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The Huron Expositor, 1994-12-14, Page 31Merry Christmas December 21, 1994 - Page 10 -Christmas was church's major feast The first Christmas was not on December 25 in the year 0. After much internal religious debate concerning the proper calendar, Christmas at that time of the month, although not though historically accurate, came to be celebrated closer to 320 years later A.D. when it became a major mid- winter feast of the Catholic church, or Mass of Christ It in tum had borrowed much of the ritualism of Roman mid -winter festivities called Kalends. The fourth -century Greek Libanius described this Roman Saturnalia with a flavour that rings familiar to our own Christmas today: "Everywhere may be seen carotisel and well -laden tables; luxurious abundance is found in the house of the rich, but also in the houses of the poor; better food than usual is put upon the table. The impulse to spend seizes everyone. He who erstwhile was accustomed "People at large are doing...what they have always done." and preferred to live poorly, now at this feast enjoys himself as much as his means will allow People are not only generous towards themselves, but also towards their fellow -men. A stream of presents pours itself out on all sides...The Kalends festival banishes all that is connected with toil, and allows men to give themselves up to undisturbed enjoyment." From the fifth to tenth centuries Christ's Mass marked the start of the ecclesiastical year. By 529 it was a civic holiday, The Emperor Justinian prohibiting work or public business. In 567, the Council of Tours proclaimed the twelve days from December 25 to Epiphany as a sacred, festive season, and established the duty of Advent - fasting in preparation. Meanwhile the pagans on the Turkey replaced boer's head at Christmas meal table Eating, often to excess, is as traditional as anything connected with the Christmas. The British have been particularly identified with indulgence during the season, as recognized by the Italian metaphor: " busier than an English oven at Christmas." They have even been known to pamper their livestock during the season "presenting the cattle with a bit of plum pudding and a nip of cider, or in the Cheshire way, giving "double grain" as St. Francis once insisted "in reverence to the Son of God, whom on such a night the blessed Virgin did lay down in the stall between ox and ass." Today turkey is big on many Christmas menus but it wasn't always so, says Tristam P. Coffin in his The Book of Chritmas Folklore. The tradition of turkey came from the United States in the 17th century but boor's head was a wider -spread centrepiece of the feast, particularly in the U.K., until the end of the 13th century when they began to become extinct. Other meats and fowls were often elaborately prepared - frequently in pies. "The most famous pie in the annals of Christmas," according to Coffin, "was one served at Sir Henry Grey's in London in 1770." "It was nine feet in circumference, weighed 12 stone, and was pushed into the dining hall on wheels. In it were four geese, four wild ducks, two woodcocks, two `turkies', four partridges, seven blackbirds, six pigeons, two rabbits, two neat's tongues, two bushels of flour, twenty pounds of butter, and sundry items." It is little wonder that there is a saying in southwestern England - "Thc Devil himself dare not appear in Cornwall during Christmas for fear of being baked in a pie." Dutch, American. _ traditions The first Christmases in North America were different than those which might be experienced today. In the early days of the Americas Christopher Columbus explored islands in the West Indies on Christmas Eve, 1942, according to Lillie Patterson's book Christmas in America (Garrard Publishing Com- pany, 1969). The Santa Maria was grounded and the crew of the flagship was left taking supplies onto the main- land with the help of Hispaniola aboriginal people. The explorers and native Ameri- cans enjoyed an early 'Christmas' celebration in which the aboriginal people gave gifts of gold. Some of Columbus' sailors stayed on the land to start a colony which was given the name La Navidad, or Christmas in Spanish. Another of the many Christmas traditions comes from Holland. Women from the Netherlands would often make holiday cakes and cookies and sometimes sweets were made in the image of St. Nicholas. He was also patron of the first Dutch settlers to America, according to Lillie Patterson in the book Christmas in America. As part of the Dutch Christmas, there were sometimes parties on St. Nicholas Eve. Sometimes sparkling presents were created to honour St. Nicholas, the patron saint who gave away his own gold to others. Small cakes were wrapped in gold leaves. Leaves, light honour season for many, many Christmases The tradition of decorating with lights and leaf at Christmas is world wide and age old, originating from many sources. The Romans used laurel to decorate at winter Saturnalia, holly comes from Teutonic roots, mistletoe from Celtic and the poinsettia from Mexico Light's are fundamental to the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah, or "Feast of Lights" every December. To the medieval Christian church lights were though to signify Christ, the light of the world. Many modem Irish families place a candle within a wreath of holly or laurel and burn it through Holy Night, and in Ireland they will remind you that candles were once tit in the windows of the "good homes/, so that the priest might sneak into the house during Christmas -tide and give mass unbeknownst to the English. Origin of Boxing Day retold Boxing Day comes from an old custom of charity - the Christmas Box, which was traditionally taken around on Dec. 25 or St. Stephen's Day, Dec. 26. Boxes were customarily placed in the churches for contributions after Christmas Day services, and on the 26th the money so gathered was distributed by priests to the poor. outer reaches of the Empire, such as the Teutons and the Celts, had their own traditional mid -winter festivals. Because these peoples lived closer to the soil and the natural rhythms of nature these celebrations had a more agricultural twist. The winter solstice was a critical time, after the snows when the green vanishes and sun weakens. Liquor was important to these folk, says Tristam P. Coffin, in his The Book of Christmas Folklore, "for liquor is made from the crops, appears out of ferment as if by magic, has the power to transform, stimulate, and subdue man. Customs of such questionable efficacy as getting caule drunk or pouring apple wine on the roots of apple trees to increase yield developed. General inebriation with resultant gluttony and orgiastic behaviors were fostered....Anything that related to fertility, to transformation, to 'evergreen' took on significance." And so it all began. By 1100 A.D. virtually all of Europe had been converted. But not really. The documents of the Middle Ages abound with decrees against the abuses of the season, the desecrations of its religious purposes, and filled with wailings that Church Fathers were too strict, "with indications," Coffin continues," that people at large are doing Just what they have always done and paying little attention to the debates of the moralists." When Queen Victoria came to the throne in 1837 December 25 was not a legal holiday for pioneers in Lower Canada, what is now Ontario. Business closed on Boxing Day, which as one observer notes, "was riotously celebrated." In the spirit of peace and joy we wish each and every one of you a _ season filled with friendship, love and contentment. Many thanks for your kind patronage. MERRY CHRISTMAS Wishing you a Christmas Bright with Promise & G(ad with slope. 'We thank you for your patronage and (ooh forward to serving you in 1995 and the years to come. SHINENS Seaforth BEST WISHES In joyous appreciation of your friendship .rnd gn<xl will, we offer our deepest thanks, afung with glad tidings of the season. O'ROURKE TRANSPORT A division of W. Thur & Sons Ltd. Box 22 Dublin 345-2913 To cherished old friends and valued new friends, we would like to take this opportunity to wish our friends and patrons all the joy, the hope and the happiness of Christmas. May the meaning of the holiday be deeper, its friendships stronger, its hopes brighter, as it comes to you during the New Year.