Christmas wreath
Christmas wreath
Thisfamous holiday takes place on the 25th of December. It is little observed, at the present day, in comparison of what it was in former times. Even in England, it is now chiefly celebrated by family parties and services in the churches, these being decorated with evergreens. In this country, it is little noticed, except by persons belonging either to the Catholic or Episcopal church.
In former times it was otherwise, especially in England. The day was then celebrated, in that country, by a great variety of merry customs. It was common, in those days, for persons, called mummers, to promenade the streets, dressed up in masks, and representing fantastic characters. A group of these jesters would sometimes go about, representing Old Father Christmas, with a longbeard, white shoes, high-crowned hat, with scarfs and garters tied around it, and a drum beating before him.
Father Christmas
He was attended by a numerous family of children, among whom Roast-beef, Plum-pudding, &c., were conspicuous. There was another character in this group, called Misrule, who was a great rowdy, and made a vast deal of sport on these occasions. He was a great fat fellow, with an enormous hat, and he strutted forward, playing on a musical instrument. These maskers went from place to place, during Christmas, exciting a great deal of mirth and amusement wherever they went.
Misrule
As Christmas is the anniversary of the birth of our Saviour, we cannot see much propriety in these amusements, and we think it is well that they have passed away. There was another custom, that of singing Christmas carols, which is also laid aside.
This was done by a party of singers, who went about, from house to house, on Christmas eve, singing their songs in honor of the Virgin Mary and the nativity of Christ. They were generally welcomed by the people, and often received a loaf of brown bread, a pot of beer, andsome few silver pennies. Sometimes, late at night, by the chill rays of the moon you would see an old man and the a boy carolling beneath the windows, hoping to be compensated for their harsh and grating music.
Christmas activity
Christmas walk
Many other of the Christmas ceremonies of England, which were in vogue two centuries ago, have passed away, and the occasion is more quietly and more properly noticed by religious services, acts of charity to the poor, a meeting of friends, and a general diffusion of cheerfulness and festivity.
Tasso’s Wish.—Tasso being told that he had an opportunity of taking advantage of a very bitter enemy, “I wish not to plunder him,” said he; “but there are things which I wish to take from him; not his honor, his wealth, nor his life—but hisill will.”
“I do not admire a man,” says Pascal, “who possesses one virtue in all its perfection, if he does not at the same time evince the opposite virtue in an equal degree, such as was Epaminondas, who to extreme valor joined the utmost kindness and benignity.”