[We can vouch for the abridgement and collation of the following facts,
connected with this joyous season of old. Probably a few of the notes
may have been discussed in the course of our twenty-volume career; but
to omit such notices on the present occasion, would be to drop a link in
the little chain:]
Why is the evening before Christmas-day celebrated?
Because Christmas-day, in the primitive Church, was always observed as
the Sabbath-day, and, like it, preceded by an eve, or vigil.--_Brand._
It was once believed, that if we were to go into a cow-house, at twelve
o'clock at night, all the cattle would be found kneeling. Many also
firmly believed that bees sung in their hives on Christmas-eve, to
welcome the approaching day.
Why is Christmas-day so called?
Because of its derivation from _Christi Missa_, the mass of Christ;
and thence the Roman Catholic Liturgy is termed their _Missal_, or
_Mass-book_. About the year 500 the observation of this day became
general in the Catholic Church.
Why was the word _Yule_ formerly used to signify Christmas?
Because of its derivation from the word _ol_, ale, which was much used
in the festivities and merry meetings of this period; and the _I_ in
_Iol, icol_. Cimb. as the _ze_ and _zi_ in _zehol, zeol, ziol_, Sax. are
premised only as intensives, to add a little to the signification, and
make it more emphatical. _Ol_, or _Ale_, did not only signify the liquor
then made use of, but gave denomination to the greatest festivals, as
that of _zehol_, or _Yule_, at Midwinter; and as is yet plainly to be
discovered in that custom of the Whitsun ale at the other great
festival.
Why are certain initials affixed to crucifixes?
Because of their signifying the titular tributes paid to the Saviour of
the world. Thus, I.N.R.I. are universally agreed to be the initials of
the Latin words _Jesus Nazarenus Rex Judaeorum_; i.e. Jesus of
Nazareth, King of the Jews, a title which Pilot wrote and affixed to the
cross.--See John, ch. xix. The initials I.H.C., appended to other
crosses, are said to imply, _Jesus Humanitatis Consolator_, Jesus
the Consoler of Mankind; and the I.H.S. imply _Jesus Hominum
Salvator_, Jesus the Saviour of Men. The first-mentioned initials
are, however, found on the most ancient crosses.
Why is a certain song called a carol?
Because of its derivation from _cantare_, to sing, and _rola_,
an interjection of joy.--_Bourne_.
Bishop Taylor observes that the "Gloria in excelsis," the well-known
hymn sung by the angels to the shepherds at our Lord's nativity, was
the earliest Christmas carol. Bourne cites Durand to prove that
in the earlier ages of the churches, the bishops were accustomed, on
Christmas-day, to sing carols among their clergy. Fosbroke says--"It was
usual, in ancient feasts, to single out a person, and place him in the
midst, to sing a song to God." And Mr. Davies Gilbert, late President
of the Royal Society, in a volume which he has edited on the subject,
states, that till lately, in the West of England, on Christmas-eve,
about seven or eight o'clock in the evening, festivities were commenced,
and "the singing of carols begun, and continued late into the night.
On Christmas-day, these carols took the place of psalms in all the
churches, especially at afternoon service, the whole congregation
joining; and at the end it was usual for the parish-clerk to declare,
in a loud voice, his wishes for a merry Christmas and a happy new year
to all the parishioners."
Mr. Hone observes, in his work on "Ancient Mysteries," that "the custom
of singing carols at Christmas prevails in Ireland to the present time.
In Scotland, where no church fasts have been kept since the days of John
Knox, the custom is unknown. In Wales it is still preserved to a greater
extent, perhaps, than in England: at a former period, the Welsh had
carols adapted to most of the ecclesiastical festivals, and the four
seasons of the year; but at this time they are limited to that of
Christmas. After the turn of midnight, on Christmas-eve, service is
performed in the churches, followed by singing carols to the harp.
Whilst the Christmas holidays continue, they are sung in like manner in
the houses; and there are carols especially adapted to be sung at the
doors of the houses by visitors before they enter. _Lffyr Carolan_,
or the Book of Carols, contains sixty-six for Christmas, and five summer
carols. _Blodengerdd Cymrii_, or the Anthology of Wales, contains
forty-eight Christmas carols, nine summer carols, three May carols, one
winter carol, one nightingale carol, and a carol to Cupid. On the
Continent, the custom of carolling at Christmas is almost universal.
During the last days of Advent, Calabrian minstrels enter Rome, and are
to be seen in every street, saluting the shrines of the Virgin mother
with their wild music, under the traditional notion of charming her
labour pains on the approaching Christmas."
Why do the Christmas carols of the present day differ from the carols of
earlier times?
Because the present carols were substituted, by those enemies of
innocent mirth, the Puritans, for the original carols, which were festal
chansons for enlivening the merriment of the Christmas celebrity; and
not such religious songs as are current at this day, with the common
people, under the same title.
Dr. Johnson, in a note on _Hamlet_, tells us, that the pious
chansons, a kind of Christmas carol, containing some Scripture history,
thrown into loose rhymes, were sung about the streets by the common
people, when they went at that season to beg alms.--_Brand._
Why is laurel used with other evergreens to deck houses at Christmas?
Because of its use among the ancient Romans, as the emblem of peace,
joy, and victory. In the Christian sense, it may be applied to the
victory gained over the powers of darkness by the coming of
Christ.--_Bourne._
Why is the mistletoe so called?
Because its seeds are said to be dropped by the mistle-thrush, which
feeds on its berries.
Why was the mistletoe held sacred by the Druids?
Because they had an extraordinary reverence for the number _three_,
and not only the berries, but the leaves of the mistletoe, grow in
clusters of three united on one stalk. Its growing upon the oak, their
sacred tree, was doubtless another cause of its veneration.
We read of a celebrated oak at Norwood near London, which bore
mistletoe, "which some people cut for the gain of selling it to the
apothecaries of London, leaving a branch of it to sprout out; but they
proved unfortunate after it, for one of them fell lame, and others lost
an eye. At length, in the year 1678, a certain man, notwithstanding he
was warned against it, upon the account of what the others had suffered,
adventured to cut the tree down, and he soon after broke his
leg."--_Camden_.
Mr. Brand, however, thinks that mistletoe was never put up in churches
but by mistake or ignorance of the sextons: it being a heathenish and
profane plant, and therefore assigned to the kitchen. Mr. Brand made
many diligent inquiries after the truth of this point. He learnt at Bath
that it never came into churches there. An old Sexton at Teddington told
him that mistletoe was once put up in the church there, but was by the
clergyman immediately ordered to be taken away.
Why was the boar's head formerly a prime dish at Christmas?
Because fresh meats were then seldom eaten, and brawn was considered a
great delicacy. Holinshed says, that "in the year 1170, upon the day
of the young prince's coronation, King Henry I. served his sonne at
table as server, bringing up the boar's head with trumpets before it,
according to the manner." For this ceremony there was a special carol.
Dugdale also tells us, that "at the inns of court, during Christmas, the
usual dish at the first course at dinner was a large _bore's head_,
upon a silver platter, with minstralsaye." In one of the carols we read
that the boar's head is "the rarest dish in all the londe, and that it
has been provided in honour of the king of bliss."
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