The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1887. CHRISTMAS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2783, 24 December 1887, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1887. CHRISTMAS.

Wk are again on the eve of that very old and honored festival known as Christmas. To-morrow the anniversary is celebrated for the eighteen hundred and eighty-seventh time;. perhaps for more than this, because in the B.C. period our pagan ancestors used to fix upon the particular date when the shortest day was passed forrejoicings, which in many respects are similar to our own celebrations. Possibly, if wo go back to Old England as it was five or six hundred years ago we should get the Christmas festival in the highest perfection, At a later period the Puritans deprived King Christmas of some of his ancient observances, but before then, in the goo.d old times in Merrie England, when the great Christmas candles were lit, when the huge Yule Ipg blazed in the big hall fireplace, ahc] the revels began under the Ijord of Misrule, there was a Christmas festival of which we fu these degenerate, days can form but a faint idea, Quji here in New Zealand we can hardly expect to realize the glorious Christinas winch is possible in a land where snow and frost sharpen the appetite for the good, cheer, which forms so essential a feature in the celebration. Still, a sweltering summer sun in a tropical region, will not kiil tl'P Christmas instinct iu the average Englishman.' I\W jp? bean somewhat bad with many of uj during the year which is now closing, but we fancy most people will be, able to enjoy fchei'r Christmas), fp that, such wW be the case, and sm-: cereiy hope that ill W « iustances the re-union of frien.(]s pd relations will lend an additional pleasure to the festive season.