Wednesday, December 21, 1955
Christmas Celebrations Across The World
Noel is celebrated in the simple, traditionally warm, close-to-the-heart manner in France. The cities smack of modern commercialism, but in the villages and country places processions form and march to Midnight Mass. Shepherds carrying a small lamb lead the way, and children carrying lighted candles or small torches sing as they march. Christmas spending is helped by the ‘thirteenth month’, a bonus given to workers, usually equal to a month’s salary. This enables even the very poor to provide something extra for the Christmas festival. In the homes, Biblical figures are arranged to for a crib, and lights are used to brighten up the decorations, with large torches flickering outside while church bells echo across the valleys.
Weinachtsmann comes to Germany in the form of St. Nicholas, who visits the children early in December to check on their behavior, and if they are good they receive a small bag of candies, which denotes they are selected to get a Christmas present when the time comes. There is also the Weinachts Kalendar, which is hung before a window and contains a lot of little covered windows, one of which in unveiled each day revealing a scene depicting the life of the Christ-child. When all the windows are opened the full picture of the crib at Bethlehem is on view. For Christmas dinner the traditional goose is served, but there are many different courses symbolic of historical events. Those who eat fish save a bone to put in their pocketbook to ensure a full purse.
In the Eternal City, Christmas is a time of church attendance. Starting with the St. John Lateran in the afternoon, crowds go from church to church and basilica to basilica in a sort of processional order. Many visit Matilda Chapel at midnight to hear the Pope’s Mass, at which the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Vatican attend. In Rome, Christmas is celebrated more in the churches than at home. Cribs played by live actors are a feature of the services in this “lighthouse and centre of civilization.”
The Name
Our name for the day, Christmas, dates back to the 11th century when it was called Cristes Maesse – literally, Christ Mass. The Germans call the day Weihnachtsfest – Holy Night Fest; the French call it Noel, which derives from the Latin “Natalis”, meaning birthday.
Wednesday, December 21, 1955
Tenor Bell’s Strokes Have Tolled 700 Years At Christmas
A quaint English Christmas custom is the tolling of the “Devil’s Knell” at the Parish Church of the Yorkshire town of Dewsbury. Every Christmas Eve for 700 years this ceremony has been performed – only broken by World War II when, for security reasons, the church bells of Britain were silent. The tenor bell of Dewsbury is tolled once for each year since the birth of Christ, and this year the 1955
strokes will take about an hour – the final stroke being timed exactly to fall at the midnight hour.
A legend connected with the custom tells how a local baron named Thomas de Soothill, back in the 13th century, killed one of his servants, and to expiate his crime presented the tenor bell to the church with the request that it should be tolled annually. It is said the inhabitants of Dewsbury of those days believed that the tolling of the bell would keep the devil away from the parish for another year.
Legends of Holly
Holly was much admired by the Druids who believed that its evergreen leaves attested to its favour with the sun god.
Legends related that the crown of thorns was plaited from the holly. Before the crucifixion the berries were white but turned crimson like drops of blood.
Another is that holly is hateful to witches and is therefore placed on doors and windows to keep out evil spirits.
A more modern legend is that whoever brings the Christmas holly into the house first, either husband or wife, is the one who will rule the ensuing year.
Tuesday, December 24, 1968
St. Nick has reasons. Why pick chimney?
Why does Santa come down the chimney?
Of all the traditions connected with Santa, his unconventional mode of entry might seem the most puzzling. Surely the magical gift giver, who has the power to drive reindeer through the skies and who can cover the earth in a single night, could find an easier way to enter a house.
Like most of the lore of Christmas, Santa’s choice of the chimney has several explanations. For instance, legend has it that the original Santa, St. Nicholas, presented three maidens with gifts of gold for a dowry. Modestly concealing his generosity, he tossed the gold down a chimney, in secret.
Another theory claims that Santa copied a goddess, who was the first to deliver gifts via a chimney. According to this legend, when the Vikings of Norway celebrated the Yuletide or winter solstice in their great halls, a festive feature of the occasion was the appearance of the goddess Hertha in the fireplace.
As her name indicates, Hertha was goddess of hearth and home, and most appropriately arrived by way of the chimney, to deliver her Yuletide gifts of good luck and good cheer.
Still another explanation takes a practical point of view. Housewives of Northern Europe, cleaning house for the New Year, used to coax children to help with the chores by saying, “Let’s clean the hearth. St. Nicholas will soon be coming down the chimney.”
The children willingly set to work, and thus, says legend, a tradition was born. Even when he takes to helicopter or jet plane, Santa delivers his gifts by way of the chimney!
Tuesday, December 24, 1968
Children Show Generosity, Treat Santa to Surprises
As a certain white-bearded, jolly old gentleman makes his rounds on Christmas Eve, delivering happy surprises to children the world over, he may look forward to being in turn, surprised.
In the legend and lore is a time-honored tradition, with the gifts usually taking the form of food or beverage. Today, many families encourage children to be generous, by observing the custom of setting out treats for Santa – perhaps some candy, a dish of cookies, a glass of milk.
Through the ages, the gift giver now known as Santa Claus has been called by many different names but Santa’s predecessors, like Santa himself, were often greeted with special treats.
FILLING POCKETS
In Italy, Befana is the gift-giver who preceded Santa. She took her name from the name for Twelfth Night – Epiphania, or Epiphany – and brought her gifts on Epiphany Eve, January 5th. To make ready for Befana, tradition says, Italian children empty their pockets and hang up their clothes. Then into each pocket goes a surprise – something good to eat. After taking out the treats, Befana refills each pocket with gifts for the children.
GUARDING THE HOME
Sweden has an unusual gift-giver — it’s a goat! According to tradition, the Yul-bock or Yule goat comes to the door of Swedish homes on Christmas Eve and tosses the family’s gifts through the doorway.
Another legendary guest at Swedish holiday celebrations is Tomte, a kind-hearted elf who guards the home. A dish of food is placed in a quiet corner, so that Tomte may feast as he secretly observes the family fun.
ENJOYING PUDDING
In Denmark and Norway, the legendary good spirit of the house is Nisse, who watches over home and farm and is sometimes said to be the gift-bringer too. His Christmas treat, the rice pudding traditional at Scandinavian holiday feasts, is placed beside the kitchen door or, on farms, in the hay loft.
TREATING THE DONKEY
Today’s Santa relies on his reindeer for transport, but the gift bringers of yesteryear had other animal helpers, who usually shared in the holiday giving and receiving.
In Holland, for instance, legend says that St. Nicholas arrives early — on St. Nicholas Eve, December 5th – riding a white donkey. For the refreshment of the good saint’s donkey, children stuff their shoes with hay and set out a dish of water. Carrots and a potato are sometimes added.
FEEDING THE HORSE
Twelfth Night is, in Spanish tradition, the time for giving gifts and the traditional gift bearers are the Wise Men, who as they journey each year to Bethlehem bring gifts for good children. To feed the Wise Men’s horses on their long pilgrimage. Spanish children fill their shoes with straw and set them on balconies or window ledges.
Tuesday, December 23, 1980
How the Best-Loved Carol Was Given to the World
One of the most revered Christmas carols in the whole world emerged from the small village of Obendorf in the Austrian Alps on Christmas Eve, 1818.
Father Joseph Mohr listened to Franz Gruber, the church organist, attempt to repair his prized instrument – broken beyond repair. It seemed there would be no music for the traditional midnight mass on Christmas Eve.
Later, a sad Father Mohr made his pastoral rounds through the village in the night’s bitter cold. Suddenly, his mind flooded with thoughts of another starlit night in Bethlehem. Unconsciously, he began to re-peat. “Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright!” Hurrying home, he seized a piece of paper. Several verses flowed from his pen. When he finished, he told Gruber. “Write-some music for my new poem, Franz Simple music you can play on the guitar Organ or no organ, we’re going to have Christmas Eve music!” That evening, the two men, accompanied only by a guitar, sang the loveliest of carols, “Silent Night.”
Soon the song left the remote Alpine Valley. Karl Mauracher, who eventually repaired the church organ, requested a copy of the song. He gave the carol to a group of child singers, Amalie, Andreas, Caroline, and Joseph Strasser.
“Silent Night” was among the songs these children sang to attract customers at the great Leipzig fair. While visiting the fair, Saxony’s famous director-general of music, Herr Pohlenz, heard the children and invited them to sing the lovely song before the King and Queen Eve, 1832, on Christmas.
The acceptance of the carol, given to the world through the voices of four small children, was immediate and widespread. For all, the beauty of “Silent Night” remains part of the magic and tradition of Christmas.