SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 23 December 1922, Page 7

SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS

RECOLLECT lON S Christmas! What a multitude of memories and associations tumble into the mind at the mention of mis magic word! Como back with me. . . in » minute wo are transported to a in Bethlehem, and see the Virgin . * ther clasping in her arms the tiny Christ-child, whoso birthday it u, while closer and closer creep the cattle, their warm breaths fanning the chill night breeze, and warming the stable with their rude presence. We see the shepherds in the fields, watching then {locks by night, and in the lar arc coming across the desert caravan , in all then* pomp and splendour. the Star shines in all its brilliancy, and the pageant moves slowly in its pence faith and trust towards the little stable in Bethlehem. Our eyes turn to the wonderful offerings of frankincense and myrrh, of purple cloths and fine linens, which the wise men of the East bring to the feet of the tiny Child, Who is to mean so much to mankind. Then for a moment a feeling of horror overcomes us as we remember the slaughter of the ! innocent babies by Herod ! But a sweetness fills our hearts at the remembrance of the Holy Family escaping safely into ].> V |)l Our little Sunday-school creeds , and beliefs! How real they are at tins time! How significant legend of our faith becomes; and it is with hearts full of simplicity that year after vear, we welcome this season and call it truly a Time of peace and good-will towards man. Our offerings are now the frankincense of science, and the myrrh of heart. The purple and line linens of architecture, and the spiced jars of literature. We come with the gilts of knowledge and adaptation him-1 jv in our hands, and we offer them—eventually, for what they are worth to the Giver'of all good things. Christinas, with its tradition of Santa Claus ; its ‘‘pretends’ ’and surprises; its little, happy secrets; its joys and traditional pleasures, is a brief time in the busy year, when we all take hands and agiee iirrnly on one point. There are so many tilings we differ upon, bo little common ground we can meet on sometimes, but here is a place open to all colours, creeds and castes. Christmas! the open ground of the laying down of our armour for a few minutes while wo. take hands and sing the old. familiar songs and good wishes, before starting oh on the precipitous New Year. CURIOUS LEGENDS How many quaint and curious legends obtained credence with our forefathers in connection with the holy time of celebrating the Nativity ! It is still firmly believed in the western parts ot Devonshire, “that at 12 o’clock at night on Christmas Eve, the oxeniu the stalls \wrc always found on their knees in an attitude of devotion.” Bees were believed to sing in their hives at the same time, and bread made on Christmas Eve never turned mouldy. In an old print published in 1701, representing the stable at Bethlehem, with the Holy Family, figures of an ox, a cow, a sheep, a raven ,and a cock are introduced, having labels with Latin inscriptions in their mouths, which are thus explained : —* c Tho cock crowetJi, Christus naius est. (Christ is born), Ihe raven asketh, Juando? (When?) ; the cow replieth, Hac nocte (This night); the ox crieth out, Übi? übi? (Where? where?); the sheep bleateth out, Bethlehem.” The crowing of the cock at break of day has supplied the groundwork of many a fairy-tale and fable. It was said that it was about the time of cock-crow when the Christ-child was born, and again about that time when Ho departed this life. So the significance of the moment stands. In Shakespeare’s time it was strongly believed that at cock-crow, spirits of departed friends were more nearly within the earth’s radius than at any other time, and the master of drama has it that;—

"I have heard, the cock that is the trumpet of the morn Doth with his lofty and shrill-sounding

throat » . Awake the god of day; and at his

warning , . . The extravagant and erring spirit hies To his confine.”

Of ,tho superstitiouns connected with and the customs peculiar to, Christmas,, a volume might bo written. Let it be sufficient to say that, with all our ■worldly wisdom, our successes ,o«r fallings, our creeds ,our hard, matter-of-fact ways, there lies a little romantic tenderness in the hearts of each and all of us at the this time, and we are not, thank Cod ,asbamed of it.

WHAT IT MEANS TO CHILDREN

Christmas stands for many things in the heart of a child. It means presents, Santa Clans down the chimney, stockings, plum-duff, and snap-dragon, crackms and balloons, parlies and holidays, toys and visits. Time of fun and frolic, of care-free spontaneity, of cheery laughter and good fellowship. It is children’s time, because one little Child once made it so. It is the. full point on the long sentence of the past year, and the quotation mark at the beginning of a new era. It, stands for happiness, and to those amongst us who have to count their joys sparingly it stands for the biggest thing in the year. It is Christmas —the culmination of our hopes, and the new beginning of our fading ideals.

CHRISTMAS BOXES A Christinas custom, which has n ine down through the ages, is the giving of a. Christmas box. Christmas wouldn’t he Christmas without "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing!” Yule is the Anglo-Saxon word tor Christmas, and probably the oldest ca.rol, written, one preserved in the British Museum, dates far hack to the days when f’s were used in typing for ss, and when the old-world customs were at their height. Being most original and unusual, here it is:—

WELCOME YULE

Welcome Yule thou merry rnnn in worship of this holy day ! Welcome bo Thou licaven’s King: Welcome, born in one morning -, Welcome, for whom we shall sing Welcome Yule! Welcome be yc, Stephen John ; Welcome Innocents, every one ; Welcome Thomas, Martyr one ; Welcome Yule! Welcome ho ye Candlemass, Welcome he ye Queen of Bliss: Welcome both to more and less, Welcome Yule! Welcome be ye that are hero, Welcome all, and make good cheer. Welcome all another year, Welcome Yule! In the British Museum is a valuable old collection of early carols collected by the Percy Society. Some of those aro most extraordinary, both in their prophetic nature and in their description of the facts of the Nativity. Some, indeed, aro perfectly hard and stern in their acceptances of the Christmas tradition. Upright old people, these parishioners of the early carol-singing days must have been; just —but merciless ; fanatics to a degree, A most beautiful carol, the first real lullaby, is one which unfortunately is

too long to quote. Here is tho begin* mugs

The lovely Lady Mary sang to hei* child, My Son, my Brother, my Father dear, why lyest Thou thus in hayd (winter)? My sweet bird, thus it betide. Though thou lie king veray (truly). But ievertheless 1 will not- cease To sing by, by, lullay ! . _ , „ Now ,sweet Son, since it is so, that ail

thing is at Thy will, _ . I pray Then grant mo a boon, it it he both right and skill (satisfaction). That child or man that will, or can, Be merry upon ray day, To bliss* them bring, And I’ll still sing by, by, lullay ! CHRISTMAS AND”THE OLD FOLKS AT HOME Whatever wo are, whatever wo are doing, our thoughts at this time turn back along the years to when wo were barefooted, happy children with our mothers and fathers at home. Ibis is “home” time. Many a mother whose head is white now looks through the open door at the Christmas stars, and breathes a blessing on her boy or gni wlio is far from her, and treading tho road that she would have smoothed the stones from had she been able_ to. Ami many an old daddy sends his piayeis out after a boy who lies whitely silent under the poppy-fields of France---vim boy whose Christmas never dies. Ana we, wo of the younger set, our thoughts too, turn homeward, and stray tenderly amongst our dear ones, whom we may not he able to be with, but. with "hem we link hands silently across the seas Oi memory, and wish them happiness, joy, and courage to go on! fur the sake ol Aull Laug Sync. —-MeKollar in Sydney Daily telegraph. imwiiiinirrrun —in mm ih wmw> iiihh hh m tnnm