The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

ts 1 a ----_-- , In ThatLitde Town In Bethlehem Was Born EY Bethlehem or fhe House of Bread, wag more anciently known as Eph- "rath or Fruitful, but in modern times Is called -Beit-lahm. or "House of Flesh." : All three names are significant to Christians whose interest in it arises from the tremendous fact that in that little town was born Him Who was rightly called "The Bread of Life;" Who was to be the fruitful Head of a new race, widespread as the world jteelf;: and Who was there born in human flesh, though the Almighty Son of God. Its history. was by no means all bright -and holy. Jacob hurrying "along with a deathly sick wife, was compelled to halt nearby; while his greatly beloved Rachel gave birth to the little Benjamin, and then in he. husband's 'arms died there. Her grave is still marked by ss rough stone monument! : It was in Bethlehem that the young Levite' lived, who Micah hired to be his chaplain, and with whom is connected the tragic story in the last chapters of the book of Judges. The terrible tale of wrong doing and reprisals came perilously near to the s destroying of the whole tribe of pan- Jamin, within whose limits Rethlehem was 'situated, Thither' came the wicow, Naomi, and her daughter-in-law, Ruth, the .Moabitess, mourners, bereft of all they held dear. There the young widow Ruth was wedded to her ~ wealthy kinsman, Boaz, thereby be- coming- great-grandmother- of the Psalmist-King David, and alse one of the progenitors: of the Christmas King, the Lord and Saviour of Man- kind . Rehoboam, son of Solomon, made a fortified city of Bethlehem (2 Chronicles X1. 16) and later a fam- ous kban (corresponding. to our hotel was built there protably by Chimham, son of Barzillai the Gilea- dite who befriended David (2 Samuel XVI.) when in trouble and was named after him (Jeremiah XLI, 17). This , khan appears to have 'been a place where caravans were-made up for long journeys, and it was from thence that the rebellious Jews, dis- regarding God's orders, set off for Egypt, carrying the. prophet Jere miah with them. It may have been that same khan, or in New Testament terms that inn, at which Joseph and Mary (Luke-II) applied for lodging, but could find no other accommoda- tion than a stable in a grotto under, or neur it, wherein to spend the first of all Christmas Eves; although they were both of royal descent, descend- ants of King David himself! E That poor stable became the most famous bed-chamber in the whole world, for there amidst the cattle wag born the holy Baby, Who was God, the. Creator of all things, clothed in mortal flesh, and that He might be- tome the Saviour of all who wished it from their sins! 2) To the stable came the shepherds called away. from their sheep-folds by a herald in the heavens, accompunied ~ by singing choirs of angels, who made the thrilling momentous .announce- ment: "Unto you is born this day in the City of David, a Saviour Who is Christ the Lord" (Luke ILII). Countless thousands have knelt tn sacred worship before that most holy shrine, once "a lowly cattle shed," the only shelter this evil world could rovide for its Maker, Redeemer and ing, when in-pitying love and. tender saving mercy He came to visit it, at the Christmas tide! : 3 "A Saviour Who is Christ the Lord." Mumming Old York Custom What Remains of St. George - Plays, Early Form of English Drama Or all the quaint old Christmas customs which have not yet been for- gotten, none is more interesting than 'the mumming 'which is given every year in some of the villages in York. shire, With blackened faces grinning un- der paper 'caps, some half-dozen of the village boys make their way from house to house. Trooping into the room where the family is sitting, the; enact a strange scene. Fiercely brandishing wooden swords, they all rush upon one boy, reciting verses of known both to performers anc audi- ence. Suddenly this boy falls as though dead. His vanquishers gloat over him, they bow, and file out of the room: The vanquished one then gets up sheepishly, bows, and follows the rest. ? This old Christmas custom embodi- es all that now remains of one of the earliest forms of English drama, the St. George plays. These plays were originally performed on the feast of the national saint, but in course of time they became attracted to the bigger festival of Christmas. At first their theme was St. George's fight with the dragon, but ir later versions many other characters were introduced, and St. George was killed and relsed to life agaiu by a character called the Doctor. It is undoubtedly this play which the Yorkshire boys enact each Christmas, though they may not realize it.' The saint's re- vival has been forgotten, so that in the modern version the unfortunate St. George has to get up and get out rather lamely. The wooden swords are derived from the still older sword dances which were incorporated into the St. George. plays, while the blackened faces are a legacy of the old Morris dance, which in these festivals was frequently confused with che sword dances. In the original Morris dances the performers always blackened their faces, from which fact it has been thought that thy dance got its name of Morris from the Moors or -the- Blackamoors, who- introduced it into Europe. It would be interesting to know ex- actly what the modern performers of this very ancient play really say. The words, when account hds been taken of the inaccurdcies and changes of pronunciation, would probably be found to be those which were com- posed by some minstrel, or perhaps by a parish priest, for a St. George play, as early or even earlier than the thirteenth century. Such words were never written down, and so in the course of centuries may well have become the wuhintelligible babble laughed at every Christmas. Queer Christmas Dishes of the Past Roarted Badgers Seasonal Dish in Somerset--Boar's Head Served at Oxford. A badger, roasted before an open fire, was the chief dish at a Christ- mas Eve dinner eaten in an anclent hostelry at Ilchester, Somerset. Bad- ger hrm was once regarded as a dell cacy, and Ilchester's "badger feast," as it is called, has been held every which the meaning appears to be un- It And Christmas for many . years past. Slices were cut from the joints as they hung before the bar fire. The guests washed down the badger with strong ale, which should, according to tradition, be served in horn cups. Boar's head, the true Yuletide dish in Britain, is always served at the Christmas Day dinner held annually at Queen's College, Oxford. The rea: son given for the survival of the cus- tom at Oxford is that ®t commemor- ates the escape of a medicval uhder- greduate from a wild boar. The un. dergraduate was walking abroad conning hig Aristotle, when the boar rushed at him open-mouthed. With a 'loud cry of "Graecum est," the stu- dent thrust the volume down the throat of the monster, which, choked 'by the tough morsel, then and there expired. The frills and mistletoe with which the boar's head was decorated "were distributed among the choris- ters The brawn should, by right, be sent to the King. At this banquet also strong ale was practically the only drink to be ser- ved. Under the injunctions of the founder the liquor must be brewed on the College premises by its own | servants, acting under the super- vision of the steward of the week and the treasurer's clerk. The gra- vity of the ale could only be indi- cated by a whole row of "X's." It is, in fact, so potent that it is sipped as a liqueur. Mulled ale, concocted with cloves, sugar, nutmeg and beaten egg and served with dry toast was brewed according to a recipe at least two-hundred years-old at a Shrews- bury hotel where Paganini, the vio- linist, once performed. ' © "Glory to the new-born King." Living Christmas Tree (By Florence Steiner in "Toy Listen to their message clear hy Balloons.") WX Hear the merry Christmas bells &N As they chime, as they chime, PY 1 Adding to the joy and mirth ke! : Of the Christmas time. i heard both far and near, Telling us in tones so gay This is Christmas day. Hear the merry Christmas bells As they swing, as they swing. Making all the world rejoice With the news they bring. "Peace on earth, good will to men" Sound o'er all the earth again we with glad voices sing old Christmas Carol Here 'we come a-waissafling, Among the leaves so green, Here we come a-waissailing,. So fair to be seen. Love and joy come to you, And to your waissail, too, God send you happy, God send you happy, - God send you a happy New Year! We are not daily beggars, That beg from door to door, But, we are neighbors' children Whom you have seen before. We have got a little purse - Made of stretching leather skin, We want a little of your money To line it well within, Likewise the mistress, too. And all your loving children That around the table go. Ye Christmas Tree While some very justly deplore the wholesale slaughter of millions of young spruce and cedar each year, the delightful German custom of the Christmas tree will doubtless linger on for many years yet. The wide world knows a tree, full strong, And fairer yet than each and all; More worthy of the minstrel's song In cottage low or princély hall. love. God bless the master" of this house | The Christmas tree whose thought of RH a King Arthur is supposed to have celebrated the first Christmas in England by a festival "held in the city of York in 521, and which lasted several days. By the Middle Ages the Christmas festivals had become the most popular of celebrations, The became extremely elaborate in Shakespeare's time, on occasions until" Twelfth Day, or Epiphany. twelve days after Christmas. During this period there was no work of any kind, and people gave themselves over to festivities. Aside from 'the purely religlous ob- servances connected with the com- memoration of the Nativity it is ine teresting to trace the origin of some of the customs and objects so cher- ished at this season. The popular myth of Santa Claus entering sleeping homes by way of the chimney seems to have arisen from the custom among the early English of cleaning their chimneys on New Year's Day so that luck could descend and remain all year. For many years Santa found only wood: en shoes awaiting him in the chim- ney corners, but as the wise little heads found that stockings held more, the shoes were displaced. Santa would leave no gifts unless he saw th little shoes or stockings all in a row by the fireplace and so knew that the children were tucked away in bed. Evidently this myth was in- vented by some parents of long ago for their- own convenience, and it spread rapidly. Laurel was used in olden days in England at Christmas time in imi- tation of the ancient Romans to whom laurel stood for peace, joy and victory. A house decorated with | J laurel indicates that Christ had en- tered there. Gradually the laurel 'was replaced .in popular esteem by the holly and ivy. Christmas Trees Many legends have becn written on the origin of the Christmas tree. One popular German tale makes St. Winfrid the originator of the idea. Another credits it to Martin Luther. Tne development of the Christmas tree tradition, resulting probably from many vague stories anc cus- toms from d'ffcrent countries, was most marke. in Germany. A Ger man manuscrint of 1008 fers to the tree as a regu'ar" feature of the Christmas season. It arrived in Eng- Iand at a much Inter date and in fact, did not become a regular English institution until the time of the mar- ringe of Queen Victoria to Prince Albert, who ponularized the custom. Mention is made in the momoirs of Greville of trees being used in Christ- mas celebrations in 1529 at a fete given in honor of Henry VIII. It reads: "Three trees, in great pots, were put unon a long table covered with pink linen." One writer describes the custom of gift giving in olden days as follows: "In Old England St. Stephen's Day was chiefly celebrated ander the name of Boxing Day.--not for pubil- istic reasons, but because on that day it was the custom for persons in the humbler walks of life to go the rounds with a Christmas box and solicit money from patrons and em- ployers. Hence the phrase "Christ- mag box" came to signify gifts made at this season, even after the boxes themselves had gone out of use. TRACING THE ORIGIN . OF SEASON'S CUSTOMS King Arthur Supposed to Have Celebrated the First Christmas in England by a ¥ estival in York in 521; Peacocks Instead of Turkeys q, Christmas Spirit Important Factor Giown-Ups Lay Aside Dignity On Joyous Occasion What is the Christmas "spirit?" Evergreens Long Used In Decoration Holly, Mistletoe and Ivy Appear ' Throughout History There is a custom that time has not greatly -changed, and that is the decking of British homes with ever- greens, holly and mistletoe. The use of ivy, which was really a vintners sign, has died out very considerably. In "Poor Richard's Almanac" there is a carol. The last verse reads: "With holly and ivy So green and so gay, We deck up our houses As fresh as the day. With bays and rosemary And laurel compleat, And every one now Is king in conceit." Holly and ivy were largely used in church decorations, but mistletoe was not often found in any sacred edifice, as the old clergy looked upon it with It consists of many things, [irst, or this should be first, the gentle influence of the Holy Child who gave us the greatest uplift of soul the world has ever known. Peace, ser vice and forgiveness, faith, hope and love. Second, is the more materialistic sentiment of gifts and gaiety, sec- rets and shopping. Actually it is a relief to every grown-up to lay aside hi: dignity and slip out of his responsible mantle oi office. ) Parents need no longer play a role. If Dad gets gay and foolish and works the street vendor's jump- ing-jack, or nudges the bank manayer and hands him a somer-saulting-! turtle to wind up, neither of them need to feel ashamed or look over thair shoulder to see of the Roard of | Directors is near The chance. are that the Board of Direc'ors are, each and every one of them, enjoying 1! relapse inte childhood in one way or! another themselves. Mother's "Pepped Up, Too Mother feels a peculiar elevation of spirit. with added zest for life and work. She gets up a bit earHer, filled with the days' plans, because some- | thing mystical is at work within her. ! She is back in her own pre-Christin.s days, looking ahead as she used to. | And she wants her family to feel he sanie way she used to feel. Pernups she pretends to be tired and com- plains about her back or rough ~} hands, but inside she. is humming - with the spirit of Christmas The children ure happy, exdeed- ingly happy. but you'd- never guess why. We. bave missed part of the answer if we think it is Santa Claus and a-tree and stockings. | Break For Children The other half is this: Everyone around them, including mother and daddy. nave become 'almost.' Ir not quite, children-like themselves It « just about the only time of the rear that the tig. top-heavy grown-up world gives them, a break. People suddenly become child minded and act and think like boys and girls. A common ground is reached. [he child finds himsel* 'king instead of pawn. He is not being alayed down a kid." luveryone, for some strange reason, has become toy-minded, too. And out tor a good time, with duty and routine in the background Through the yoar. children that the world stoops to them, and they are forever looking np. Now| everybody is waisthigh, and all the | same ice. The spirit of Christmas is mul- | tiple, and good for all nen. feel Appetite in Ye Olden Days A report from the year 1590 gives us an idea of the huge quantities of food which in those days people were able to eat. A party of 50 men consumed at one dinner 12 capons, eight turkeys, two hens, 18 par- tridges, 33 pounds of veal, 20 pounds of beef, 10 pounds of saurages, not to mention vegetables, sweets, cheese and fruit. All kinds of spices, especially pepper, were highly favored and used, or better, abused in such quan- tities that people's breath often "reeked like a dispensary." Those people did né6t eat for the sole pur- pose of keeping themselves alive." to because he likes toys or "is just great disfavor, since the Druids had used it in their rites. The Druids called "all-heal" and it was laid on their altars as an em- blem of the "salutiferous advent of Messiah," according to the "Medallie - History of Carausis." It is spelt "mistletoe." The eutt'ng of the mistletoe was carried out with great ceremony. The bards walked first, singing canticles and hymns, a herald preceding three Druids with mple- ments for the purnose. Then follow- ed the Prince of the Driuds, accom- panied by all the people. He niounted tha vak, and, cutting the "mistletoe" with a golden sickle, presente. it to the other Druids, who took it with great respect, and on the first day of the year distributed it among the people as a sacred and holy plant. Church decorstion is very old. In old church calendars Christmas Eve is marked "Templa exornatur. How- ever this may be, the greatest charm of Christmas is the decorated church, the power which makes a man sca beyond the bare walls of che church and which carries him back through the ages to worship with. the shep- herds at the manger cot in Bethle- hem Christmas withaut itz relig nus observance:, for all the feasting, gaiety and rejoicing, vould long ago _ have passed away. Feasting Customs Christmas in England has always been a great occasion for drinking and feasting, In fact, an [Italian proverb says of a busy man, that "He has more to do than the ovens in Ingland at Christmas." In old England they had many d'shes which we se'dom hear or now. There was frumenty, a dish made of wheat which is stil sometimes served in Yorkshire, ale posset; Shropshire "wigs," and carroway buns dipped in ale. Yule doughs or dows were eaten everywhere, and in Coventry they made their famous Godcale. Tansy, too, was a favorite dish. This was made with eggs and cream, flavored with the juice of tansy, an extremely bitter, aromatic herb. In addition there was Christmas brawn, connynges in gravy, and a host of dishes that have since died out. Christmas was never a national festiva' in Seotlund. tut ot this period of the year new sowens were always eaten. These were made from the husks and siftings of oatmeal ani to all ac- counts were delicious. When Did It Beg'n? The carliest celebration of the birth of Christ on December 25th of each year took place in the fourth century. and the custom spread from the Western to the Eastern Church. Before that date the commemoration of Christ's Nativity. and Baptism wns held on January 6th. The first .1en- tion of Christmas is found in a Roman document known as the "Philocalitn Calendar." in the year 3564, and the first time the femival was celebrated in Britain was in 698, when St, Augustine baptized 10,000 converts, In the year 667 the Council of Tours Ac~lared a 12-day festival from Christmas to Epiphany, and later -- 091-1016--the laws of Ethelred or dained that all strife should (ease at Christmas, In Germany, Christ. mas was etablished in "813 by the Synod of Mainz, and in Norway by Aide Hakon the Good, in the year aR Ta a Labi Vv, ES nA