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Christmas Section Noel, another name for Christmas. which we have borrowed from the French, although tor centuries used In connection with the birth of Christ. was previously used to celebrate another birthday-that of the unconquered sun, who, at, the winter solistic. December 25th. reached the point of his most, northerly journey, and then began his upward climb in the heavens with re- newed vigor. This was naturally a cause for great rejoicing among primitive peoples who depended entirely upon the. moods of nature for a good or poor living. The explanation adopted by most scholars for the pagan and the Chris- tian festivals being on the same day is that, the founders of the Christian Church. fearing to change too dras- tically the habits of the people whose allegiance they wished to secure, re- frained from abolishing the old pagan feasts, but adapted them to the Christ- mas calendar. ptttttetttes, and on Christmas Eve was The moon goes nodding down the west, brought in and lighted with much cere- The drowsy helmsman strikes the many. It bode ill to the house if it went bell; out before the New Year was ushered Rex Judaeoram mm can. in. I chute you, brothers, sing Nowen. The children's symbol. the Christmas Nowell, tree. is a comparatively recent innova- Rex Judaeorum natus est. Yule is the Danish name for Christ- mas. Its origin is lost in antiquity. but in pagan times its represented a two- month tide, covering the second half of November to the first half of Janu- ary. The old pagan customs Which later melted into the Christian festivities were magical rites invoking prosperity from the gods for the coming year. New Year's Day is thus a. far older feast than Christmas, and in pagan times three days at least were given up to riotous life, banqueting and license. Christmas was not only the warm jovial festival it is to-day. To the early Christians their religion was es- sentially one of renunciation. ' To St. Francis It is to St. Francis of Assisi, known to posterity as the patron saint of ani- mals, that we owe the humanizing of Christmas. This Italian monk of the thirteenth century, while not under- estimating the divine side of the Na- tivity, was the first to realize the full poetry of the Christmas. The son of a silk merchant, his appeal was made chiefly to the traders and workmen of the cities. and the growing influence of him and his followers, the Franciscans, was the means of bringing a warm hu- man aspect of Christianity home to the people. To St. Francis the Divine Child was the "Little Brother" of all mankind. When the common people once grasped the story of Christmas. it im- mediately became imbued with the idea of love and brotherhood. and gradually, through many phases Christmas be- came the homely festival it is to-day. Carols as we know them were not introduced into England until the fif- teenth century. Strange to relate, the word "carol" has a secular and even pagan meaning. In twelfth century France, it was used 10 describe singing joined with dancing and had no con- nection whatever with religion. According to old legends, Christmas Eve is charged with the supernatural. In some parts of Europe the idea still exists that on that one night animals gain the power of speech, and it is fatal to hear the beasts talk. Another belief is that at midnight all cattle rise in their stalls or kneel and adore the new-born King. While it is quite probable that the traditional association of the ox and ass with the Nativity is partly respon- sible tor the idea, the legend of talking animals derives from pagan times. The Yule Log in ancient times. and even until the middle ages. had mystic ptttttertles, and on Christmas Eve was brought in and lighted with much cere- mony. It bode ill to the house if it went out before the New Year was ushered in. From Rome Christmas has gradually spread throughout the West. and came to England with St. Augustine. who, on Christmas Day in the year 598, bap- tized more than 10.000 English converts. From Folk Dances Many carols from their structure could easily be derived from the choral dances of the farm folk. the mom. notable’indication of this being their refrain. a survival of the common out- cry of the dancers as they leaped around. Christmas Eve is not observed in England as in is in other European countries. where it is as important-if not more so-than the day itself. It was always at midnight on Christmas Eve that the celebrated Christmas Mass took place, from which Christmas de- rives its name. Even to-day the Armenian Church. knows nothing of December 25th. They still follow the old way and celebrate the Nativity and the Epiphany together on January 8th. Whether Christmas carols were ever danced to ln England is doubtful. but many of them have a lilt and glee which could easily be associated with dancing. In Germany. however. old re- cords tell us that there was choral dancing at Christmas round the cradle of the Christ Child. 1By Douglas Peel) The spell of Christmas has exercised a mystic influence on humanity all down the ages. There is no authentic record of the day nor the month of the birth of Christ, but at various times it has been attributed to every month in the calendar. It was first celebrated on December 25th at Rome about the middle of the fourth century. Previously January 6th (the baptismal date! was the day on which both feasts Were celebrated. The Feast of the Epiphany-com- memorating the visit of the Three Wise Men of the East to the Christ Child-- can be traced back to the second een- tury, and even before that a pagan ritual had always been observed on that day. How Old Are the Old Christmas Customs Some Little Known Facts About Christmas THE PIII CUNNE ADYéNC E... 't110il)Vr_t1lf1t.hlrti) "No Santa Claus? Yes, my little. man, there is a Santa Claus, thank God! The world would indeed be poor without one. It is true that he does not always wear Is There a Santa? Of Course There Is! This is how the late Jacob A. Riis, of New York, explained it to a little friend:-- a white beard mid drive a reindeer team---not always, you know-hut what does it matter. He is Santa Claus with the big, loving, Christmas heart, for all that; Santa Claus with the kind thoughts for everyone that make chil- dren and grown-up people beam with happiness all day long. "And shall I tell you a secret which I did not learn at. the post office, but, it is true all the same-ot how you can always be sure your letters go to him straight by the chimney route? It is this: Send along with them a friendly thought for the boy you don't like; for Jack who punched you, or Jim who was mean to you. The meaner he was the harder do you resolve to make it up: not; to bear him a grudge. That is the stamp for the letter to Santa. Nobody can stop it. not even a cross-draught in the chimney. when it has that on. me, and when you stand in the last of his tracks you will find the blessed Babe of Bethlehem smiling a welcome to you. For then you will be home.", Famous New Yorker Made Answer to a Boy Friend "Beteause-don't you know-Santa Claus is the spirit of Christmas; and ever' and ever so many years ago when the clear little Baby was born after whom we call Christmas, and was cradled in the manger out in the stable because there was not; room in the inn, that Spirit came into the world to soften the hearts of men and make them love one another. Therefore. that is the mark of the Spirit of this day. Don't let anybody or anything rub it out. Then the rest doesn't matter. Let them tear Santa’s white beard off at the Sunday School festival and growl in his bearskin coat. these are only his disguises. The steps of the real Santa Claus you can trace all through the world as you have done here with Decorating the house with holly. laurel and mistletoe has again a dis- tinctly pagan origin, and was frowned upon by the priests in early times. but the old custom stuck and has done to this day. In ancient times the peasants decor- ated their houses with evergreens to give shelter to the “little folk" or fairies during the worst of the winter, being sure that in return for such shelter from the cold leafless woods. they would bless the hotiSes in which they had stayed. The significance of "kissing under the mistletoe" is completely lost in the mists of obscurity, but mistletoe has always been associated with Christmas ritual. The plant was called by the Druids "all healer" and was believed to be a remedy for poison. According to one old village custom, the young men, each time they kissed a girl, plucked a berry from "the golden bough" and when the berires were gone, the privilege ceased. Dear God-they shone in Palestine Like this, and yon pale moon serene Looked doWn among the lowing kine. On Mary and the Nazarine. The angels called trom deep to deep, The burning heavens felt the thrill shaming the flocks of silly sheep And lonely shepherds on the hill. To-night beneath the dripping bows Where flashing bubbles burst and throng, . The bow-wash murmurs and sighs and soughs A message from the angels? sing. (By John Mansfield) A wind is rustling "south and soft." Cooing a quiet country tune, The calm sea sighs, and far aloft The sails are ghostly in the moon titan. tt is of Get-mm origin and even there was not mm until the nine- teenth century. tt it not a luxury for the well-to-do but the very pivot. of the festival tor rich and poor alike. It is kept a closely guarded secret until Christmas Eve. when it is unveiled in the presence of the whole family assem- bled for the purpose. tt is alWays a thing of beauty. sparkling with col- oured light and glittering with fruits and ornaments. We owe its popularity in England to queen Victoria and her consort. Prince Albert. who had one tor their own Christmas celebrations in 1840. It was adopted unanimously by the English nation and from that year became com- pletely naturalized. Unquiet ripples lisp and purr, A block there pipes and chims i' the heave, The wheel-ropes jar. the reef-pints stir Faintly-and it is Christmas Eve. The hushed sea seems to hold her breath, And o'er the giddy, swaying spars. Silent and excellent as Death. The dim blue skies are bright with stars. Christmas Eve at Sea PAWCKUEW%CE%C£%%%%CEM§ mammmmmwwau’wwmc DRI'GGISTS AND PHARMAClSTS Third Ave., Timmins First Av May you find among your presents on Christmas morning the priceless gifts of Health, Happiness and Contentment. We take this opportunity to thank our friends and customers for a Prosperous Year. MOISLEY & BALL Thursday, December 28rd, 1937 First A ve., Schumacher