 and that no one is too poor to give kindly thought and pleasant words to those around them4 ,in some parts of ,germany--,lorraine is one--the people burn the ,yule-log2 sometimes a huge log that will last through the three days' festivity1 sometimes one so small that the family sit before it until it is all consumed4 ,sometimes a part of the log is suspended from the ceiling of the room and each person present blows at it hoping to make a spark fall on some watching face2 then again some carry a piece of the log to bed with them to protect them from lightning4 ,but the ,yule-log is not very generally known in this land of great pottery stoves and closed fireplaces1 and that may be one reason why post-wagons go rumbling about at ,christmas time1 carrying parcels from place to place and from door to door1 blowing their post-horns continuously1 instead of the parcels being dropped down chimneys by ,santa ,claus4 ,it is customary1 also1 in some parts of the country1 for the people and their animals to fast the day before ,christmas4 ,at midnight the people attend church and it is said that the cattle kneel2 then both man and beast partake of a hearty meal4 ,there are places in the ,german ,alps where it is believed that the cattle are blessed with the gift of language for a while on ,christmas ,eve1 but as it is a very great sin to listen1 no one has yet reported any conversation among them4 ,in another part of the country it is thought that the ,virgin ,mary with a company of angels passes over the land on ,holy ,night1 and so tables are spread with the best the larders afford and candles are lighted and left burning that the angelic visitors may find abundant food should they chance to stop on their way4 ,boxing-day1 when boxes prepared for the poor are distributed1 follows the ,holy ,day and after that business is resumed1 although festivities do not cease4 ,sylvester1 or ,new ,year's ,eve1 is the next occasion to be observed during ,yule-tide4 ,the former name was given in honor of the first pope of that name1 and still retained by many4 ,after the usual church service in the early evening1 the intervening hours before midnight are spent in the most boisterous merriment4 ,fun of all sorts within the limit of law and decency prevails4 ,any one venturing forth wearing a silk hat is in danger of having his hat1 if not his head1 smashed4 ,hat off1 cries the one who spies one of these head-coverings1 and if the order is not instantly obeyed1 woe betide the luckless wearer4 ,at midnight all ,germany1 or at least all in the cities and the larger towns1 may be seen out-of-doors or leaning from windows1 waiting for the bells to ring out the ,old ,year and welcome in the ,new4 ,at first stroke of the bells there arises one universal salute of ,prosit ,neujahr 7,happy ,new ,year74 ,it is all good-natured fun1 a wild1 exuberant farewell to the ,old ,year--the closing scene of the joyous ,yule-tide4 ,,the ,,christmas ,,tree ,the oak is a strong and stalwart tree1 ,and it lifts its branches up1 ,and catches the dew right gallantly ,in many a dainty cup3 ,and the world is brighter and better made ,because of the woodman's stroke1 ,descending in sun1 or falling in shade1 ,on the sturdy form of the oak4 ,but stronger1 ,i ween1 in apparel green1 ,and trappings so fair to see1 ,with its precious freight for small and great1 ,is the beautiful ,christmas tree4 ,the elm is a kind and goodly tree1 ,with its branches bending low3 ,the heart is glad when its form we see1 ,and we list to the river's flow4 ,ay1 the heart is glad and the pulses bound1 ,and joy illumes the face1 ,whenever a goodly elm is found ,because of its beauty and grace4 ,but kinder1 ,i ween1 more goodly in mien1 ,with branches more drooping and free1 ,the tint of whose leaves fidelity weaves1 ,is the beautiful ,christmas tree4 --,hattie ,s4 ,russell4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,illustration ,,yule-,,tide ,,in ,,scandinavia ,the horn was blown for silence1 come was the votive hour2 ,to ,frey's high feast devoted they carry in the boar4 --,frithof's ,saga1 ,trans4 ,bayard ,taylor4 ,to ,norroway1 to ,norroway1 the most northern limit of ,scandinavia1 one turns for the first observance of ,christmas in ,scandinavia1 for the keeping of ,yule-tide in the land of ,odin1 of the ,vikings1 ,sagas1 midnight sun1 and the gorgeous ,aurora ,borealis4 ,this one of the twin countries stretching far to the north with habitations within nineteen degrees of the ,north ,pole1 and the several countries which formed ancient ,scandinavia1 are one in spirit regarding ,christmas although not in many other respects4 ,in the far north among the vast tribe of ,lapps1 in their cold1 benighted country1 as ,christmas approaches each wandering tribe heads its reindeer toward the nearest settlement containing a church1 that it may listen to the story of the first ,christmas morn which is told year after year by the pastor1 and yet is ever new and interesting to the people who come from great distances1 drawn over the fields of crisp snow by their fleet-footed reindeer4 ,the ,lapp is apparently a joyless individual4 ,men1 women1 and children seem bereft of all power of amusement beyond what tends to keep them alive1 such as fishing1 hunting1 and traveling about to feed their herds of reindeer4 ,they have no games1 no gift for music1 they never dance nor play cards1 but year after year drag out an existence1 living within low earth-covered huts or in tents4 ,even the best homes are low and poorly ventilated4 ,for windows are not needed where darkness reigns for months together1 where the sun is not seen at all during six or seven weeks of the year1 and where people live out-of-doors during the long summer day of sunlight that follows4 ,in their low1 stuffy homes which at ,christmas are filled with guests from the wandering ,lapps1 there is no room for the pretty tree and decorative evergreens4 ,the joy afforded these people at ,yule-tide is in the reunion of friends1 in attending church services1 in the uniting of couples in marriage1 and1 alas1 in the abundance of liquor freely distributed during this season4 ,the children are made happy by being able to attend school1 for at ,christmas they are brought into the settlements with friends for this purpose4 ,they have only a few weeks' schooling during the year1 from ,christmas to ,easter1 and while the schoolmasters are stationed at the little towns1 the children work hard to gain the knowledge of books and religion which they crave4 ,in this terrible winter night of existence1 amidst an appalling darkness of ,nature and ,mind1 the one great occasion of the year is ,christmas4 ,not the merry1 bright1 festive occasion of their more favored brothers and sisters1 but what to them is the happiest in the year4 ,christmas ,eve passes unnoticed4 ,the aurora may be even more beautiful than usual1 its waving draperies more fantastic1 more gorgeous-hued1 but it is unnoticed by the ,lapps who have seen it from childhood4 ,men1 women1 children1 servants1 guests1 and animals1 crowd into the small1 low homes1 without a thought of ,santa ,claus coming to visit them4 ,children have no stockings to hang up1 and there are no chimneys for ,santa to descend4 ,in fact1 he and his reindeer1 with their loads of treasured gifts1 probably left this region with the sun1 bound for more congenial places4 ,the church bells break the terrible silence of the sunless towns on ,christmas morning1 and as the fur-encased natives wend their way to church1 greeting one another as they meet1 there is a faint approach to joyousness4 ,of course there must be real sorrow and joy wherever there is life and love1 although among the ,lapps it is hard to discern4 ,during ,yule-tide the ,lapps visit one another1 attend to what governmental business there may be1 give in marriage1 christen the children1 and bury the dead1 whose bodies have lain beneath their covering of snow awaiting this annual visit of the ,norwegian clergyman for their final interment4 ,think of ,christmas without a tree1 without wreaths and flowers1 without stockings full of gifts1 with a dinner of reindeer meat and no plum pudding6 ,and imagine what would be his sensation could a ,lapp child be put into a home in ,england1 ,america1 ,germany1 or even in other parts of ,scandinavia6 ,what would he say could he receive such gifts as were given you last ,christmas6 ,but ,lapps are only a small part of the population of ,norway4 ,norwegian children have many jolly times around the ,christmas trees and enjoy hunting for their little gifts which are often tucked away in various places for them to find4 ,then there are all sorts of pretty games for them to play and quantities of appetizing food prepared for their pleasure4 ,the young folks earn their feast1 for all day long before ,christmas they are busy tying bunches of oats and corn on the trees1 the fences1 the tops of houses and of barns1 and on high poles which they erect in the yards1 until ,from gable1 barn and stable ,protrudes the birdies' table ,spread with a sheaf of corn4 ,the ,norwegians begin their ,christmas with divine services1 after which they meet together for a repast which is an appetizer for the feast to follow4 ,a pipe of tobacco is given to each man and boy present1 then they smoke while the feast1 the great feature of the day1 is being made ready4 ,fish1 poultry1 meats1 and every variety of food known to the ,norwegian housewife is served in courses1 between which toasts are given1 healths drunk1 and the songs of ,norway rendered4 ,among the latter ,old ,norway is always included1 for the people never forget the past history of their beloved country4 ,one of the pretty customs of these occasions is that each guest on arising turns to the host and hostess1 who remain seated at either end of the table1 and1 bowing to each1 expresses his thanks for the meal4 ,illustration3 ,,on ,,the ,,way ,,to ,,christmas ,,eve ,,service ,,in ,,norway4 ,sometimes after the serving of tea at seven o'clock1 little boys in white mantles1 with star-shaped lanterns and dolls to represent the ,virgin and the ,holy ,babe1 enter the room and sing sweet carols4 ,often strolling musicians arrive1 such as go from place to place at ,christmas4 ,after a large supper the guests depart on sledges for their homes1 which are often miles distant4 ,do you suppose on ,christmas ,eve1 as they look toward the fading light in the ,west1 the children of ,norway ever think of their ,scandinavian cousins1 the little ,icelanders1 in their peat houses1 on that isolated island in the sea1 where the shortest day is four hours long1 and where at ,christmas time the sun does not rise above the horizon for a week1 and wonder how they are celebrating ,yule-tide8 ,christmas is a great day with them also1 for they cling to the old songs and customs1 and could the west wind convey the sound of glad voices across the wide expanse of water separating the island from the mainland1 ,norwegian children might hear the ,icelandic children singing one of their sweet old songs4 ,when ,i do good and think aright ,at peace with man1 resigned to ,god1 ,thou look'st on me with eyes of light1 ,tasting new joys in joy's abode4 ,in ,sweden there is a general house-cleaning before ,christmas2 everything must be polished1 scrubbed1 beaten1 and made clean1 and all rubbish burned1 for dirt1 like sinful thoughts1 cannot be tolerated during the holy festival4 ,as early as the first of ,december each housewife starts her preparations for the great day4 ,many have worked all the year making gifts for the occasion1 but now the carpets must come up and be beaten1 the paint must be cleaned1 and the house set in order4 ,the silver which has been handed down from generation to generation1 together with that received on holidays and birthdays1 has to be cleaned and polished1 so must the brasses--the tall fire-dogs1 the stately andirons1 and the great kettles--all must be made to reflect every changing ray of light4 ,then the baking for a well-ordered household is a matter of great moment1 and requires ample time4 ,it is usual to begin at least two weeks before ,christmas4 ,bread is made of wheat and rye flour1 raised over night1 then rolled very thin and cut into discs twelve or fourteen inches in diameter1 with a hole in the center4 ,after having been baked1 these are strung on a stick and left to dry under the beams of the baking-room4 ,as they will keep a long while1 large quantities are made at this season in each household4 ,then follows the making of sweetened1 soft1 rye1 wheat1 and other breads1 as well as the baking of the light yellow 7saffron71 the chocolate-brown1 and thin gray-colored cakes1 and those that are filled with custard4 ,the preparing of ,christmas drinks always requires the close attention of good dames1 for there must be an inexhaustible supply of ,christmas beer1 made of malt1 water1 molasses1 and yeast1 and wine with almonds and spices1 and various other decoctions4 ,then the cheese must be made ready1 not only the usual sour kind1 but the more delicious sweet cheese that is made of sweet milk boiled slowly for hours and prettily moulded4 ,the ,swedish wife is relieved of the burden of making pies1 as her people know nothing about that indigestible mixture so acceptable to ,american palates4 ,the festivities begin with the dressing of the tree the day before ,christmas4 ,in this the older members of the family1 with friends and relatives1 join with great gusto1 preparing paper flowers with which to bedeck the tall evergreen tree which reaches from floor to ceiling4 ,they cut long ribbons of colored paper for streamers1 and make yards of paper fringe to wind with the tinsel among the boughs1 from which are hung bright colored boxes of sweetmeats1 fruit1 and fancy balls4 ,the children are1 of course1 excluded from the room and obliged to content themselves with repeating the tales of ,santa ,claus1 as told by their elders4 ,when a gift is offered in person1 or1 as is more generally the case1 is thrown in the door suddenly by an unseen hand1 there rings a merry ,glad ,frill 7,good ,yule7 meaning ,merry ,christmas1 for that is the wish of the preceding day or days1 rather than of ,christmas itself4 ,on ,christmas ,eve at early nightfall1 when the colored candles are ablaze over the entire tree1 and the great red ball of light shines from its topmost branches1 the children are admitted to the room amidst a babel of shouts and screams of delight1 which are increased upon the arrival of a veritable ,santa ,claus bestrewn with wool-snow and laden with baskets of gifts4 ,on the huge sled are one or more baskets according to the number of bundles to be distributed in the family4 ,each bundle bears the name of the owner on its wrapper1 together with funny rhymes and mottoes1 which are read aloud for the amusement of all4 ,santa ,claus always gives an abundance of valuable counsel and advice to the young folks as he bestows upon them his pretty gifts4 ,after the distribution of gifts and the disappearance of ,santa ,claus1 all join in dancing and singing around the tree simple1 childish jingles such as the following3 ,now is ,christmas here again1 ,now is ,christmas here again1 ,after ,christmas then comes ,easter1 ,cheese and bread and ,christmas beer1 ,fish and rice and ,christmas cheer6 --etc4 ,one of the prettiest dances is that of ,cutting the ,oats1 in which girls and boys--there must be an extra boy--dance in a circle1 singing3 ,cut the oats1 cut the oats1 ,who is going to bind them8 ,that my dearest will have to do1 ,but where will ,i find him8 ,i saw him last eve in the moonlight1 ,in the moonlight clear and bright1 ,so you take one and ,i'll take one1 ,and he will be left without one4 ,the boys represent the cutters and the girls the oats1 and great merriment prevails as the cutters' arms encircle the waists of the pretty oats1 leaving the unfortunate cutter1 whom they all dance around1 bowing scoffingly as they shout3 ,no one did want you1 ,poor sprite1 no one wants you1 ,you are left alone1 ,you are left alone4 ,many of their games are similar to ,blind ,man's ,buff1 ,hunt the ,key1 and ,hot and ,cold1 or ,hunt to the ,music1 the latter being one which by its modulations from pianissimo to forte indicate the hunters' nearness to the object sought for4 ,the game of ,blind ,feeding the ,blind causes much amusement among the juveniles2 two players sit opposite each other blindfolded and endeavor to feed one another with spoonfuls of milk1 and their mishaps are very entertaining to the on-lookers4 ,between the hours of ten and eleven comes the grand ,christmas supper1 when all adjourn to the dining-room to partake of the annual feast for which the housewives have long been preparing4 ,the table is usually tastefully and often elaborately trimmed with flowers and green leaves4 ,the corners of the long snow-white homespun cloth are caught up into rosettes surrounded with long calla or other leaves2 possibly the entire edge of the table is bedecked with leaves and flowers4 ,the butter is moulded into a huge yellow rose resting on bright green leaves1 and the napkins assume marvelous forms under the deft fingers of the artistic housewives4 ,the ,christmas mush holds the first place in importance among the choice viands of the occasion2 it is rice boiled a long while in milk and seasoned with salt1 cinnamon1 and sugar1 and is eaten with cream4 ,several blanched almonds are boiled in the mush and it is confidently believed that whoever finds the first almond will be the first to be married4 ,while eating the mush1 each one is expected to make rhymes about the rice and the good luck it is to bring them1 and the most remarkable poetical effusions are in order on these occasions4 ,the ,christmas fish is to the ,swede what the ,christmas roast-beef is to the ,englishman1 an indispensable adjunct of the festival4 ,the fish used resembles a cod2 it is buried for days in wood ashes or else it is soaked in soda water1 then boiled and served with milk gravy4 ,bread1 cheese1 and a few vegetables follow1 together with a pudding made of salt herrings1 skinned1 boned1 and cut in thin slices1 which are laid in a dish with slices of cold boiled potatoes and hard-boiled eggs1 covered with a dressing of cream1 butter1 and eggs-then baked and served hot4 ,the fish1 rice1 and a fat goose are said to be served at every table on ,christmas from that of the king to that of the commonest of his subjects4 ,christmas morning opens with an early service in church1 to which the older members of the family go in sled parties of from forty to fifty sleds1 each drawn by one1 two1 or even three horses1 over whose backs jingle rows of silver-toned bells4 ,the sled parties are an especial feature of ,christmas time4 ,they start out while the stars are still twinkling in the sky1 and the lighted trees are illuminating the homes they pass4 ,the day itself is observed with less hilarity than other days during the season2 the ,second ,christmas1 or day following1 being far gayer4 ,then begin the family parties1 with the looking forward to the great ,twelfth-,night ball1 after which the children and young folks end their evening parties by untrimming the tree of their entertainer amidst peals of laughter1 songs1 and shouts4 ,the tree1 of course1 has been supplied anew with candles1 fruit1 and candy4 ,the first are blown out and the last two struggled for while the tree is drawn slowly toward the door out of which it is finally pitched by the merry crowd4 ,the ,swedes have four legal holidays at ,yule1 beginning the day previous to ,christmas1 and they make merry while they last4 ,besides having the ,jul-gran or ,christmas tree1 each family places in the yard a pole with a sheaf of grain on top for the birds' ,christmas dinner1 a pretty custom common to many countries4 ,business is very generally suspended during ,christmas1 the day following1 ,twelfth ,day1 and the twentieth day4 ,do as your forefathers have done1 and you can't do wrong1 is said to be the motto of the ,swedes4 ,so the customs of their forefathers are strictly observed at ,yule-tide4 ,svea1 the feminine name of ,sweden1 the ,queen of the ,north1 contains what is popularly believed to be the burial-places of ,wodin1 ,thor1 and ,freya4 ,the mounds are about one mile from ,upsala and are visited by travelers from all parts of the world4 ,antiquarian researchers1 however1 have recently had a word to say in doubt whether these mounds contain the remains of the renowned beings1 those ancient travelers4 ,the ,swedes1 however1 still cling to the belief that the bones of ,wodin1 the ,alexander of the ,north1 rest beneath the sod at ,upsala4 ,in these mounds have been found the bones of a woman and of a dog1 a bracelet of filigree work1 and a curious pin shaped like a bird1 but no sign of ,wodin's presence4 ,yet peasants believe that ,wodin passes by on dark nights1 and his horse's shoe1 with eight nail-holes1 is exhibited in the museum at ,utwagustorp4 ,new ,year's ,day is of comparatively little importance2 the ,christmas trees are usually relighted for the enjoyment of the poorer children and gifts are made to the needy4 ,the ,yule festivities are prolonged for two weeks in many places1 during which the people visit from home to home and enjoy many social pleasures4 ,the devout attend church services each day1 abandon all work so far as possible1 and on ,january thirteenth generally finish up the joyous season with a ball4 ,the ,swedes do not trim their churches with evergreen at ,yule-tide as that is an emblem of mourning with them1 and is used instead of crape on the door and often strewn before the hearse and also upon the floor in the saddened homes1 so of course at ,christmas they would not think of using it for decorations4 ,but where they can afford it or can procure them1 they use flowers to decorate their homes4 ,in ,denmark1 ,christmas is a time of unusual merriment and rejoicing4 ,no one who can possibly avoid it works at all from the day before ,christmas until after ,new ,year1 but spends the time in visiting1 eating1 and drinking4 ,may ,god bless your ,christmas2 may it last till ,easter1 is the usual salutation of the season4 ,with the people of ,denmark the favorite dish for ,christmas dinner is a goose2 every one1 even the cattle1 the dog1 and the birds1 receive the best the larder affords on this occasion4 ,there is a peculiar kind of cake that is made for each member of every family1 and1 for some reason not explained1 the saltcellar remains on the table throughout ,yule-tide4 ,those who own fruit-trees feel it incumbent upon them to go at midnight on ,christmas ,eve and with a stick in hand strike each tree three times saying as they do so1 ,rejoice1 ,o ,tree1--rejoice and be fruitful4 ,in ,denmark it is believed by many that the cattle rise on their knees at midnight on ,christmas ,eve1 but no one ever seems to have proved this saying to be true4 ,in this country also the children delight in listening to stories of trolls who have been driven to the island of ,bornhern by the parsons although they once ran riot through ,zealand1 and the little folks sing pretty songs of ,balder1 the sun god1 which are a special feature of the season4 ,it is customary to usher in the ,new ,year with a noise of firearms of every description4 ,,the ,,christmas ,,sheaf ,far over in ,norway's distant realm1 ,that land of ice and snow1 ,where the winter nights are long and drear1 ,and the north winds fiercely blow1 ,from many a low-thatched cottage roof1 ,on ,christmas eve1 'tis said1 ,a sheaf of grain is hung on high1 ,to feed the birds o'erhead4 ,in years gone by1 on ,christmas eve1 ,when the day was nearly o'er1 ,two desolate1 starving birds flew past ,a humble peasant's door4 ,look6 ,look6 cried one1 with joyful voice ,and a piping tone of glee3 ,in that sheaf there is plenteous food and cheer1 ,and the peasant had but three4 ,one he hath given to us for food1 ,and he hath but two for bread1 ,but he gave it with smiles and blessings1 ',for the ,christ-child's sake1' he said4 ,come1 come1 cried the shivering little mate1 ,for the light is growing dim2 ',tis time1 ere we rest in that cosy nest1 ,to sing our evening hymn4 ,and this was the anthem they sweetly sang1 ,over and over again3 ,the ,christ-child came on earth to bless ,the birds as well as men4 ,then safe in the safe1 snug1 warm sheaf they dwelt1 ,till the long1 cold night was gone1 ,and softly and clear the sweet church bells ,rang out on the ,christmas dawn1 ,when down from their covert1 with fluttering wings1 ,they flew to a resting-place1 ,as the humble peasant passed slowly by1 ,with a sorrowful1 downcast face4 ,homeless and friendless1 alas6 am ,i1 ,they heard him sadly say1 ,for the sheriff1 7he wept and wrung his hands7 ,will come on ,new ,year's day4 ,the birdlings listened with mute surprise4 ',tis hard1 they gently said2 ,he gave us a sheaf of grain for food1 ,when he had but three for bread4 ,we will pray to ,god1 ,he will surely help ,this good man in distress2 ,and they lifted their voices on high1 to crave ,his mercy and tenderness4 ,then again to the ,christmas sheaf they flew1 ,in the sunlight1 clear and cold3 ,joy6 joy6 each grain of wheat1 they sang1 ,is a shining coin of gold4 ,a thousand ducats of yellow gold1 ,a thousand1 if there be one2 ,o master6 the wonderful sight behold ,in the radiant light of the sun4 ,the peasant lifted his tear-dimmed eyes ,to the shining sheaf o'erhead2 ',tis a gift from the loving hand of ,god1 ,and a miracle wrought1 he said4 ,for the ,father of all1 who reigneth o'er1 ,his children will ne'er forsake1 ,when they feed the birds from their scanty store1 ,for the blessed ,christ-child's sake4 ,the fields of kindness bear golden grain1 ,is a proverb true and tried2 ,then scatter thine alms1 with lavish hand1 ,to the waiting poor outside2 ,and remember the birds1 and the song they sang1 ,when the year rolls round again3 ,the ,christ-child came on earth to bless ,the birds as well as men4 --,mrs4 ,a4,m4 ,tomlinson4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,illustration ,,yule-,,tide ,,in ,,russia ,light--in the heavens high1 ,and snow flashing bright2-- ,sledge in the distance ,in its lonely flight4 --,shenshin4 ,in this enormous kingdom which covers one-sixth of the land surface of the globe1 and where upwards of fifteen million human beings celebrate in various ways the great winter festival of ,yule-tide1 it will be found that the people retain many traditions of the sun-worshipers1 which shows that the season was once observed in honor of the renewal of the sun's power4 ,with them1 however1 the sun was supposed to be a female1 who1 when the days began to lengthen1 entered her sledge1 adorned in her best robes and gorgeous head-dress1 and speeded her horses summerward4 ,russian myths indicate a connection with the ,aryans in the remote past2 their songs of the wheel1 the log1 the pig or boar1 all show a common origin in centuries long gone by4 ,russia to most minds is a country of cold1 darkness1 oppression1 and suffering1 and this is true to an altogether lamentable extent4 ,but it is also a country of warmth1 brightness1 freedom1 and happiness4 ,in fact1 there are so many phases of life among its vast population that descriptions of ,russian life result about as satisfactorily as did those of ,saxe's ,three blind men of ,hindustan1 who went to see the elephant4 ,each traveler describes the part he sees1 just as each blind man described the part he felt1 and each believes he knows the whole4 ,there are certain general features of the ,yule-tide observance that are typical of the country4 ,one is the singing of their ancient ,kolyada songs1 composed centuries ago by writers who are unknown4 ,they may have been sacrificial songs in heathen days1 but are now sung with fervor and devotion at ,christmas time4 ,in some places a maiden dressed in white and drawn on a sledge from house to house represents the goddess of the ,sun1 while her retinue of maidens sing the ,kolyada1 or carols4 ,here again appears the ancient custom of gift-making1 for the maidens who attend the goddess expect to receive gifts in appreciation of their songs4 ,the word ,kolyada is of doubtful origin4 ,it may refer to the sun1 a wheel1 or a sacrifice2 there is no telling how1 when1 or where it originated1 but the singing of these songs has been a custom of the people from time immemorial1 and after the introduction of ,christianity it became a part of the ,christmas festivities4 ,ralston in his ,songs of the ,russian ,people gives the following translation of one of these peculiar songs3 ,kolyada6 ,kolyada6 ,kolyada has arrived4 ,on the ,eve of the ,nativity1 ,holy ,kolyada4 ,through all the courts1 in all the alleys1 ,we found ,kolyada ,in ,peter's ,court4 ,round ,peter's ,court there is an iron fence1 ,in the midst of the ,court there are three rooms1 ,in the first room is the bright ,moon1 ,in the second room the red ,sun1 ,and in the third room1 the many ,stars4 ,strangely enough the ,russians make the ,moon the master of the mansion above1 and the ,sun the mistress1 a twist about in the conception of these luminaries worthy of the ,chinese1 and possibly derived from some of ,russia's ,eastern invaders4 ,in the above song1 the ,stars1 like dutiful children1 all wish their luminous parents good health1 ,for many years1 for many years4 ,in parts of ,russia1 the ,virgin ,mary and birds take the place of the ,sun and ,stars in these songs1 which are sung throughout the ,yule season by groups of young folks at social gatherings1 or from house to house1 and form the leading feature of the ,christmas festivities4 ,it is hard to realize that the stolid1 fur-clad ,russian is a child of song1 for such seem to belong to sunny climes1 but throughout his life from the cradle to the grave he is accompanied with song4 ,not modern compositions1 for they are quite inferior as a rule1 but those melodies composed ages ago and sung repeatedly through generation after generation1 usually accompanied with dancing in circles4 ,the ,kolyadki cover a variety of themes relating to the gods1 goddesses1 and other celestial beings1 to all of whom ,christian characteristics have been given until they now form the sacred songs of ,yule-tide4 ,on ,christmas ,eve it is customary for the people to fast until after the first service in church4 ,they pray before their respective icons1 or sacred pictures1 recite psalms1 and then all start for the church1 where the service is1 in most respects1 the same as in the ,roman ,catholic ,church4 ,there are many denominations besides the established church of the country that hold services on ,christmas ,eve2 but to whichever one goes1 it is wise to hasten home and to get to bed in season to have a pleasant ,christmas ,eve dream1 as such is sure to come true1 according to ,russian authority4 ,on ,welikikdenj--,christmas--the people partake of an early meal4 ,in some parts of the country it is customary to send extremely formal invitations in the name of the host to the guests who are expected to arrive that day4 ,these are delivered by a special messenger and read somewhat as follows3 ,my master and mistress beg you to consider1 ,father ,artanon ,triphonowitsch1 and you1 ,mother ,agaphia ,nelidowna1 that for thousands of years it has been thus2 with us it has not commenced1 with us it will not end4 ,do not1 therefore1 disturb the festival2 do not bring the good people to despair4 ,without you there will be no pleasure at ,philimon ,spicidonowitsch's1 without you there will be no maiden festival at ,anna ,karpowna's4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,christmas ,,bonfire ,,in ,,russia4 ,who could absent himself after such an invitation as this8 ,the place of meeting has been decided upon weeks earlier1 for it must be with a well-to-do family possessing a large home to accommodate the guests that usually assemble at ,christmas4 ,the fair maidens1 each with her mother and retinue1 arrive first on the scene1 bringing cake and sweetmeats and gifts for the servants4 ,they would sooner freeze in their sledges before the gate than be guilty of alighting without first receiving the greeting of their host and hostess4 ,having been welcomed1 they next pray before the icon1 and then are ready for the pleasures arranged for them4 ,one peculiar phase of these house-parties is the selecting of partners for the maidens1 which is done by the hostess1 the elected sometimes proving satisfactory and sometimes not4 ,they feast1 play games1 go snowballing1 and guess riddles1 always having a jolly good time4 ,reciters of builinas 7poems7 are often present to sing and recite the whole night through1 for of song and poetry the ,russian never tires4 ,a pretty custom very generally observed is the blessing of the house and household4 ,the priest visits each home in his district1 accompanied by boys bearing a vessel of holy water2 the priest sprinkles each room with the water1 each person present kissing the cross he carries and receiving his benediction as he proceeds from room to room4 ,thus each home is sanctified for the ensuing year4 ,the familiar greeting of ,merry ,christmas is not heard in ,russia unless among foreigners1 the usual salutation on this day being ,greetings for the ,lord's birth1 to which the one addressed replies1 ,god be with you4 ,the observance of ,new ,year on ,january first1 according to the ,gregorian ,calendar1 was instituted by ,peter the ,great in #agjj4 ,the previous evening is known as ,st4 ,sylvester's ,eve1 and is the time of great fun and enjoyment4 ,according to the poet1 ,vasili ,andreivich ,zhukivski3 ,st4 ,sylvester's evening hour1 ,calls the maidens round2 ,shoes to throw behind the door1 ,delve the snowy ground4 ,peep behind the window there1 ,burning wax to pour2 ,and the corn for chanticleer1 ,reckon three times o'er4 ,in the water-fountain fling ,solemnly the golden ring ,earrings1 too1 of gold2 ,kerchief white must cover them ,while we're chanting over them ,magic songs of old4 ,ovsen1 a mythological being peculiar to the season1 is supposed to make his entry about this time1 riding a boar 7another indication of ,aryan descent71 and no ,christmas or ,new ,year's dinner is considered complete without pork served in some form4 ,the name of ,ovsen1 being so like the ,french word for oats1 suggests the possibility of this ancient god's supposed influence over the harvests1 and the honor paid him at the ingathering feasts in ,roman times4 ,he is the god of fruitfulness1 and on ,new ,year's ,eve ,russian boys go from house to house scattering oats and other grain while they sing3 ,in the forest1 in the pine forest1 ,there stood a pine tree1 ,green and shaggy4 ,o ,ovsen6 ,ovsen6 ,the ,boyars came1 ,cut down the pine1 ,sawed it into planks1 ,built a bridge1 ,covered it with cloth1 ,fastened it with nails1 ,o ,ovsen6 ,o ,ovsen6 ,who1 who will go ,along that bridge8 ,ovsen will go there1 ,and the ,new ,year1 ,o ,ovsen6 ,o ,ovsen6 ,with this song the young folks endeavor to encourage the people who are about to cross the gulf between the known and the unknown1 the ,past and the ,future ,year2 at the same time they scatter good seed for them to reap a bountiful harvest4 ,often the boys sing the following ,kolyadki3 ,afield1 afield1 out in the open field6 ,there a golden plough goes ploughing1 ,and behind that plough is the ,lord ,himself4 ,holy ,peter helps ,him to drive1 ,and the ,mother of ,god carries the seed corn1 ,carries the seed corn1 prays to the ,lord ,god1 ,make1 ,o ,lord1 the strong wheat to grow1 ,the strong wheat and the vigorous corn6 ,the stalks there shall be like reeds6 ,the ears shall be 7plentiful7 as blades of grass6 ,the sheaves shall be 7in number7 like the stars6 ,the stacks shall be like hills1 ,the loads shall be gathered together like black clouds4 ,how singularly appropriate it seems that boys1 hungry at all times1 should be the ones to implore the god of fruitfulness to bestow upon their people an abundant harvest during the coming year6 ,in ,petrograd the ,new ,year is ushered in with a cannonade of one hundred shots fired at midnight4 ,the ,czar formally receives the good wishes of his subjects1 and the streets1 which are prettily decorated with flags and lanterns1 are alive with people4 ,on ,new ,year's ,day the ,winter ,palace is opened to society1 as is nearly every home in the city1 for at this season1 at least1 hospitality and charity are freely dispensed from palace and cottage4 ,on ,sotjelnik1 the last of the holidays1 the solemn service of ,blessing the ,water of the ,neva is observed4 ,at two o'clock in the afternoon the people who have gathered in crowds at various points along the river witness the ceremony which closes the festivities of ,yule-tide4 ,at ,petrograd a dome is erected in front of the ,winter ,palace1 where in the presence of a vast concourse of people the ,czar and the high church officials in a grand and impressive manner perform the ceremony4 ,in other places it is customary for the district priest to officiate4 ,clothed in vestments he leads a procession of clergy and villagers1 who carry icons and banners and chant as they proceed to the river4 ,they usually leave an open space in their ranks through which all the bad spirits likely to feel antagonistic to the ruler of ,winter--the ,frost ,king--may flee4 ,for water sprites1 fairies1 gnomes1 and other invisibilities1 who delight in sunshine and warmth1 are forced1 through the power of the priest's prayers1 and the showering of holy water1 to take refuge in a hole that is cut in the ice beside a tall cross1 and disappear beneath the cold water of the blessed river4 ,a ,,palm ,,branch ,,from ,,palestine ,branch of palm from ,palestine1 ,tell me of thy native place3 ,what fair vale1 what steep incline1 ,first thy stately growth did grace8 ,has the sun at dawn caressed thee1 ,that on ,jordan's waters shone1 ,have the rough night-winds distressed thee ,as they swept o'er ,lebanon8 ,and while ,solym's sons1 brought low1 ,plaited thee for humble wages1 ,was it prayer they chanted slow1 ,or some song of ancient ages8 ,as in childhood's first awaking ,does thy parent-tree still stand1 ,with its full-leaved branches making ,shadows on the burning sand8 ,or when thou from it wert riven1 ,did it straightway droop and die1 ,till the desert dust was driven ,on its yellowing leaves to die8 ,say1 what pilgrim's pious hand ,cherished thee in hours of pain1 ,when he to this northern land ,brought thee1 fed with tears like rain8 ,or perchance on some good knight1 ,pure in heart and calm of vision1 ,men bestowed thy garland bright-- ,fit as he for realms ,elysian6 ,now preserved with reverent care1 ,at the ,ikon's gilded shrine1 ,faithful watch thou keepest there1 ,holy ,palm of ,palestine4 ,where the lamp burns faint and dim1 ,folded in a mystic calm1 ,near the ,cross--the sign of ,him-- ,rest in safety1 sacred ,palm4 --,michael ,yourievich ,lermontov4 7,translated by ,mrs4 ,rosa ,newmarch47 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,illustration ,,yule-,,tide ,,in ,,france ,i hear along our street ,pass the minstrel throngs2 ,hark6 they play so sweet1 ,on their hautboys1 ,christmas songs6 --,carol4 ,one would naturally imagine that such a pleasure-loving people as the ,french would make much of ,christmas1 but instead of this we find that with them1 excepting in a few provinces and places remote from cities1 it is the least observed of all the holidays4 ,it was once a very gay season1 but now ,paris scarcely recognizes the day excepting in churches4 ,the shops1 as in most large cities1 display elegant goods1 pretty toys1 a great variety of sweetmeats1 and tastefully trimmed ,christmas trees1 for that wonderful tree is fast spreading over ,europe1 especially wherever the ,anglo-,saxon and ,teutonic races have settled4 ,confectioners offer a tempting supply of naulets--little delicate cakes--with a sugar figure of ,christ on top1 pretty boxes made of chocolate containing candy in the form of fruits1 vegetables1 musical instruments1 and even boots and shoes1 and all manner of quaint1 artistic sugared devices1 to be used as gifts or table decorations4 ,early in ,december1 wooden booths and open-air stands are erected throughout the shopping districts for the sale of ,christmas goods4 ,at night they are lighted1 and through the day and evening they are gay with shoppers4 ,many of the booths contain evergreens and fresh green boughs for making the arbre de ,nau4 ,this is a hoop tied with bunches of green1 interspersed with rosy apples1 nuts1 and highly colored1 gaily ornamented eggshells that have been carefully blown for the purpose4 ,the hoops are hung in sitting-rooms or kitchens1 but are used more in the country than in the cities4 ,although the cities are filled with ,yule-tide shoppers and lovely wares1 in order to enjoy a veritable ,merry ,christmas one must seek some retired town and if possible gain access to a home of ancient date1 where the family keep the customs of their ancestors4 ,there he will find the day devoutly and solemnly observed1 and legend and superstitions concerning every observance of the day4 ,he will find that great anxiety is evinced regarding the weather during the twelve days preceding ,christmas1 as that portends the state of the weather for the ensuing twelve months4 ,he will notice that unlike the ,yule-logs of other countries1 those of ,france are not to be sat on1 for if by any chance a person sits on a ,yule-log he will experience such pain as will prevent his partaking of the ,christmas dinner4 ,he will also find that the log has benevolent powers1 and if his shoe is left beside it during the night it will be filled with peppermints or candy4 ,the ashes of the log are believed to be a protection against lightning and bad luck1 so some will be stored away beneath the bed of the master of the house as a means of procuring good-fortune and other blessings during the coming year1 and if he chance to fall sick1 some of the ashes will probably be infused into his medicine and given to him4 ,if the log1 the cosse de ,nau1 is of oak and felled at midnight1 it is supposed to be much more efficacious1 therefore all who can do so procure an oaken log1 at least4 ,in some families where the ,yule-log is lighted1 it is the custom to have it brought into the room by the oldest and youngest members of the family4 ,the oldest member is expected to pour three libations of wine upon the log while voicing an invocation in behalf of wealth1 health1 and general good-fortune for the household1 after which the youngest member1 be he a few days or a few months old1 drinks to the newly lighted fire1--the emblem of the new light of another year4 ,each member present follows the example set by the youngest1 and drinks to the new light4 ,yule-tide in ,france begins on ,st4 ,barbar's ,day1 ,december fourth1 when it is customary to plant grain in little dishes of earth for this saint's use as a means of informing her devotees what manner of crops to expect during the forthcoming year4 ,if the grain comes up and is flourishing at ,christmas1 the crops will be abundant4 ,each dish of fresh1 green grain is used for a centerpiece on the dinner-table4 ,for several days previous to ,christmas1 children go into the woods and fields to gather laurel1 holly1 bright berries1 and pretty lichens with which to build the crche1 their tribute in commemoration of the birth of ,christ4 ,it is a representation of the ,holy ,manger1 which the little folks build on a table in the corner of the living-room4 ,with bits of stones they form a hill1 partly covering the rocky surface with green and sometimes sprinkling it with flour to produce the effect of snow4 ,on and about the hill they arrange tiny figures of men and beasts1 and above the summit they suspend a bright star1 a white dove1 or a gilded figure of ,jehovah4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,christmas ,,tree ,,in ,,paris4 ,after the ceremony of lighting the ,yule-log on ,christmas ,eve1 the children light up the crche with small candles1 often tri-colored in honor of the ,trinity4 ,throughout the work of gathering the material and making and lighting the crche1 they sing carols in praise of the ,little ,jesus4 ,in fact young and old accompany their ,yule-tide labors with carols1 such as their parents and grandparents sang before them1--the famous ,nols of the country4 ,the children continue to light their crche each night until ,epiphany1 the family gathering around and joining in singing one or more of the well-known ,nols1 for ,shepherds at the grange1 ,where the ,babe was born1 ,sang1 with many a change1 ,christmas carols until morn4 ,let us by the fire ,ever higher ,sing them till the night expires4 ,on the eve of ,epiphany the children all march forth to meet the ,magi1 who are yearly expected1 but who yearly disappoint the waiting ones4 ,the custom of hanging sheaves of wheat to the eaves of the houses for the birds' ,christmas1 so commonly observed throughout the cooler countries1 is also observed by the children of ,france1 and the animals are given especial care and attention at this joyous season4 ,each house-cat is given all it can eat on ,christmas ,eve for if1 by any chance1 it mews1 bad luck is sure to follow4 ,of course a great deal is done for the poorer class at ,christmas2 food1 clothing1 and useful gifts are liberally bestowed1 and so far as it is possible1 the season is one of good will and good cheer for all4 ,if the ,french still hold to many of the ,christmas customs bequeathed them by their ,aryan ancestors1 ,new ,year's ,day shows the influence of their ,roman conquerors1 for a combination of ,northern and ,southern customs is noticeable on that occasion4 ,each public official takes his seat of office on that day1 after the manner of the ,romans4 ,family feasting1 exchanging of gifts among friends1 and merrymaking are features of ,new ,year's ,day rather than of ,christmas in ,france1 although children delight in placing their sabots1 or shoes1 on the hearth for the ,christ-child to fill with gifts on ,christmas ,eve4 ,in early times ,new ,year's ,day was the occasion of the ,festival of ,fools1 when the wildest hilarity prevailed1 and for upward of two hundred and forty years that custom continued in favor4 ,now ,christmas is essentially the church festival2 ,new ,year's ,day is the social festival1 and ,epiphany is the oldest festival observed during ,yule-tide in ,france4 ,the latter festival is derived from the ,roman ,saturnalia1 the main feature of the celebration being lawlessness and wild fun4 ,many of the features of former times are no longer in vogue1 but the ,twelfth-,night supper still continues in favor1 when songs1 toasts1 and a general good time finishes the holiday season4 ,december is really the month of song in ,france4 ,from the first to the last every one who can utter a sound is singing1 singing1 singing4 ,strolling musicians go from house to house playing and singing ,nols1 and old and young of all classes in society1 at home and abroad1 on their way to church or to market1 at work or at play1 may be heard singing these fascinating carols4 ,nol signifies good news1 and it has been the greeting of the season since the earliest observance of ,christmas4 ,the word is on every tongue2 salutations1 invocations1 and songs begin and end with it4 ,carols peculiarly adapted to the day or season in time came to be known as ,nols1 and these songs are to be heard everywhere in ,france during the holidays of ,yule-tide4 ,,christmas ,,song ,our ,psalm of joy to ,god ascending ,filleth our souls with ,holy fame4 ,this day the ,saviour ,child was born1 ,dark was the night that now is ending1 ,but on the dawn were angels tending4 ,hail6 ,christmas1 ,hail6 ,christmas morn4 ,in faith we see thee1 ,virgin ,mother1 ,still clasp thy ,son1 and in ,his eyes ,seek ,heaven's own light that in them lies4 ,though narrow shed ,his might confineth1 ,though low in manger ,he reclineth1 ,bright on ,his brow a glory shineth4 ,oh1 ,saviour ,king6 ,hear when we call ,thee1 ,oh1 ,lord of ,angels1 glorious the song1 ,the song ,thy ransom'd people raise1 ,would that our hearts from sin and sorrow ,and earthly bondage now might sever4 ,with ,thee1 ,lord1 reign forever and ever4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,illustration ,,yule-,,tide ,,in ,,italy ,o'er mournful lands and bare1 without a sound1 ,gently1 in broadening flakes1 descends the snow ,in velvet layers4 ,beneath its pallid glow1 ,silent1 immaculate1 all earth is bound4 -,edmondo de ,amicis4 ,italy6 the land of ,dante1 ,petrarch1 ,bocaccio1 ,raphael1 ,michelangelo1 and a host of other shining lights in literature and art6 ,can we imagine any one of them as a boy watching eagerly for ,christmas to arrive2 saving up money for weeks to purchase some coveted dainty of the season2 rushing through crowded streets on ,christmas ,eve to view the ,bambino1 and possibly have an opportunity to kiss its pretty bare toe8 ,how strange it all seems6 ,yet boys to-day probably do many of the same things they did in the long ago during the observance of this holy season in historic1 artistic ,italy4 ,in ,november1 while flowers are yet in bloom1 preparations are begun for the coming festivities4 ,city streets and shops are crowded with ,christmas shoppers1 for beside all the gifts that are purchased by the ,italians1 there are those bought by travelers and foreign residents to be sent to loved ones at home1 or to be used in their own observance of the day1 which is usually after the manner of their respective countries4 ,so shopping is lively from about the first of ,november until after the ,new ,year4 ,the principal streets are full of carriages1 the shops are full of the choicest wares1 and it is to be hoped that the pocketbooks are full of money wherewith to purchase the beautiful articles displayed4 ,during the ,novena1 or eight days preceding ,christmas1 in some provinces shepherds go from house to house inquiring if ,christmas is to be kept there4 ,if it is1 they leave a wooden spoon to mark the place1 and later bring their bagpipes or other musical instruments and play before it1 singing one of the sweet ,nativity songs1 of which the following is a favorite4 ,for ever hallow'd be ,the night when ,christ was born1 ,for then the saints did see ,the holy star of morn4 ,so ,anastasius and ,st4 ,joseph old ,they did that blessed sight behold4 ,chorus3 7in which all present join7 ,when ,father1 ,son and ,holy ,ghost unite ,that man may saved be4 ,it is expected that those who have a presepio are ready by this time to receive guests to pray before it and strolling musicians to sing before it1 for the presepio is the principal feature of an ,italian ,christmas4 ,it is made as expensive as its owner can afford1 and sometimes much more so4 ,it is a miniature representation of the birthplace of ,christ1 showing the ,holy ,family--,joseph1 ,mary1 and the infant ,jesus in the manger--or1 more frequently1 the manger awaiting the infant4 ,this is a doll that is brought in later1 around that each person in the room may pray before it1 and is then solemnly deposited in the manger4 ,there are angels1 and other figures several inches high1 carved in wood--usually sycamore1--prettily colored and introduced to please the owner's taste2 the whole is artistically arranged to represent the scene at ,bethlehem which the season commemorates4 ,when the festivities cease the presepio is taken apart and carefully stored away for use another year4 ,during the ,novena1 children go about reciting ,christmas pieces1 receiving money from those who gather around them to listen1 and later they spend their earnings in buying eels or some other substantial delicacy of the season4 ,the ,cppo1 or ,yule-log1 is lighted at two o'clock the day previous to ,christmas1 on the kitchen hearth in provinces where it is sufficiently cold to have a hearth1 and fires are lighted in other rooms1 for here as elsewhere fire and light are necessary adjuncts of ,christmas4 ,during the twenty-four hours preceding ,christmas ,eve a rigid fast is observed1 and there is an absence of ,christmas cheer in the atmosphere1 for the season is strictly a religious one rather than of a social nature like that of ,northern countries4 ,at early twilight candles are lighted around the presepio1 and the little folks recite before it some poem suitable for the occasion4 ,then follows the banquet1 made as elaborate as possible4 ,the menu varies in different parts of the country1 but in every part fish forms an important item of food4 ,in many places a capon stuffed with chestnuts is considered indispensable1 and the family purse is often stretched to its utmost to provide this luxury1 yet rich and poor deem this one article of food absolutely necessary on this occasion4 ,macaroni is of course the ever-present dish on all occasions throughout the country1 and various sweetmeats are abundantly provided4 ,then comes the drawing of presents from the ,urn of ,fate1 a custom common to many countries4 ,as the parcels are interspersed with blanks1 the drawing from the urn creates much excitement and no little disappointment among the children1 who do not always understand that there will be a gift for each one notwithstanding the blanks4 ,there is no evergreen used in either church or home trimmings1 but flowers1 natural or artificial1 are used instead4 ,soon after nine o'clock the people1 young and old1 leave their homes for some church in which the ,christmas ,eve services begin by ten o'clock4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,game ,,of ,,loto ,,on ,,christmas ,,evening ,,in ,,naples4 ,bright holly-berries1 sweet violets1 stately chrysanthemums1 and pretty olive-trees bedecked with oranges1--such as are bought by those accustomed to having a ,christmas tree1--are displayed in shops and along the streets1 nearly all of which are hung with bright lanterns4 ,the people carry flaming torches to add to the general brightness of the evening1 and in some cities fireworks are set off4 ,from their sun-worshiping ,aryan ancestors ,italy derives the custom of burning the cppo1 the love of light and fire1 and many other customs4 ,a few of these may be traced to ,roman influence4 ,unfortunately many1 very many1 of the old customs1 once so generally observed throughout ,italy1 are now passing out of use4 ,during the past few years several benevolent societies have distributed presents among the poor and needy at ,christmas time1 an event that is known as the ,albero di ,natale--,the ,tree of ,nativity1--but little boys and girls of ,italy do not yet know the delight of having a real ,christmas tree hung with lovely gifts1 such as we have in ,america4 ,at sunset on ,christmas ,eve the booming of cannon from the ,castle of ,st4 ,angelo announces the beginning of the ,holy ,season4 ,papal banners are displayed from the castle1 and crowds wend their way toward ,st4 ,peter's1 the object of every one's desire who is so fortunate as to be in ,rome at this season1 for there the service is the most magnificent in the world4 ,every ,roman ,catholic ,church is crowded on ,holy ,night with men1 women1 and children1 anxious to see the procession of church officials in their beautiful robes1 who carry the ,bambino about the church for the worshipers to behold and kiss its robes or its toe4 ,the larger the church the more beautiful the sight generally1 although to a ,protestant beholder the smaller churches with their enforced simplicity often prove more satisfactory to the spirit of worship4 ,but whether the officials are clothed in scarlet robes1 ermine capes1 and purple cassocks1 and the walls covered with silken hangings of gold and crimson1 with thousands of wax tapers lighted1 and real flowers adorning the altar and organ pipes2 whether the ,madonna on the left of the altar is attired in satin and gleaming with precious jewels1 and the presepio on the right is a marvel of elegance1 with the ,bambino wrapped in gold and silver tissue studded with jewels2 or whether all is of an humble1 simple character2 the devout watch eagerly for the appearance of the ,babe to be laid in the manger when the midnight bells peal forth the glad tidings of its birth4 ,in each church the organ sounds its joyous accompaniment to the sweet voices of the choir which sings the ,magnificat4 ,the music is in itself a rare treat to listeners as it is always the best1 the very best that can be procured4 ,at two o'clock on ,christmas morning the ,shepherds' ,hymn is chanted1 and at five o'clock the first ,high ,mass is held4 ,in some of the larger churches solemn vespers are held ,christmas afternoon1 when the ,holy ,cradle is carried around among the audience4 ,at ,st4 ,peter's it is required that all the men present shall wear dress-suits and that the women be clothed in black1 which offsets the brilliancy of the robes worn by the church officials1 for even the guards on duty are in elegant red and white uniforms4 ,about ten o'clock in the evening a procession of monks1 priests1 bishops1 and cardinals1 walking two and two1 enters the vast building just as the great choir of male voices with organ accompaniment sounds forth the ,magnificat4 ,the procession is long1 glowing in color1 and very attractive to the eye1 but the object of each ,romanist's desire is to see the ,pope1 who1 in magnificent robes1 and seated in his crimson chair1 is borne aloft on the shoulders of four men clothed in violet4 ,on the ,pope's head gleams his richly gemmed tiara and his heavy robes sparkle with costly jewels4 ,waving in front of ,his ,eminence are two huge fans of white ostrich feathers set with eyes of peacock feathers1 to signify the purity and watchfulness of this highest of church functionaries4 ,before ,his ,holiness march the sixty ,roman noblemen1 his ,guard of ,honor1 who form his escort at all church festivals1 while ,cardinals1 ,bishops1 and others1 according to their rank1 march beside him1 or near at hand4 ,with his thumb and two fingers extended in recognition of the ,trinity1 and at the same time showing the ring of ,st4 ,peter which he always wears1 the ,pope1 followed by the ecclesiastic procession1 passes down the nave between the files of soldiers1 blessing the people as he goes4 ,upon reaching the altar the ,pope is escorted to an elevated seat while the choir sings the ,psalm of ,entrance4 ,later1 at the elevation of the ,host1 the cannon of ,st4 ,angelo 7the citadel of ,rome1 which was built in the time of the ,emperor ,hadrian7 booms forth and every ,roman ,catholic bows his head in prayer1 wheresoever he may be4 ,at the close of the service the gorgeous procession is again formed and the ,pope is carried out of the church1 blessing the multitude as he passes4 ,new ,year is the great ,social feature of ,yule-tide in ,italy4 ,visits and some presents are exchanged among friends1 dinner parties1 receptions1 and ftes of all kinds are in order1 but all interest centers in the church observances until ,epiphany1 or ,bafana1 as ,italians term it1 when children hang up their stockings1 cppo boxes are exchanged1 and people indulge in home pleasures to some extent4 ,the wild hilarity of the ,saturnalian festivities of former times is fast dying out1 for the growth of cities and towns has not proved conducive to such observances1 and only in the smaller places is anything of the sort observed4 ,yule-tide in ,italy at the present day is principally a church festival4 ,,the ,,eve ,,of ,,christmas 7#aija7 ,cometh the yearly ,feast1 the wonderous ,holy ,night1 ,worthy of sacred hymn and solemn rite4 ,no harbingers of joy the olden message sing1 ,nor gifts of ,peace to waiting mortals bring4 ,alone the thronging hosts of evil men ,i hear1 ,and see the anxious brow and falling tear4 ,the ,age will bear no yoke2 forgets the ,god above1 ,nor duteous payment yields to parents' love4 ,suspicious ,discord rends the peaceful ,state in twain1 ,and busy ,murder follows in her train4 ,gone are the loyal faith1 the rights revered of old-- ,reigns but a blind and cruel lust of ,gold6 ,o come1 ,thou holy ,child6 ,pity the fallen world1 ,lest it should perish1 into darkness hurled4 ,out of the laboring ,night grant it a newer birth1 ,and a ,new ,age to bloom o'er all the earth4 ,circle with splendors old the brow of ,faith divine2 ,let her full glory on the nations shine4 ,nerve her to battlings new2 palsy her foes with dread2 ,place the victorious laurel on her head4 ,be ,error's mist dissolved1 and ancient feuds repressed1 ,till ,earth at last find quietude and rest4 ,o gentle ,peace1 return nor evermore depart2 ,and link us hand in hand and heart to heart6 --,pope ,leo ,,xiii4 7,translated by ,h4 ,t4 ,henry47 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,illustration ,,yule-,,tide ,,in ,,spain ,with antics and with fooleries1 with shouting and with laughter1 ,they fill the streets of ,burgos--and the ,devil he comes after4 ,in ,spain1 the land of romance and song1 of frost and flowers1 where at ,yule-tide the mountains wear a mantle of pure white snow while flowers bloom gaily in field and garden1 the season's observance approaches more nearly than in any other country to the old ,roman ,saturnalia4 ,the ,celts who taught the ,spaniards the love of ballads and song left some traces of the sun-worshipers' traditions1 but they are few in comparison with those of other ,european countries4 ,spain is a land apparently out of the line of ,wodin's travel and influence1 where one looks in vain for the mysterious mistletoe1 the pretty holly1 and the joyful ,christmas tree4 ,the season is rigidly observed in churches1 but otherwise it loses its spirit of devotion in that of wild revelry4 ,music1 mirth1 and hilarity are the leading features of the occasion1 and home and family pleasures are secondary affairs4 ,of course the customs vary in different provinces1 some of which still cling to primitive forms of observance while others are fast adopting those of foreign residents and becoming ,continental in style4 ,but everywhere throughout the land ,christmas is the day of days1--the great church festival observed by all4 ,the ,noche-buena or ,good ,night1 preceding ,christmas1 finds the shops gay with sweets and fancy goods suitable for holiday wear1 but not with the pretty gifts such as circulate from home to home in northern countries1 for here gifts are not generally exchanged4 ,doctors1 ministers1 and landlords receive their yearly gifts of turkeys1 cakes1 and produce from their dependents1 but the love of presenting dainty ,christmas gifts has not reached the land of the three ,c's--the ,cid1 ,cervantes1 and ,columbus4 ,illustration3 ,,christmas ,,festivity ,,in ,,seville4 ,do you know what you would probably do if you were a dark-cheeked ,spanish lad named ,miguel1 or a bright-eyed1 light-hearted ,spanish maiden named ,dolores8 ,if you were ,miguel you would don your black jacket and brown trousers1 knot your gayest kerchief around your neck1 and with your guitar in hand you would hasten forth to enjoy the fun that prevails in every street of every town in ,spain on ,christmas ,eve1 or1 as it is known there1 the ,noche-buena4 ,if you were pretty ,dolores you would surely wear your red or yellow skirt1 or else of striped red and yellow1 your best embroidered velvet jacket1--handed down from mother to daughter1 and a wonderful sample of the handiwork that once made the country famous1--your numerous necklaces and other ornaments4 ,you would carefully braid your heavy dark tresses and bedeck your shapely head with bright flowers1 then with your panderetta or tambourine in hand1 you too would join the merry throng that fill the air with mirthful songs and music on ,noche-buena2 for remember1 ,this is the eve of ,christmas1 ,no sleep from now till morn4 ,the air is full of the spirit of unrest1 castanets click joyously1 tambourines jingle their silvery strains1 while guitars and other musical instruments help to swell the babel of sound preceding the hour of the midnight mass3 ,at twelve will the child be born1 and if you have not already done some especially good deed to some fellow mortal1 you will hasten to clear your conscience by such an act before the bells announce the hour of its birth4 ,as the stars appear in the heavens1 tiny oil lamps are lighted in every house1 and among all devout ,roman ,catholics the image of the ,virgin is illuminated with a taper4 ,the streets1 which in many cities are brilliantly lighted with electricity1 are crowded with turkeys awaiting purchasers4 ,they are great fat birds that have been brought in from the country and together with quacking ducks and cooing pigeons help to swell the sounds that fill the clear1 balmy air4 ,streets and market-places are crowded with live stock1 while every other available spot is piled high with delicious fruit2--golden oranges1 sober-hued dates1 and indispensable olives2 and scattered among these are cheeses of all shapes and kinds1 sweetmeats of all sorts1 the choice candies that are brought from various provinces1 and quaint pigskins of wine4 ,no wonder every one who can do so hurries forth into the street on ,noche-buena4 ,if you are not tempted to stop and gaze at these appetizing exhibits1 you will pass quickly on to the brightly lighted booths devoted to toys4 ,oh1 what a feast for young eyes6 ,here yours will surely light on some coveted treasure4 ,it may be an ordinary toy1 a drum1 a horn1 or it may be a ,holy ,manger1 ,shepherds1 ,the ,wise ,men1 or even a ,star of the ,east4 ,it is hard to keep one's purse closed among such a surfeit of tempting articles1 and everywhere money flows freely from hand to hand1 although the ,spanish are usually very frugal4 ,as the bells clang out the hour of midnight1 you will hurry to join the throng wending its way to the nearest church1 where priests in their gorgeous robes1--some of them worn only on this occasion and precious with rare embroidery and valuable jewels1--perform the midnight or cock-crow mass1 and where the choir and the priests chant a sweet ,christmas hymn together4 ,what if it is late when the service ends8 ,christmas ,eve without dancing is not to be thought of in ,spain4 ,so you go forth to find a group of ,gipsy dancers who are always on hand to participate in this great festival2 or you watch the graceful ,spanish maiden in her fluffy skirts of lace1 with her deep pointed bodice1 a bright flower in her coal-black hair beside the tall comb1 and her exquisitely shaped arms adorned with heavy bracelets4 ,oh1 what magnificent eyes6 ,what exquisite long lashes6 you exclaim to yourself4 ,see her poise an instant with the grace of a sylph1 one slippered foot just touching the floor1 then click1 click1 sound the castanets1 as they have sounded for upwards of two thousand years and are likely to do for two thousand more1 for their inspiriting click seems necessary to move ,spanish feet and give grace to the uplifted arms4 ,at first she may favor you with the energetic fandango1 or the butterfly-like bolero1 but on ,christmas ,eve the ,jota is the universal favorite4 ,it is danced and sung to music which has been brought down to the present time unwritten1 and which was passed from mouth to mouth through many generations4 ,translated the words read3 ,of ,jesus the ,nativity is celebrated everywhere1 ,everywhere reigns contentment1 everywhere reigns pleasure1 the audience joining in the refrain3 ,long live merrymaking1 for this is a day of rejoicing1 ,and may the perfume of pleasure sweeten our existence4 ,it will probably be late into the morning before the singing1 dancing1 thought-less crowd turns homeward to rest1 and although it is certainly a crowd intoxicated with pleasure1 it is never in that condition from liquor4 ,there are three masses on ,christmas ,day1 and all devout ,catholics attend one of them at least1 if not all4 ,in some places ,nativity plays are given on ,christmas ,eve or else on ,christmas ,day4 ,they are long performances1 but never tedious to the audiences1 because the scenes appeal to them with the force of absolute realism4 ,on ,christmas morning the postmen1 telegraph boys1 and employees of various vocations1 present to their employers and others little leaflets containing a verse appropriate to the day1 or the single sentence ,a ,happy ,christmas1 expecting to receive in return a ,christmas box filled with goodies of some kind4 ,while ,spanish children do not have the ,christmas tree to gather around they do have the pretty ,nacimiento1 made of plaster and representing the place of ,christ's nativity1 with the manger1 tiny men and women1 trees1 and animals1 such as are supposed to have existed at the time and place of the ,nativity4 ,the ,nacimiento 7meaning being born7 is lighted with candles1 and little folks dance gayly around it to the music of tambourines and their own sweet voices1 joyously singing one of the pretty ,nativity songs4 ,groups of children go about the streets singing these songs of which there are many4 ,in this pleasing custom of the ,nacimiento one sees a vestige of the ,saturnalia1 for during that festival small earthenware figures used to be for sale for the pleasure of children4 ,although the ,spanish race is a mixed one and various peoples have been in power from time to time1 at one period the country was1 with the exception of ,basque1 entirely ,romanized4 ,it is interesting to note the lingering influence of this mighty ,roman nation and find in this century that some of the main features of the great ,roman feast are retained in the great ,christian feast at ,yule-tide4 ,southern races were always firm believers in ,fate4 ,the ,mohammedans reverenced the ,tree of ,fate1 but the ,romans held sacred the urn containing the messages of ,fate4 ,so the ,spaniards cling to the urn1 from which at ,christmas gatherings of friends it is the custom to draw the names of the men and women whom ,fate ordains shall be devoted friends during the year1--the men performing all the duties of lovers4 ,this drawing of one's ,fate for the coming year creates great merriment and often no little disappointment4 ,but ,fate is inexorable and what is to be must be1 so the ,spanish maiden accepts graciously the one ,fate thus assigns her4 ,after the midday breakfast on ,christmas morning the people usually seek out-of-door pleasures4 ,among many of the old families only blood relations are expected to eat and drink together on this holy day4 ,ordinarily the ,spaniard may find perfect entertainment in a crust of bread and a bit of garlic as the proverb claims1 but at ,yule-tide his stomach demands many delicacies peculiar to the season4 ,the ,puchero ,olla1 the national dish for dinner1 must have a few extra ingredients added on this occasion4 ,the usual compound of chickens1 capons1 bacon1 mutton1 beef1 pig's feet1 lard1 garlic1 and everything else the larder affords1 is quite insufficient to be boiled together on this occasion4 ,however1 if one has no relatives to invite him to a feast1 it is an easy matter to secure a ,christmas dinner on the streets1 where men are ready to cook for him over their braseros of charcoal and venders are near at hand to offer preserved fruits1 the famous almond rock1 almond soup1 truffled turkey1 or the most desirable of the season's delicacies1--sea-bream1 which is brought from ,cadiz especially for ,christmas use1 and which is eaten at ,christmas in accordance with the old-time custom4 ,nuts of all kinds are abundant4 ,by the side of the streets1 venders of chestnuts--the finest in the world--lean against their clumsy two-wheeled carts1 picturesque in costumes that are ragged and soiled from long service4 ,rich layer-cakes of preserves1 having almond icing with fruits and liquor-filled ornaments of sugar on top1 are frequently sent from friend to friend for dinner4 ,in ,seville1 and possibly in other places1 the people hurry to the cathedral early in the afternoon in order to secure good places before the high altar from which to view the ,siexes1 or dances4 ,yes1 dances6 ,this ceremony takes place about five o'clock just as the daylight fades and night draws near4 ,ten choristers and dancers1 indiscriminately termed ,siexes1 appear before the altar clad in the costume of ,seventeenth-,century pages1 and reverently and with great earnestness sing and dance an old-time minuet1 with castanet accompaniment1 of course4 ,the opening song is in honor of the ,virgin1 beginning3 ,hail1 ,o ,virgin1 most pure and beautiful4 ,among the ancients dancing was a part of religious services1 but it is now seldom seen in churches4 ,this ,christmas dance1 given in a beautiful cathedral just at the close of day1 is a very impressive ceremony and forms a fitting close to the ,spanish ,christmas1 which is so largely made up of customs peculiar to ancient and modern races4 ,in every part of ,spain song and dance form an important part of the festivities of ,yule-tide1 which lasts two weeks1 although the laboring class observe but two days of pleasure4 ,at the palace the ,king holds a reception on ,new ,year's1 not for the public generally1 but for the diplomats and grandees4 ,the higher circles of society observe ,new ,year as a time of exchanging calls and visiting1 feasting and merrymaking4 ,at the banquets of the wealthy every possible delicacy in the way of food is temptingly displayed1 and great elegance in dress indulged in by the ladies1 who wear their finest gowns and adorn themselves in priceless jewels and rare laces4 ,but there is so much etiquette to be observed among this class of ,spaniards that one looks for the real enjoyment of the season among the common classes4 ,in some parts of ,spain bull-fights are given as late as ,december1 but cold weather has a softening effect on the poor bulls and makes them less ferocious1 so unless the season proves unusually warm that favorite entertainment has to be abandoned for a time4 ,meanwhile in the streets and homes one may often see a father on all fours enacting the infuriated bull for his little sons to attack2 in this way he teaches them the envied art of bull-fighting4 ,the ,yule-tide festivities end at ,twelfth ,day1--,epiphany1--when crowds of young folks go from gate to gate in the cities to meet the ,magi1 and after much merriment they come to the conclusion that the ,magi will not appear until the following year4 ,,night ,,of ,,marvels ,in such a marvelous night2 so fair ,and full of wonder1 strange and new1 ,ye shepherds of the vale1 declare-- ,who saw the greatest wonder8 ,who8 7,first ,shepherd7 ,i saw the trembling fire look wan2 7,second ,shepherd7 ,i saw the sun shed tears of blood2 7,third ,shepherd7 ,i saw a ,god become a man2 7,fourth ,shepherd7 ,i saw a man become a ,god4 ,o1 wondrous marvels6 at the thought1 ,the bosom's awe and reverence move2 ,but who such prodigies hath wrought8 ,what gave such wondrous birth8 ',twas love6 ,what called from heaven the flame divine1 ,which streams in glory far above1 ,and bid it o'er earth's bosom shine1 ,and bless us with its brightness8 ,love6 ,who bid the glorious sun arrest ,his course1 and o'er heaven's concave move ,in tears1--the saddest1 loneliest1 ,of the celestial orbs8 ',twas love6 ,who raised the human race so high1 ,e'en to the starry seats above1 ,that1 for our mortal progeny1 ,a man became a ,god8 ',twas love6 ,who humbled from the seats of light ,their ,lord1 all human woes to prove1 ,led the great ,source of day to night1 ,and made of ,god a man8 ',twas love6 ,yes6 love has wrought1 and love alone1 ,the victories all1--beneath1 above3 ,and heaven and earth shall shout as one1 ,the all-triumphant song ,of love4 ,the song through all heaven's arches ran1 ,and told the wondrous tales aloud1 ,the trembling fire that looked so wan1 ,the weeping sun behind the cloud1 ,a ,god1 a ,god become a man6 ,a mortal man become a ,god4 --,violante ,do ,ceo4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,illustration ,,yule-,,tide ,,in ,,america ,and they who do their souls no wrong1 ,but keep1 at eve1 the faith of morn4 ,shall daily hear the angel-song1 ',to-day the ,prince of ,peace is born4' --,james ,russell ,lowell4 ,to people who go into a new country to live1 ,christmas1 which is so generally a family day1 must of necessity be a lonely1 homesick one4 ,they carry with them the memory of happy customs1 of loved ones far away1 and of observances which can never be held again4 ,so many of the earliest ,christmasses in ,america were peculiarly sad ones to the various groups of settlers2 most especially was this the case with the first ,christmas ever spent by ,europeans in the ,new ,world4 ,the intrepid mariner1 ,christopher ,columbus1 entered the port of ,bohio1 in the ,island of ,hayti1 on ,st4 ,nicholas ,day1 ,december #f1 #adib1 and in honor of the day named that port ,saint ,nicholas4 ,the ,pinta with her crew had parted from the others and gone her own way1 so the ,santa ,maria and the ,nia sailed on together1 occasionally stopping where the port seemed inviting4 ,while in one of these1 ,columbus heard of rich mines not far distant and started for them4 ,the ,admiral and his men were tired from continued watching1 and as the sea was smooth and the wind favorable1 they went to sleep leaving the ship in care of a boy4 ,who he was no one knows1 but he was evidently the first ,christian boy to pass a ,christmas ,eve on this continent1--and a sad one it was for him4 ,the ship struck a sand-bank and settled1 a complete wreck1 in the waters of the ,new ,world4 ,fortunately no lives were lost1 and the wreckage furnished material for the building of a fortress which occupied the men's time during the remainder of the ,yule-tide4 ,the ,nia was too small to accommodate two crews1 therefore on ,christmas ,day many of the men were wondering who were to stay on that far-away island among the strange looking natives of whom they knew nothing4 ,the ,chief of ,guarico 7,petit ,anse71 whom ,columbus was on his way to visit at the time of the disaster1 sent a fleet of canoes to the assistance of the strangers1 and did what he could to make them happy during the day4 ,the ,spaniards and the natives worked until dawn on ,christmas morning1 bringing ashore what they could secure from the wreck1 and storing it away on the island for future use4 ,strange to relate1 they succeeded in saving all of their provisions1 the spars1 and even many of the nails of the wrecked ,santa ,maria4 ,but what a ,christmas morning for ,columbus and his men1 stranded on an island far1 far from home1 among a strange people6 ,there were no festivities to be observed by that sad1 care-worn company of three hundred men on that day1 but the following morning ,chief ,guacanagari visited the ,nia and took ,columbus ashore1 where a banquet was prepared in his honor1 the first public function attended by ,columbus in ,america4 ,it can be pictured only in imagination4 ,there on that beautiful island which seemed to them a paradise on earth1 with tall trees waving their long fronds in the warm breeze1 with myriads of birds such as they had never seen filling the air with song1 ,columbus stood1 attired in his gorgeous uniform and dignified1 as it befitted him to be1 beside his host who was elegantly dressed in a shirt and a pair of gloves which ,columbus had given him1 with a coronet of gold on his head4 ,the visiting chieftains with gold coronets moved about in nature's garb1 among the thousand1--more or less1--who were present as guests4 ,the feast consisted of shrimps1 cassavi1--the same as the native bread of to-day1--and some of their nutritive roots4 ,it was not a sumptuous repast although it may have been a bountiful one1 yet they probably enjoyed it4 ,the work of building a fortress began at once4 ,within ten days the ,fortress of ,navidad was completed4 ,it stood on a hill and was surrounded with a broad1 deep ditch for protection against natives and animals1 and was to be the home of those of the company who remained in the ,new ,world1 for the ,nia was too small to convey all hands across the ocean to ,spain1 and nothing had been heard of the ,pinta4 ,leaving biscuits sufficient for a year's supply1 wine1 and such provisions as could be spared1 ,columbus bade farewell to the forty men whom he was never to see again1 and sailed for the ,old ,world on ,january #d1 #adic4 ,so far as recorded1 ,columbus was the only one among the ,spaniards who received gifts during this first ,yule-tide in ,america4 ,but what seemed a cruel fate to him was the means of bestowing a valuable gift upon the world4 ,had the ,santa ,maria continued her course in safety that ,christmas ,eve there might never have been a fortress or any ,european settlement founded4 ,so1 although it was a sad1 troubled ,yule-tide to the ,spanish adventurers1 it proved a memorable one in the annals of ,america4 ,four hundred years later the anchor of the ,santa ,maria was discovered and brought to the ,united ,states to be one of its treasured exhibits at the great ,columbian ,exposition1 where a descendant of ,columbus was the honored guest of the ,government4 ,one hundred and fifty years after the building of the ,fortress of ,navidad1 after many ineffectual attempts1 a settlement was effected in the ,new ,world by a colony from ,england4 ,they sailed from ,blackwell1 on the ,thames1 on ,december #ai1 #afjf1 and for six weeks were knocking about in sight of ,england4 ,their first ,christmas was spent within sight of their old homes4 ,according to ,captain ,john ,smith's account1 ,it was1 indeed1 but a sorry ,christmas that we spent on board1 as many of them were very sick1 yet ,smith adds1 ,we made the best cheer we could4 ,the colonists landed and solemnly founded ,jamestown on ,may #ac1 #afjg4 ,that year ,yule-tide was spent by ,captain ,smith among the ,powhatan ,indians1 by whom he was taken captive4 ,this colony consisted of men only2 no genuine ,christmas observance could take place without women and children1 and no women arrived until #afji1 and then only twenty came4 ,but after the ninety young women arrived in #afai1 supplied to planters for one hundred pounds of tobacco each1 and a cargo of twenty negroes had landed to help with the work1 there may have been an attempt at keeping ,christmas although there is no record of the fact4 ,at this season there was usually a raid made upon the ,indians4 ,smith's last expedition against them was at ,christmastime1 when1 as he records in his journal1 ,the extreme winde1 rayne1 frost1 and snow caused us to keep ,christmas among the salvages where we weere never more merry1 nor fed on more plenty of good ,oysters1 ,fish1 ,flesh1 ,wild ,fowl and good bread1 nor never had better fires in ,england4 ,in after years prosperity smiled on the land of the ,jamestown settlers4 ,amidst the peace and plenty that followed the earlier years of strife and poverty1 the ,virginians became noted for their hospitality and lavish observance of ,yule-tide4 ,it was the happy home-coming for daughters1 sons1 uncles1 aunts1 and cousins of the first1 second1 and even the third degree4 ,for whosoever was of the name and lineage1 whether rich or poor1 was welcomed at this annual ingathering of the family4 ,every house was filled to overflowing2 great hickory fires were lighted on the open hearths2 the rooms were brilliantly lighted with candles1 and profusely trimmed with greens4 ,from doors and ceilings were hung sprigs of the mysterious mistletoe1 for ,o'er the lover ,i'll shake the berry'd mistletoe2 that he ,may long remember ,christmas1 was the thought of merry maidens as they decorated their homes4 ,christmas brought carriage-loads of guests to these old-time homes1 to partake of the good cheer and enjoy weeks of fun and frolic1 indoors and out4 ,for many days before ,christmas arrived1 colored cooks1 the regular1 and extra ones1 were busy cooking from morning till evening1 preparing for the occasion4 ,the storerooms were replete with every variety of tempting food the ingenious minds of the cooks could devise1 for ,christmas dinner was the one great test of their ability and woe to ,auntie whose fire was too hot1 or whose judgment was at fault on this occasion4 ,illustration3 ,,lighting ,,the ,,yule-,,log ,,in ,,colonial ,,days4 ,to the whites and blacks ,christmas was a season of peace1 plenty1 and merriment4 ,in the ,great ,house and in the cabin there were music1 dancing1 and games until ,new ,year4 ,this was ,hiring ,day1 and among the blacks joy was turned to sadness as husbands1 fathers1 brothers1 and lovers were taken away to work on distant plantations1 for those who hired extra help through the year were often extremely cruel in their treatment of the slaves4 ,the gladsome ,virginia ,christmas in time became the typical one of the ,south1 where it was the red-letter day of the year1 the most joyous of all holidays4 ,the churches were lovingly and tastefully decorated with boughs of green and flowers by the ladies themselves and conscientiously attended by both old and young4 ,in the ,south there was never any of the somberness that attended church services in the ,north among descendants of the ,plymouth ,colony who came to ,america later4 ,the ,puritans of ,england early discountenanced the observance of ,christmas4 ,but among the ,pilgrims who reached the ,american coast in ,december1 #afbj1 were mothers who had lived so long in ,holland they loved the old-time custom of making merry on that day4 ,to these dear women1 and to the kind-hearted1 child-loving ,elder ,brewster1 we are indebted for the first observance of the day held by the ,plymouth ,colony4 ,according to the ,journal of ,william ,bradford1 kept for so many years1 the ,pilgrims went ashore1 and ye #be day 7,dec47 begane to erecte ye first house for comone use to receive them and their goods4 ,bradford conscientiously refrains from alluding to the day as ,christmas1 but descendants of these godly ,puritans are glad to learn that home-making in ,new ,england was begun on ,christmas ,day4 ,many very interesting stories have been written about this first ,christmas4 ,one writer even pictures the more lenient ,elder ,brewster as going ashore that morning and inviting the ,indian ,chief ,massasoit to go aboard the ,mayflower with him4 ,according to the story1 the good man endeavored to impress the chief with the solemnity and significance of the occasion1 and then with ,massasoit1 two squaws1 and six boys and girls1 becomingly attired in paint and feathers1 he returned to the ship4 ,the women and children from over the sea met their new neighbors and guests1 received from them little baskets of nuts and wintergreen berries1 and in exchange gave their guests beads1 toys1 raisins1 and such simple gifts1 to which ,elder ,brewster added a blessing bestowed upon each child4 ,the story reads well4 ,but the truth1 according to history1 makes the first visit of ,massasoit occur some three months later1 on ,march twenty-second4 ,the ,puritans had a happy ,christmas dinner together on board the ship which was the only home they possessed as yet1 and it is to be presumed that the exceedingly conscientious non-observers of the day partook quite as freely of the salt fish1 bacon1 ,brussels sprouts1 gooseberry tarts1 and ,english plum pudding1 as did those homesick1 tear-choked women who prepared the dinner4 ,it is certainly to be regretted that vessels are no longer built with the wonderful storage capacity of the ,mayflower6 ,beside bringing over the innumerable family relics that are treasured throughout this country1 it is stated that this ship brought a barrel full of ivy1 holly1 laurel1 and immortelles1 with which the table was decorated1 and wreaths woven for the children to wear4 ,bless those dear1 brave women who dared to bring green stuff for heathenish decorations way across the ocean6 ,let us add a few extra sprays of green each ,christmas in memory of them4 ,the greens1 plum puddings1 and other good things had such a happy effect that1 according to ,bradford1 at night the master caused us to have some ,beere4 ,this was an event worthy of a capital ,b1 as the men had worked all day in the biting cold at house-building1 with only a scanty supply of water to drink4 ,alas6 ,that ,christmas on the ,mayflower was the last the ,pilgrims were to enjoy for many a long year4 ,other ship-loads of people arrived during the year and in #afba1 ,one ye day called ,christmas ,day1 ye ,gov4 called them out to worke 7as was used71 but ye most of this new company excused themselves and said it wente against their consciences to work on yt day4 ,so ye ,gov4 tould them that if they made it mater of conscience1 he would spare them till they were better informed4 ,so he led away ye rest and left them1 but when they came home at noone from their worke1 he found them in ye streete at play1 openly1 some pitching ye bair1 and some at stoole-ball1 and shuch-like sports4 ,so he went to them and tooke away their implements1 and tould them that was against his conscience1 that they should play and others worke4 ,if they made ye keeping of it mater of devotion1 let them kepe their houses1 but ther should be no gameing or revelling in ye streets4 ,since which time nothing had been attempted that way1 at least openly4 ,and thus ended the last attempt at ,christmas observance during ,governor ,bradford's many terms of office4 ,the ,massachusetts ,colony that arrived in #afcj1 and settled in and around ,boston1 believed that ,christ's mission on earth as the ,saviour of man was too serious a one to be celebrated by the fallen race4 ,he came to save2 they considered it absolutely wicked for any one to be lively and joyous when he could not know whether or no he was doomed to everlasting punishment4 ,beside that1 jollity often led to serious results4 ,were not the jails of ,old ,england full to repletion the day after ,christmas8 ,it was wisest1 they thought1 to let the day pass unnoticed4 ,and so only occasionally did any one venture to remember the fact of its occurrence4 ,among the men and women who came across the ocean during succeeding years there must have been many who differed from the first colony in regard to ,christmas1 for in ,may1 #afei1 the ,general ,court of ,massachusetts deemed it necessary to enact a law3 ,that whosoever shall be found observing any such day as ,christmas or the like1 either by forbearing of labour1 feasting1 or any other way1 upon any such accounts as aforesaid1 shall be subjected to a fine of five shillings4 ,for upward of twenty-two years it remained unlawful in ,massachusetts to have a merry ,christmas4 ,there were no pretty gifts on that day to make happy little ,god-be-thanked1 ,search-the-scriptures1 ,seek-wisdom1 ,prudence1 ,hope1 or ,charity4 ,however1 ,santa ,claus had emissaries abroad in the land4 ,in ,december1 #afhf1 ,governor ,andros1 an ,episcopalian1 and a representative of the ,king1 brought about the first concession in favor of the day4 ,he believed in celebrating ,christmas and intended to hold appropriate services4 ,the law enacted by ,parliament in ,june1 #afdg1 abolishing the observance of the day1 had been repealed in #afei1 and ,gov4 ,andros knew he had the law in his favor4 ,but every meeting-house was conscientiously 7or stubbornly7 closed to him4 ,so he was forced to hold service in the ,town ,house1 going with an armed soldier on each side to protect him from the good will exhibited by his fellow townsmen4 ,he held services that day1 and it is believed to be the first observance of ,christmas held under legal sanction in ,boston4 ,the great concession was made by the ,old ,south ,congregation in #agec when it offered its sanctuary to the worshipers in ,king's ,chapel1 after that edifice was burned1 for them to hold their ,christmas services4 ,it was with the implicit understanding that there was to be no spruce1 holly1 or other greens used on that occasion to desecrate their meeting-house4 ,little by little the day was brought into favor as a holiday1 but it was as late as the year #ahef1 while ,nathaniel ,p4 ,banks was ,governor1 that the day was made a legal holiday in ,massachusetts4 ,the good ,dutch ,fathers1 true to the teachings of their forefathers1 sailed for the ,new ,world with the image of ,st4 ,nicholas for a figurehead on their vessel4 ,they named the first church they built for the much-loved ,st4 ,nicholas and made him patron saint of the new city on ,manhattan ,island4 ,thanks1 many many thanks1 to these sturdy old ,dutchmen with unpronounceable names who preserved to posterity so many delightful customs of ,christmas observance4 ,what should we have done without them8 ,they were quite a worthy people notwithstanding they believed in enjoying life and meeting together for gossip and merrymaking4 ,christmas was a joyful season with them4 ,the churches and quaint gabled houses were trimmed with evergreens1 great preparations were made for the family feasts1 and business was generally suspended4 ,the jolly old ,city ,fathers took a prolonged rest from cares of office1 even ordering on ,december #ad1 #afed1 that1 ,as the winter and the holidays are at hand1 there shall be no more ordinary meetings of this board 7the ,city ,corporation7 between this date and three weeks after ,christmas4 ,the ,court messenger is ordered not to summon any one in the meantime4 ,sensible old souls6 ,they were not going to allow business to usurp their time and thought during this joyful season6 ,the children must have their trees1 hung with gifts2 the needy must be especially cared for1 and visits must be exchanged2 so the ,city was left to take care of itself1 while each household was busy making ready for the day of days1 the season of seasons4 ,what a time those hausfraus had polishing up their silver1 pewter1 brass1 and copper treasures1 in opening up best rooms1 and newly sanding the floors in devious intricate designs6 ,what a pile of wood was burned to bake the huge turkeys1 pies1 and puddings6 ,what pains the fathers took to select the rosiest apples and the choicest nuts to put in each child's stocking on ,christmas ,eve4 ,fortunately1 children obeyed the injunction of ,scripture in those days1 and despised not the day of small things4 ,how fortunate it was that there were no trains or other rapid modes of conveyance to bring visitors from the ,puritan ,colonies at this season4 ,there was no possibility of any of their strict neighbors dropping in unexpectedly to furnish a free lecture1 while the ,dutch families were merrily dancing4 ,the ,puritans were located less than two hundred and eighty-five miles distant1 yet they were more distantly separated by ideas than by space4 ,but a little leaven was eventually to penetrate the entire country1 and the customs that are now observed each ,christmas throughout the ,eastern1 ,middle1 and ,western ,states1 are mainly such as were brought to this country by the ,dutch4 ,americans have none of their own4 ,in fact1 they possess but little that is distinctively their own because they are a conglomerate nation1 speaking a conglomerate language4 ,according to the late ,lawrence ,hutton1 ,our ,christmas carols appear to have come from the ,holy ,land itself2 our ,christmas trees from the ,east by way of ,germany2 our ,santa ,claus from ,holland2 our stockings hung in the chimney1 from ,france or ,belgium2 and our ,christmas cards and verbal ,christmas greetings1 our ,yule-logs1 our boars' heads1 our plum puddings and our mince pies from ,england4 ,our turkey is1 seemingly1 our only contribution4 ,let us add the squash-pie6 ,illustration3 ,,children ,,of ,,many ,,nationalities ,,at ,,christmas ,,celebration ,,in ,a ,,new ,,york ,,school4 ,chinese1 ,italians1 ,swedes1 ,irish1 ,english1 ,german1 ,french1 ,russian1 ,austrian4 ,these customs which have become general throughout the ,united ,states1 varying of course in different localities1 are being rapidly introduced into the new possessions where they are engrafted on some of the prettiest customs observed by the people in former years4 ,in ,porto ,rico on ,christmas ,day they have a church procession of children in beautiful costumes1 which is a very attractive feature4 ,the people feast1 dance1 attend midnight mass on ,christmas ,eve1 then dance and feast until ,christmas morning4 ,in fact they dance and feast most of the time from ,december twenty-fourth until ,january seventh1 when not at church services4 ,on ,twelfth ,night gifts are exchanged1 for as yet ,santa ,claus has not ventured to visit such a warm climate1 so the children continue to receive their gifts from the ,holy ,kings4 ,however1 under the shelter of the ,american ,flag1 the ,christmas tree is growing in favor4 ,in ,hawaii1 so far as possible1 the so-called ,new ,england customs prevail4 ,in the ,philippines even beggars in the streets expect a ,christmas present1 which they solicit in good ,english4 ,so from ,alaska to the ,island of ,tutuila1 the smallest of ,america's possessions1 ,yule-tide is observed in a similar manner4 ,yule-tide has been singularly connected with important events in the history of the ,united ,states4 ,in the year #aggf ,washington crossed the ,delaware on ,christmas night to capture nearly one thousand ,hessians after their ,christmas revelries4 ,a few days later1 ,december #cjth1 ,congress resolved to send ,commissioners to the courts of ,vienna1 ,spain1 ,france1 and ,tuscany2 and as victory followed the ,american leader1 the achievements of this ,yule-tide were declared by ,frederick the ,great of ,prussia to be the most brilliant of any recorded in the annals of military action4 ,the year following1 #aggg1 was probably one of the gloomiest ,yule-tides in the experience of the ,american forces4 ,they lay encamped at ,valley ,forge1 sick and discouraged1 destitute of food1 clothing1 and most of the necessities of life4 ,it was on ,christmas ,eve1 #aghc1 that ,washington laid aside forever his military clothes and assumed those of a civilian1 feeling1 as he expressed it1 relieved of a load of public care4 ,after ,congress removed to ,philadelphia1 ,martha ,washington held her first public reception in the ,executive ,mansion on ,christmas ,eve1 when1 it is stated1 there was gathered the most brilliant assemblage ever seen in ,america4 ,at ,yule-tide a few years later1 #agii1 the country was mourning the death of the beloved ,father of his ,country4 ,in later years1 the season continued prominent in the history of great events4 ,the most notable of these were the two ,proclamations of ,president ,lincoln1 the one freeing the slaves1 ,january #a1 #ahfc1 and the other proclaiming the unconditional pardon and amnesty to all concerned in the late insurrection1 on ,december #be1 #ahfh4 ,and may the peace then declared remain with this people forevermore6 ,,the ,,voice ,,of ,,the ,,christ-,,child ,the earth has grown cold with its burden of care1 ,but at ,christmas it always is young1 ,the heart of the jewel burns lustrous and fair1 ,and its soul full of music breaks forth on the air1 ,when the song of the ,angels is sung4 ,it is coming1 old earth1 it is coming to-night6 ,on snowflakes which covered thy sod1 ,the feet of the ,christ-child fall gently and white1 ,and the voice of the ,christ-child tells out with delight ,that mankind are the children of ,god4 ,on the sad and the lonely1 the wretched and poor1 ,the voice of the ,christ-child shall fall2 ,and to every blind wanderer opens the door ,of a hope which he dared not to dream of before1 ,with a sunshine of welcome for all4 ,the feet of the humblest may walk in the field ,where the feet of the holiest have trod1 ,this1 this is the marvel to mortals revealed1 ,when the silvery trumpets of ,christmas have pealed1 ,that mankind are the children of ,god4 --,phillips ,brooks4 ,,index ,alaska1 #aic ,alexander the ,great1 #ee ,alexander1 ,king of the ,scots1 #db ,alfred1 ,king1 #ce ,american ,flag1 ,the1 #aic ,andros1 ,governor1 #ahg ,archbishop of ,york1 #db ,aryans1 #ac1 #eg1 #ajd ,asia1 #ae ,baal1 #bb ,bambino1 ,the1 #acc1 #ada ,balder1 #ae1 #af1 #ag1 #bb1 #ii ,banks1 ,n4 ,p41 #ahh ,berserks1 ,the1 #bf1 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