OLDER THAN CHRISTIANITY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2545, 24 December 1902, Page 24 (Supplement)

OLDER THAN CHRISTIANITY.

" We all know how old Christmas is, but BSS^^^SBI the merry Christmas — that is, the season of frolic and fun which has been amalgamated with Christmas proper — is much older than Christianity,'" observes a writer. " This joyous institution, which used to make glad the hearts of our savage ancestors, is older than history, and older even than tradition ; for we find traces of it in words and names that have come down from the ages before v/ritten language. The custom of kissing under the mistletoe — there is nothing of this in the Scriptures or the traditions of the Church. It was British before the island was Christian. " The mistletoe, without which Christmas would be considered a poor affair by many, was beyond doubt bequeathed tt> us by the Druids, who held it in deep veneration, though it is not known whether the custom of kissing beneath it originated with those old heathen fellows. " The yule-log, which has also been incorporated into the delights of Christmas, formed in the first place an item in a yearly festival sacred to no less a being than the mighty Thor himself. " Beware, therefore, of enjoying Christmas in the good, old-fashioned style lest you encourage idolatry ! This is what made our Puritan forefathers look askance upon the mincepie and other creature comforts. Strictly speaking, the)' were in the right; but a ' Merry ' ■ Christmas it has ever been. Long may it live ! "

It is well-known that under the microscope snowflakes are seen as beautifully - shaped crystals, varying greatly, however, in their appearance. This difference is due to the varying degrees of frost prevailing at the time of their formation. At Coventry on New Year's Day it was formerly the custom to eat what were known as Godcakes. They were triangular in shape, half an inch thick, and filled with a kind of mincemeat. In Cornwall the Yule Log is called " mock."