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The People's Paper

Covers Prince Edward

Island Like the Dew

Born ln Bethlehem, Lord of all thc earth. King of Kings.

MAXIMS

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MERE MAN

auli-iletlazztmana" 3g“- "T" . . .. . _ .. lam-- - - CHARUMLCTTETOWN, CANADA, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1940 Second Section 3;“‘.‘l1'..."i-‘.'L‘.lf,’i.'.‘i$.."°3.IZ;3“; iii“... com

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t and beau- tlitll customs practised in the Old World during the festival time of Christmas customs which have been, handed down from sire to son, and which live on through the years ln spite of the inroads that mod- ernism has made. For these old custunls and practices that have wme down from a bygone age seem to have a strange fascination as mo Y-“tlletide season approaches, ‘ml they hold and carry an appeal that teaches out to people of all ranks, and so today in many parts of the world we find them practised 1,, me humblest homes of the peasant. .

And although Christmas is the greatest of all Christian festivals, many of the quaintest customs as- sociatcd with it have come down iron; pagan times, becoming a part of the Christian fastival as the people wove gradually weaned a- way from paganism. For whatever 0t good or beauty was found in paganism the Church adopted as far as it was possible, thereby making the conversion oi many easier than it would have been if all the trap- pings that went with paganism were‘ entirely abolbhed.

Few Christmas stories that come from the Old World fail to mention the Yule log, and in England and other countries it still blazes on the hearth at Christmas time. This was one oi the customs that originated with the pagans, for it. was first

ractiscd in Scandinavia, where a

age log was set on fire in honor of Tilor, whose festival was kept at the time of the winter solstice. In many parts of Europe the dragging llancs from the woods of this Yule log is one of the big events of the year and it is a source oi great. ex- citement, especially to the children.

Aitcr it is brought home it is placed across the wide open hearth and on Christmas Eve it is lighted

by tire master of the house and there it smolders and burns for several days.

The custom of using evergreens for festive decorations goes away back lo the time of Nehemiah, when thc people were commanded to go forth into the mount for olive branches and thick trees with which to make booths. The fir and pine trees have always been class- ed with the world's sacred trees and there are many legends con- neclcri with the use of the fir tree at Christmas.

Some claim that it is of Egyptian origin, as those ancient people had a custom of decorating their homes with the branches of the date palm, which signified that life would be lllllllllshnnt over death. Other-a claim that the Christmas tnee is a continuation of the Assyrian "Tree of Great Light." Rome also claims a part in the origin. while the Norse lttbnds say it comes from the great tree “Yggdrasilfl

From ancient clays the tree has been used by men of all faith as ll Symbol oi life everlasting

Some think that the Christmas tree had its origin in the tinie- honored "Jesse Tree" so often used in church windows and mural Ce- corative schemes. It was a awn- bolic family tree with its root. in JcsFc and its clowning fruit in JfSllS '

The old legend about a saint who camc upon a great company of prone in a forest on a hillside which was crowned by an enor- mous Tunder oak, where a child was bound at the foot oi an altar mill‘ to be sacrificed in ordcr ‘o appease the great god Thor, is mic that is worihly oi mention

'l‘hc fire was burning brightly, sending its flames heavenward. when the saint approached. 1nd

‘ with his staff knocked the axe out of the heathen priests hand as he was about slay the child. Ho then grasped the axe and smashed the al- lar to pieces. A mir- aculous storm arose at this juncture, which broke the sacred tree into four

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E . .7’ pieces. Then th flllllly of Jews. which resulted in V? conversion oi the heathen. “H llllllllg t0 the fir tree, he said; {Ere ls the living tree with no stain of blood on it, it shall be ‘he 51811 0f Your new worship, see how it points to one sky. Let us call it the tree of the Christ Child, yo“ than go no more into the forest to WP tour feasts with secret rlhgg of shame; instead you shall keg them at home with laughter mg $01185 andrites of love A beautiful custom prevails in Iceland on Christmas Eve. In every home a lighted candle is plmed l“ ll-Yl Open window and from there its rays slllne forth into the night. This is done to Euide any Wanderers that might be abmgd- 1°59 they should have to a a; Jer far seeking shelter as Mary HI oseph had to do at Bethlehem. a lll llllllly Darts of Ireland there is 586ml told an Christmas Eve allmfidthe mother of the Savior crs abroad and often comes m the door of some house seeking shelter for herself and babe. so on iiiildiii; iéfilflf °’ . 5P" l“ door for ML e cu s e of the Irl Scotland it i th give double fodder sto Cgtlfigstistlmthtlg night and it is known in mam. Darts of the British Isles as m}. E181" °l We suppers. one of which miSiBitllghtPCrDN and the ‘mm’ “m” A Swish legend tells that Saint 3213f llvded at the time of Christ's in u‘ at} was a little serving maid B nn at Bethlehem to which Mary and Jflsellh came. Because of fome service which she rendered ° Mary when she came there seek- Qmllelé i Stile known as iume " fostcr-mothgroiafl Clix-Eighth means It is believed b ‘ World that the gilt??? 52.22%. 21,‘: one“ Wide °ll this Illilht and are git open all through Chplstmgs RY. and that all who die on this flay are bade to enter. It t5 also believed that no evil spirit of any kind can be abroad on this night. iv Practise their wiles. for all are banished from the face of the earth. for on this night good t-ri. umphs over evil in everything.

At The Shrine 0f Nativity

Pllgllllls FY0111 a war-torn world will arrive bytllousancis on Christ. mus Eve at ..le shrine of the na. tlvlly in Bethlehem to pray mo; CIIPISUS lllcssage again will prevail,

They will pray that peace shall return to nations which have lost. lt-flliey will ask that goodwill will lY-‘lilll again in the hearts of men acwrdma to the teachings of Him whose natal hour they celebrate,

To the worshippers who approach the Church oi the Nativity the message of peace will be clear —as it was on that distant night when Herod ruled Jerusalem. when Christ ivas born to the Virgin Mary.

From a balcony overlooking the 18"’ Square fronting the church, the multitude will be seen slowly approaching the small, breasthigh entrance.

miles of people will stream tilrougil the crypt inside the church itself in which is marked the spot the manger stood which couched Mary so many centuries ago and to which came the Three Wise Men bearing gifts.

Kneeling, black-robed nuns pray continuously to the sound of shuff- ling feet; monks move with long tapers to fulfill their tasks; Britt- ish policemen mingle with civi- lians who ccme to spend Christmas Eve in the holiest city oi Christ- endom.

Throughout the early part of the night hushed throngs will wait for the midnight mass and the climax of the ceremony of the Nativltly — carrying the effigy of the C rlst child from the Convent of Sta. Catherine to the site of the mon-

ger.

As dark falls the church fills rapidly with ranking army officers, members of the consular co , high government officials and and poor of the citizenry -oorne to hear vespers sung in the little town of Bethlehem.

They await the midnight hour, for the bells of Bethlehem to peal the message of peace on earth, to rear the patriarch pl nounoe the onsccration, to see

Jthe jewelled curtains shrouding the

abemacle above the high altar to reveal the baby.

t I .

And it came to pass in those days that there went out a. decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the wolld should be taxed , , , And all “telly, to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also wont up iroln Gnlille, out of the city oi Nazareth. into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem (because he was of the house and lineage oi David): to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn sun, and wrapped him in swaddilng clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them

in the inn.

And there were in the same (ountry shepherds abiding in the {geld

Yuletide Lore

Canada has borrowed Christmas customs from other countries and other centuries-adding nere and discarding there until the customs oi 1940 have evolved.

Santa Claus, for example, bears the name he does in Canada be- cause this is the British version of the Dutch Saint Nicholas. The or- iginal Saint Nicholas was Bishop of Smyrna during the Diocletian 5.0.;- secutions and after nis death he became the natron saint of little children, merchants, travellers, sailors, thieves, pawnbrokers and maiden ladies.

Tile gifts that Sarita Claus is supposed to bring had their origin in a. legend about him which tells how he gave dowrics to three daughters of a poor tradesmen. Out. of this legend grew the cusom oi hanging ull thc stockings of little children on the Eve of St. Nicholas on December 5, the custom being transferred to Christmas later. Oth- ers say the presents given at Christ- mas are birthday presents suggest- ed by example of the Wise Men.

The Chirsilnas tree which has become an almost universal symbol probably came to the North Am- erican continent from German soil although one tradition has it that the Christmas tree had its origin in Egypt at a period long before the Christian era. The palm tree is sup- posed to put forth a branch every month and a spray cf this tree with twelve shoots on it was used in Egypt at the time of the winter solstice as a sign of the year com-

feted.

Holly, with its thorns and blood- red berries, is thought to symbolize the crown of thorns worn by the Saviour. Another belief is that the use of holly as a Christmas decora- tion_ came to us from the pagans. Holly is believed to be particularly hateful to witches and at one time it was thought that, unless a maiden adorned her bed with a sprig of berried holly, she would be visited by a mischevous goblin.

Mistletoe, called by the Druids "Ail-Heal," was thought to hold many miraculous virtues. The Scandinavians dedicated it to their Goddess of Love, F‘riga. Probably the Goddess of Love is n" l. "“‘ for the custom of kissing under the mistletoe.

The superstitious believe that a maiden who ia not kissed under the mistletoe will not marry during the ensu . The privilege of kissing under the mistletoe is sup- posed to be measured by the num- ber of berries the branch contains. The custom in Canada of light- ing shrubs and small trees in the garden with electric light: at Christmas is believed to have been browflt to this country from Sweden when it has long been cus- tomary to leave lights burning in the windows of the house at this

season.

The Was-sail bowl, named from the Saxon "was h l" or "be in health," carried by the children singing carols. owes its origin to ‘he custom of drinking the health of friends in the spiced wine drink at Christmas time in IflQdhlhal days. It was l spiced and sweet.- ‘ned drink served in huge bowls vlfh roasted apples floating in it.

These old customs and other: ‘lave survived alt-‘hoilch time has brought changes in them. And so it. i: that at Christmas quaint eun-

(l5th Century "Nativity" by Francesco di Pietra Santa, Rome)

keepzng v\."..:ll UMI tlltul‘ .._ .. ~-

and they were sore afraid. And the a

"Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great jo Wm 1 glalxldbestoiall people. For unto you is born this day in theycity Co} ing tho Civil War h,» warmly cs- _i1i_ ‘a av our, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto oouscd ‘thc cause of the North and you. ye shall find tile babe wrapped in swaddiing clothes, lying in a

manager."

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly

host praising God and saying.

He comes on the wings of the ages, Tire Child who is ever a. Child, He comes to the shepherds and

sages, To the wise and the undefield.

Three humble shepherds who were tending their flocks bv n’ght on the Juzlcan hills. \V(‘l'8 the first to hear the glorious tidings of the

To-rlsy, during Christmas, priests gm} pllgrlm! proceeded to the spot. singing the gloria.

birth of the Christ Child pro- claimed by the Angels, and were the first to prostrate themselves .n adoration before the HEW-Wm King in the cave of Bethlehem. The number is believed to represent the thlee races descended from Noah, and the ahelllleldfi’ "m" were Joseph. Isaac 01nd Jaco .

In than own country, tradition tells, they were specially honoured after the event which groups them with the Holy Family in the cave, and after their deaths, their bodies were reverently guarded.

This must be true. M. in the fourth century. when St. Helena went to the Holy Land on her successful quest of relics of Our Lord's Passion. she found the Tomb of the shepherds, and around it she had built a beautiful church

toms are followed by a compostm of lore, legend and tradition from many lands, indicative by this very tact ol the universality of the Christmas spirit.

“On Earth peace, goodwill fo- ward men."

which she dedicated to thc hon- our of "The Holy Angels vi the Nativity and the Three Shepherds."

Relics Taken to Spain

To-day, during the sdclrluitics of Christmas, priests and pilgrims pro- ceed to the spot singing the Gloria in honour of the Shepherds it whom the heavenly song of pcacc and goodwill was first sting. But onlv the crypt remains, for thc building fell into decay in atoll‘ the middle of the ninth century. when the bodies oi the Shcphcrus were removed to Jerusalem and were there treasured for nearly one hundred years.

Spanish historians claim that thc bodies were carried to Spain and placed in a church at Ledesma in the diocese of Salamallca. Plus claim seems to be gclluinely fo inc‘- ed for Ledesma was always Sf)"f‘l'illl' noted for its devotion to the Shep- herds of Bethlehem, and further- more, on July 18th, i864, the Bishop of Salamanca caused the relics to be removed from the Church of St. Peter in that city, to thc larger church of SS. Peter and Ferdin- and. Here they were placed beneath the High Altar in a casket. "form- ed as a coffin. nailed. cemented and fastened with a lock."

Village Still There

Before the final sealing they were ludc

examined and found to inc three skulls, several bones.

frag-

‘Yhey walked in threeqeoch group composed of on old nun, a mld- llo-ngel nun, and o youth.

.i..ull.. Ad... .4, l... at t- .

Good King Wenccslus looked ollt,

Brightly shone the moon that night, l with thc swcctness or Fbnelon or

1t.’

ngel said unto them,

menffilill’? 10 Gvil in the highest. and on earth pence, good will toward t.

hflssachusettg in 189i. After a brief but great episoopate he died, un- married, on Juno 23, 1893, and he is _ figures in the history oi the Epis-

Gooil King Wenceslas

C

On the Feast of Stelpllen, When thc snow lay roilnd about, Deep, and crisp. tlucl even:

‘Though the frost was cruel, When a Door mun came ill sight, Gathering winter fuel.

Hillier, page, and stand by me, If thou know’st it, telling, Yonder peasant. who is he’?

Where and what his divclliug? It was not the angel's singing

sire. he lives a good lcagilc hcllce, Underneath the mountain,

Right against the forest fence, By Saint Agnes‘ fountain.

ill the Holy Land. a. young clcrgy- man. the Rmv. Phillips Brozks, wrvle rm of the mst beloved Christmas carols of the nineteenth century.

sccndlult of a gtcnt famlv or Puli- nan divilirs, including thc Rev. John Cotton. He. was one of s1). cOnS, four of .holn entered the lninistery of the Protcstnnt Episcopil Church Hg was born in B0ston, Mass, on v_ ,_ -_ __ December l3, i835. A graduate of came llpzln than, all-ti tile glory oi. the LOlCi shone rcullu about them: Hlllvilid UTllVGY-lll/Y @655‘ he be“ came rector or the Clluch o. the Advent. Philadelphia, in

the rector of TTllliT/v Church, Boston. wllcrc lie pteached. Sunday after Slllltlfl)’. to gzcat congregations un-

sotibcs Phillips glowing words: novel" see his princely form tower- ing six feet and a half in height; his molestic

Not thc precious gnld and incense

=.<.

0 little twou of Bethlehem! How still we sec thee lie;

Vlovc thy deep and dreamiess sleep The silent stars go by;

{ct in Lily dnrk streets shincth The CVCHHSHHg Li/lht;

File hopes and lea s of all the years Are met in thee tonight.

For Chzist is born of Mary, And g-at-hc-rcd all above, ‘Nllilc mortals sleep, tile angels keep Their watch of wrr ilPflilg love. O morning stars, together Proclaim thchcly blr.h! 4 And poise; sing to God the King And peace to men on earth.

ststaaatsaalsastsistelalstalslslzsletsasislclc"c" The Story of this Fine Old Hymn cataracts a"

Spending the Christmas of 1866

Phillips Brooks was a direct de-

1862. Du!‘-

Negro. In 1869 he

il he was consecrated Bishop of

regarded as one of the greatest

opal Church in the United S atcs. OnQ cntllusiasitc biographer de- Brocks in these "Post/verity will

face. combining the llouglltfulncss and fire of Webster

0 Little Town of Bethelhem

No (.‘£il‘ may hear iii- Bllt in this wrlrfrl Cf Wherclncck souls will

Fletcher, lmptcssintg one so filled with light and iii.» that he seemed as ladlam as on angel".

“O little town 0i Bcthlclieln" 1a Phillips B:ooks' hast-known hymn and few Cluistluag carols rival it.

in popularity. He had syc i months in travel and at Clll time, foulld him cit cual country of Nativity of Chi. . After an early dinner," he wrote home, "wa rode to BCLfIiGliCTlI. Ill about two hours we cumc uated on on eastern ‘riduc range o; hills. surrcullricl h;- terraoed ' looking town. better built than any other we have secn Before dark we rode out cf tcwn to the field whet-o they say shepherds saw the star. fenced piece of ground with a cave in it (alLthe Holy plams are caves here), in which strangely enough. they put the shepherds. That Slvry is absurd. but somewhere 1n fields we rode through the shrp- herds must have passed. the shepherds w ~- keeping watch o'er l-ll"ll' In the PTOZTam of thc mas services of the Sunday School of the Church of tho Holy Trinity, Boston. in 1863, the cal-cl was first printed and it ivas sung tn by Mr. Lewis nel- was organist of thr- church and

wChrisimas

How silently, how silently, The wondlous gift Ls glvcll!

So Gcd imparts to hum-in llvazts The blcssings or His heaven.

"i ling,

c ‘l\'l; liilll,

still The deal" Cilrlsi euialx, ill.

O holy child 0f Btthlcllclll! Descend to us, we plcly; Cast out our sills. and on‘. r Be born in us t Wt: hca: the Ch. . The great glad iidditls Oil come to us, abide with u.,

Our- Lord Inlmanuc!

ill,

Li. '\“

Amen. *2 tilt:

his massive flame, first as a gailit. yet

and

SQlllEZ llllli

ill Li)

tock our horses and town, sit- of a. its It is a gaud-