FROM MY WINDOW.

Shannon News, 23 December 1921, Page 4

FROM MY WINDOW.

XI—THE GHRIST-CHILD’S FESTIVAL (Specially written i'or the “News.”) ✓ (Ry “ETERA.”) “Some say, that ever ’gainst that season comes Wherein our Saviour's birth is celebrated, The bird of dawning singeth all night long: And then, they say, no spirit dare sin abroad; The nights are wholesome;, then no planets strike, No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm, , So hallow’d and so gracious is the time.” —Shakespeare. * This is so essentially a children’s festival that- we. go out of our way to make it a happy time i'or them. Christmas gives one the same kind oi leeling as mat occasioned by the presence oi a circus in the town. You feel you must beg, borrow or steal some children lor the time being, if you have not . any of your own, to keep in countenance with others and breathe the same holiday atmosphere, li was a kindly hospital matron who said rather paradoxically that she alwavs longed for plenty of children m hospital at Christmas time, so that she could give them a good time.

The celebrations connected with the Christ-child’s birth have come to u* mainly from Pagan sources and lrom different parts of the world and different times. These celebrations we have adopted to suit our Christian religion; for human beings change their religions, but not their natures. It was not until three hundred years alter Christ ascended that people began to adopt the heathen ceremonies, me people no doubt_ feeling the need for a substitute festival. It is all very well to say “Dop’t do this,” but young people, ancient or modern, are anxious to mix in the day’s fun without much thought as to its meaning. It is the re to re best to create new conditions and say: “Do this”-taking care that the new conditions come up to expectation. Do not let us be like the man with ten children who proudly set out to build a new home lor their accomniodation and expansion; and finding expenses becoming too heavy, he said: “We must' economise somewhere; let’s leave out the bath rooms.” In our religion we must provide of our best. *,* * *

When Christ came, heathen celebra-

tions were taking place in Greece, Egypt, Persia and India, but these were entirely contrary to the doctrine of purity, peace and goodwill. At the change into colder weather, the Roman heathen worshippers had a Saturnalia, when master and slave changed position’and clothes, and friends outvied one another in giving valuable gifts, even to making themselves bankrupt. We have our parallel in the Squire’s ball, mentioned in Dickens’ works; where the Squire dances with the cook and the Squire’s lady with the butler. As to- the giving of presents, some of us labour under the delusion of thinking that a gift to be most acceptable must be most expensive, forgetting that a tiny bunch of wild flowers, given in the right spirit, may be just as acceptable. .** * * *

/ Of the different' legends connected with-different customs, the prettiest will be found in the decorating with fir t ree _ our Christmas tree; and the saddest in that of the holly. It is said that the fir was the tree of life, and that when Eve plucked of its fruit the tree became withered and shrunken, and its leaves rolled up into tiny spears. On the night of Christ’s birth it is said to have bloomed again, and we have learnt by this to decorate it with glistening gifts and lights in remembrance of its blooming. From time immemorial the sacred tree has been worshipped. The holly legend'comes, from Denmark, where the people are taught that of its leaves .the crown for our crucified Lord was niade. Its sharp briers turned to pointed leaves when placed on His head, and the berries that had been white were dyed crimson. . ** \ *

The feasting conies from pagan England, - where they roasted the boar’s'head and served the peacock in its feathered robe. And didn’t they prepare the wassail bowl? We have m use to-day some very old Christmas carols, and in at least one church choir library in New Zealand, may be found a set of carol books primed in the old-fashioned way with half of the alphabetical “esses” written like modified “effes.” They are, of course, brought out only at one season of the year, and occasion levity that is pardonable; for how can one read strange music to fit in with words such as these?—

‘This blefsed morn we fee Our fins He takes away. While mortals lieep, their fouls awake” (etc.).

We find that "fouls” in this case are not barn-door ones mis-spelt, but “souls.” It shows how quickly we are disturbed by the strange picturing of a word. The mistletoe does not appear in the decorations in our churches, having been used, by the ancient Druids in their heathen worship; but I have an idea that it is used in the decoration of homes. Can you tell me anything about that?

the fireside stockings seem to have come from both Holland and Germany, while Santa Claus coming down the chimney emanates from the legend of the*'Norse goddess Hertha. In the winter time great festivals were held in her honour, and an altar of flat stones was ei’ecteft in the banqueting hall; an dhere a fire of fir boughs wa slaid, and Hertha descended, through the smoke to foretell the fortunes of those

present. Hertha’s altar stones are our hearth-stones ol to-day, but these seiuom come mio our Christmas celebrations m New Zealand, i'or'in our usually hot summer weather we are grun 10 forget hies and think instead ol trees, and hammocks and ice creams, ice creams?, ui these, more anon.

At Cnrisimas time our family lias 'always sieppeu aside lrom the,.conventional nanging-up oi stockings to bedposts, anu instead iorage on our largest nuis to place in the lender, ’I ins is uone in oruer to laciinate Father Umsmias’ worn; all that he has to do is to bring his guts down the cmmney. ana lucre me me receptacles at 'hand lor him to ±lll, each nut being plainly marked with the owner's name, it we ptace a basnet there, it is not to try ctuu noonwmk Father Christmas into thinking mat baskets constitute our headgear like that oi the Koreans; in most cases it shows that the size oi' our head gear this special season is not cueuueusmaio wnn our expectations oi his generosity.

Flic (bought of Father Christmas eoxereu won suowimkes and driving iIL ms loiuuoer sifcuge Shows ui«.

emanates truin' a- very cold quarter — pronamy Norway or Denmark. .Hans runieraeii’s pretty mtie. rairy tale or “uie nun Uie” seems like a sistersiory. were yon one of the privilege* ones to have mat tale read to you unen you were a wide-eyed ltiuuie. now me very'’ name seemeu to rod out or our muuihs, when we were a^ k . ij cnoose the story Jo he rear

now wc Ltscu to wane me next day aitu compare notes concerning the previous day's virtues or otherwise, ii our nigin had been tilled with oeauluui dreams —i in ink we were more nkeiy to sleep line little logs—we guessed that Ole Luk Oie had allowed us to lie under tiis beautiful picmrefined, umbrella. But If we iia not oeen good, he had spread the plain umbrella that caused no dreams to come at all. And the moral is, “Be good and you will dream dreams.”

I have a boy friend of 69 whose eye twinkles at the mere mention of the name “ice.•cream.-” He is the one who as a marr of 17 demolished thirteen ice creams during one very hot evening. and still feels that it, is never toe. laie to have one on Christmas Eve. I regret to say that the moral of tills story has. been mislaid. However, should it turn up in lime, it- will be included. My only fear now is that it \vili not be found until the last minute, and then be placed .under wrong heading—as was nearly the case m a happy family this year. A man and his wife had a child who wear, to- stay amongst, friends. This child had a propensity for forgeiting to clean her shoes, for which she was often admonished. Thinking to improve the shining hour when given two letters to post, 1 the father hastily wrote on a piece of paper, “For goodness’ sake, dean your noots!” and slipped it into the envelope. Presently Hie wile came along and said;. “Oh* beie is the quarterly subscription to go mto that open envelope.” And she was just in time to prevent a catastrophe, for the “boots” message, instead oi being- placed in the little girl’s envelope, was being sent, in the envelope to a very stately lady of 80, who may have faded to see the joke, even alter air explanation. But 'somehow, by a j twinkle I have seen in her eye at ' times, I ihink she would have under- j stood. . i

Willi the rush of so many happenings at, Christmas time, we are apt to overlook the most important virtues to exercise: Peace and goodwill. These should he before us from tlie very beginning ol our preparations.

To have peace and goodwill, we shouid have no- rushing, yet how lew oi us have been calm right up to Christmas Eve! We leave our shopping until the last week, and then at the last minute there is still something to be done. We are apt to forget that the shop assistants have Christmas preparations of 'their own to make, aim that if they are too- tired to do auyhing but sleep it is our thoughtlessness that has brought about tnis unnecessary exhaustion. Please let us remember this next season and shop earlier. Some years ago I came across a Christmas resolution that is well worth remembering:--“Lord, may I humbly help _ Thy Christmas joy to bring; Through fault of mine no soul Shall he too tired to sing.”