CHRISTMAS

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 16 November 1929, Page 11

CHRISTMAS

"POR many hundreds of years DccemA ber 25 has been accepted throughout Christendom as the date of the Nativity, but before the fifth century there was no consensus of opinion on the subject. • In the early churches there was no uniformity about observing Christmas, some holding the festival in April or May, and others in January, in conjunction with the Epiphany. After this long lapse of time it is hardly likely that the real date of the Nativity can be fixed beyond all dispute. Attempts have been made on astronomical reckonings in order to account for the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem; and it has been argued that December 25 was an unikely date, if the story of the shepherds is accepted, as it would be the height of the rainy season in Judea, and, therefore, not the time of year when shepherds would be watching their flocks by night in the open. However, it was not casually or arbitrarily that December 25 was chosen as the date. One principal cause for fixing this (Late was that practically all the heathen nations regarded the winter solstice as the turning point of the year, when there was a beginning of renewed life and activity on the part of the powers of Nature and of the gods who were merely personifications of these powers. The early Church in her wisdom did not endeavour to banish altogether deep-rooted heathen customs, seeking rather to purify the pagan customs and feasts which she retained, adding to them its grandly devised liturgy besides dramatic representations. Hence December 25 was chosen as Christmas Day, and Christmas became the parent of many later festivals, gathering round it a cycle of festivals which surpassed other groups of Christian holidays in manifold richness ot festal usages. Hence carols, Christmas dramas, reciprocal presents, special dishes for the feast, and special decorations. These were all pagan customs, transformed or adapted to Christian ends. Many customs of ancient origin have come to be incorporated with Christ-

REASON FOR THE DATE

mas celebrations. The Christmas tree is almost certainly a survival from the Roman Saturnalia, having been adopted by Germany and thence spread over Europe. Father Christmas, so beloved by unsophisticated children or Santa Claus, is of course St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children. His day in the calendar is really December 6, but what could be more natural than to postpone his activities for a few days so as to coincide with the major festival? Christmas pantomimes really have a religious origin, but that has long been lost and they have become children’s entertainments. The practice of sending Christmas cards originated in 1840 or thereabouts, and grew very rapidly in popular favour. Inseparably connected with 'Christmas Dav is the following day, Boxing Day. This latter holiday derived its name from the practice of giving on that day gifts of money (Christmas boxes) t'O those of inferior rank, presents on Christmas Day being given to one’s friends and equals. But in the middle of last century this custom became a nuisance and decreased as selfrespect increased. The custom lias now entirely died out, ■ but the name remains and so does the holiday.

The feast of the Epiphany, the 12th day after Christmas, used to be an exceed inglv popular festival, being designed to honour the three Mogi or Kings. Its popularity, however, has waned somewhat, but. it has left its mark in the universal custom of putting small trinkets in the Christmas cakes and puddings, this coming about in the following way. A feature of the “Twelfth Night’’ celebrations used ta be the choosing of a King to preside over the feast. A bean was hidden in the “Twelfth Cake,” which was cut and distributed on the eve of the feast. He in whose portion the bean was found became the “Bean King,” an honour practically unknown in these days when the bean is replaced by the threepenny bit, a thimble, or other small object to be discovered during the Chrsitmas feast.