CHRISTMAS CHEER

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 72, 18 December 1928, Page 54 (Supplement)

CHRISTMAS CHEER

Its Ancient Significance The joyous familiarity of Christmas is now limited to two brief days, whereas in Medieval England the gladness or Christinas stretched right on to Candlemas (Ephiphany), and the first 12 days were noted for their triumphant hospitality. Modern rush and bustle ignores ancient custom, or merely adapts it to suit personal convenience, whereas each quaint tradition, each holly wreath, is founded on historic fact, and has grown from the life of a people or a faith. The Christian festival of Christmas was synonymous with the old Gothic celebration of the winter solstice, called “Yule," from the Gothic term signifying “awheel” (December being the turning-point in the solar year), and the early Church, with Its farsighted wisdom, adapted existing custom to its own purpose, and pagan festivities were changed into signs of Christian rejoicing. The ancient cus--tom of decking the house with holly and evergreen comes down from Druid times, when directly winter drew near the people made haste, to bring green boughs into their homes, so that the sylvan spirits might And leafy shelter indoors and remain unharmed by frost or cold. The holly, or “holy-tree,” has ever been given a special place in the Christian church, for early believers maintained that it was a miracle tree, and put out its scarlet berries in the midst of snow to welcome the Christ child. From this legend it came to be known as the holy-tree—in Germany “Christdorn,” in Denmark “Christorn,” and in Sweden “Christtorn.” The mistletoe was held'in veneration ages before the Christia era, and Greek a.id Itoman alike knew of the strange “golden bough,” while among the Druids it was regarded with mystic reverence, owing to their sacred number, 3, appearing '• th in berries and leaves. Their name for it was “allheal,” and on the Yuletide festival the priests went in solemn procession to cut it from the trees and lay it on their altars. The Christian Church had divided opinions on this symbolic plant. In some churches it was not permitted as having too pagan an associataion. but in others it ms allowed to enter the Christmas ceremonial. Even as late as the 18th century mistletoe was carried in state each Christmas Eve t< the high altar of York Minster (Eng land) and laid there as an emblem of the advent of the Messiah, while proclamation of peace and pardo - . was read at the gates of the city to each Quarter of heaven Many Christian teachers recognised the symbol! i of the mistletoe as akin to Christian mysteries, and by medieval times it came to be regarded as a sign of the incarnation from the way in which the strangely lovely plant blossomed out of the leafless trunk of the oak tree without partaking of its nature. Ju the very early church Christmas and Epiphany were celebrated together, and, owing to the brilliant iilumii ations in the churches, the festival gained the ancient title of “The Feast of Lights.” The Yult. candle is a blending of pagan and Christian ustom, and it had to be f a certain size an,, thickness, for woe betide the house whose candle burnt out on Christmas Day, and the rite of the candle was continued up to modern times in the ornamental candles, formerly given by grocers to their customers at Yuletide. Th Yule-log was -..ways lighted on the hearth on Christmas Eve with a brand from the last year’s burning, and during the lighting songs were sung and healths drunk to misure good luck and happiness in the ear to come. The log had to be as large as the hearth would allow, or the familj afford, and once lit it must not be suffered to go out or it meant distress in the following months. Christmas was a time of open house and great feasting, when traditional tales were recounted around the blazing fire, and when nobleman and servant met on a merry and joyous equality. The first dish aorne to the table on Christmas Day was the traditional boar’s head, garlanded and stuck with branches of rosemary, and served on a silver platter with much noise of minstrels. A whole lemon was set between the jaws, and no one under the head cook was trusted to bring in the famed dish, which immediately followed the lighting of the Yule-log. The plum pudding—or “plum porridge”— had to be large and rich, for, accon g to one interpretation, the substance of both Christmas pudding and mincepie typified the costly gifts from the East offered at the manger by the wise men. The English mincepie is referred to by one early writer, who says:—“Ev family against Christmas makes a famous pye. which they call christmasspye.

“My dad's a book-keeper,” little James boasted. “You don’t have to tell me,” replied J mall Elizabeth contempously. “He orrowed a book from my papa last SAT and ha JUasn’i leimnofl it yet,’ l

It is a great nostrum: the composition of this pastry is a most learned mixture of neats’ tongues, chicken, eggs, sugar, raisins, lemon and orange peel, and various kinds of spice.” In the North of England a goose was the principal ingredient, and from early times the bakers made tiny paste images at Christmas tide called “Yule cakes,,” or “Yule dough,” similar to the little paste sweetmeats offered in ancient days to the fathers of the Vatican on Christmas eve. The large mincepie, called “mutton-pies” in England in 1596, later “shrld pies,” and under Queen Elizabeth “minced pies,” or “Christmas pies,” probably grew up out of these tiny dough cakes, and till recent times the pie was always cradle, or "coffin,” shaped, to represent the “cratch,” or manger, in which the Christ was laid. So closely identified were mince pies with Christian tradition that at one period, when the doctrine of the Incarnation was threatened, the eating of mince pie at Christinas was & test of orthodoxy.