Origins Os Our Christmas Customs
Look around you! Why are there
candles in your windows? Trees in
your homes? Carols in the church
es? Santa Claus in the chimney?
The beauty of our Christmas sea
son is enough excuse for its being,
hut that beauty is given depth an
hundredfold when we review the
fascinating legends surrounding
each custom. Many pagan feasts
contributed: the Druid fire- festi
val of Juul; Roman Brumalia held
at the winter solstice when the
sun is a born anew, Saturnalia and
Bacchanalia.
Candles In Windows
The custom of placing a lighted
candle in the window came from
Austria. People place this light so
the Christ child would not stumble
as He passed.
Holly, Mistletoe, Greens
Holly ir used for decoration be
cause its thorny leaves represent
the crown of thorns Christ wore;
the berries are drops of blood. Mis
tletoe, that parasitic plant that
seems mysteriously to drop from
the skies with a burden of Christ
mas pearls, was held sacred by
Druid priests, specially when found
on an oak, and figured in their
religious rites. Early Christians in
Rome used evergreens in imitation
of their pagan countrymen to
avoid persecution. England intro
duced ivy.
The Tree
A Christianized Druid priest set
out to destroy the idea of outdoor
human sacrifice under a huge oak.
He felled the oak on Christmas.
His dismayed followers asked what
ceremony then could they nave.
Glancing around he pointed to a
small fir and commanded that it
Le carried indoor to their hall and
crowned with a star to emphasize
♦he commemoration of Christ.
It may be partly a survival of
the Roman custom of decorating
pines with images to symbolize
eternal happinem and fruitfulners.
Another story is that Martin
Luther was one starry Christmas
Eve so impressed with the heav
enly beauty he took a little fir
from his German garden into his
heme and decked it with candles to
eyn bolize the gl «iious heavens.
Carols
The first Christmas carol ever
heard, we like to believe, came ov
er the field of Bethlehem when
Jesus was born—‘‘Glory to God in
the highest, and on earth peace,
good will tward men." But it was
1200 years later that St. Francis of
Assisi and his brothers sang pub
jic carols at Christmas to combat
the unbelief of their time. With
lighted tapers they walked the
streets of the ■'mail Italian village
pouring out thiir hearts in songs
of praise. The car:>l was originally
a song with a dance (French), us
ually a hymn now, though some are
of convivial nature like the English
wassail songs, Carols also form
ed a distill feat'll of Nativity,
Morality and Mystery plays.
Naims For Christmas
“The Feast of Lights" is one of
the oldest names of Christmas.
But in days when our Saxon fore
fathers had just settled the country
that was to be England, Dec. 25
was given to games and feasting
with the night dedicated to Moth
ers and called “Modrenecht." Sons
and daughters all strove to be at
home that night. “Yule” when men
sang and told stories by the cheer
ful blaze of the yulelog came from
the Saxon and Goth winter fire
festival of “Juul”. Our word
comes from “Christ’s Mass.”
The Yule Log
Burning the Yule log originated
among ancient Scandinavians. Dur
ing the period of winter solstice
they kindled great bonfires honor
ing the god Thor. In the time of
feudal lords, cutting and bringing
in the huge Yule log, or “clog" as
then called, was a ceremony of
great importance. One old writer
tells us that it “was to be lighted
with a brand of the last year’s
clog, which had been carefully laid
aside for the purpose, and music
played during the eeremony of
lighting.’’ In some instances wine
was spilled upon it and blessings
of the pagan gods sought for the
household. Up to the days of slav
ery yulelog ceremonies existed in
our south in modified terms. The
slaves had holiday wihle the log
lasted and it is said its endurance
was much aided by being soaked
in water for days before removed
to the “big house”. It often lasted
12 days and nights, hence the ori
gin of “Twelfth Night.”
Santa Claus
The legend of Santa Claus began
with Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, in
the 4th century, patron-saint of
Children. Once he tossed a bag of
money down a poor family’s chim
ney and it fell in a shoe sitting on
the hearth. Thus Dutch boys and
girls place shoes for Santa. His ca
reer is confused with that of a
Dutch boy bishop, St. Nicholas,
who on Dec. 5 went around with a
bundle of switches to punish child
ren who did not say their prayers.
He rewarded those who did. The
same jovial, generous character is
known as Kris Kringle in Germany,
San Klaas in Holland; St. Nicho
las in France, Santa Claus in Amer
ica.
Superstitions
When you first light your tree,
glance at your shadow on the wall.
If it appear headless you will not
live to see another Christmas.
A charred stick from your tree
should be kept to ward off summer
lightning.
In England it is believed that at
midnight Christmas Eve animals
fall to their knees because the Holy
Child was born in a manger. Amer
ica says it is onl Christmas. Roos
ters crow all during the night at
Christmas season for the same
reason.
Kitzbuhel, Austria, is one of the
few places in the world that be
lieves the dead share in Yuletide
celebrations. On Christmas Eve,
this picturesque little village in the
Tyrol decorates each grave in its
cemetery with a tree lighted with
candles.
Standing under mistletoe makes
a girl kissable.
All church trimmings in early
days had to be removed by the end
of January to be ready for Candle
mas Day, Feb. 2, else dire ill luck.
We set the limit at Twelfth Night
or Old Christmas.
The Christ child in disguise
calls at every home on Christmas
Eve. As He is received, so is His
blessing to that house.
Nathan Pearce
Funeral services were held Sat
urday afternoon from his home at
2:00 o’clock for Nathan Pearce, 65,
who succumbed after an illness of
about a year. Rev. H. O. Baker was
in charge of the last rites. He was
assisted by the Sandy Hill Council
of J. O. U. A. M. No. 263 which the
deceased belonged to. Pallbearers
were: H. K. Privette, Charley Priv
ete, W. J. Pearce, W. Ivie eParce,
J. W. Perry, Zeke Martin.
Mr. Pearce, a long time resident
of Zebulon, R 2, in the vicinity of
Pearce’s Store is survived by four
daughters: Mrs. Rufus Johnson,
Mrs. Willard Furgerson, Mrs. Odis
Perry, Mrs. Ennis Perry; two sons:
Davis Peace and Stephenson
Pearce. He also leaves 10 grand
children; 5 brothers, James Pearce,
Simon Pearce, Herman Pearce, Eli
Pearce; and 3 sisters, Mrs. Helen
P. Jones, Mrs. Florence Pearce and
Mrs. G. C. Brannan.
Never judge a man’s actions un
til you know his motive.
■ ■ ■ ■ .i i ■■■ •
If a thing is once begun,
Never leave it till it’s done.
Bailey Takes
Responsibility
Senator Josiah W. Dailey has
publicly asumed responsibility for
the 10-point recovery program
which last week commanded at
tention over the country as a mani
festo, but whose origin was not
definitely known. Senator Bailey
declares the country has reached a
crisis when collectivism is at war
with liberty. He states that invest
ors must have security against
such measures as sitdown strikes
before they can be persuaded to in
vest capital; that this applies not
only to big money, but to the few
hundreds of dollars owned by wid
ows and orphans. He believes that
unlimited spending by the federal
government is prejudical to recov
ery from any depression, especially
the present so-called “recession”.
In conclusion Mr. Bailey declares
that the situation of the United
States today shows strong trends
toward conditions in Russia, Italy
and Germany; that unless a halt
is called, the people in desperation
to “do something” will call for col
lectivism; that the only recourse
is for Congress to take such action
as may be necessary; that the es
sential thing is to give business a
chance and workers the opportuni
ty to earn their living unhamepred
by legislation, taxation, and in
increasing debt.
Lose means to suffer the loss of.
Loose means to set free. They
should not be confused.
Where’s Elmer?
While Elmer’s wife shopped in
the shower, Elmer was elsewhere.
Was she worried? Was she mad?
Not when Elmer arrived home
with her Christmas present—one
of those fine bed room suitee
laMbe Zebulon I
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