Originally published in Pearson's Weekly (C. Arthur Pearson Ltd.) vol.1 #23 (27 Dec 1890).
The angels of the Gloria in Excelsis have probably given us the best definition of Christmas, "On earth peace, goodwill towards men." This Christian idea of Christmas, with its love, charity, and forgiveness, has probably found its most striking realisation in the Julafred, or Yule-peace of the Scandinavians—a custom, though ancient as the Runic stones, still existing in Sweden.
Extending from Christmas Eve to Epiphany, and solemnly proclaimed by a public crier, any violation of the Yule-peace is visited with double or treble punishment. The Courts are closed; old quarrels are adjusted; old feuds are forgotten; while on the Yule evening the shoes, great and small, of the entire household, are set close together in a row, that during the coming year the family may live together in peace and harmony.
In Germany the Christmas holidays appear to have been substituted for the old Pagan festival of the "Twelve Nights," which extended from the 25th of December to the 6th of January.
Many Christmas characters and customs constitute a curious medley of Paganism and Christianity. This is particularly true among the Germans, who are strongly attached to their old religious ceremonies. The Christ-child, with his gifts and masked attendant, all belong to German pagan antiquity. Only the names have been changed.
The German custom of some one going at midnight on Christmas Eve to bind the fruit-trees with ropes of straw, or of frugal housewives shaking the crumbs from the table-cloth round their roots, in order that they may become more fruitful, clearly points to the mysterious influence attributed by the Germans to the time of the "Twelve Nights."
In the Tyrol the fruit-trees, for a similar reason, are soundly beaten. In Bohemia they are violently shaken during the time of the Christmas midnight mass; while in other localities they are regaled with the remains of the Christmas supper, to which they had been previously and specially invited.
A similar custom, probably of German origin, still prevails in some parts of England. In Devonshire a corn cake and some hot cider are carried into the orchard, and there offered up to the largest apple-tree as the king of the orchard, while those who take part in the singular ceremony join lustily in the chorus:
"Bear good apples and pears enough—
Barns full, bags full, sacks full;
Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!"
In France, though Now Year is generally observed rather than Christmas for the distribution of presents, it is the Christ-child who comes, with a convoy of angels, loaded with books and toys, with which to fill the expectant little shoes, that tiny hands have so carefully arranged in the fireplace.
In Alsace he is represented by a young maiden dressed in white, with hair of lamb's wool hanging down upon her shoulders, and her face whitened with flour, while on her head wears a crown of gilt paper set round with barning tapers. In one hand she holds a silver bell, in the other a basket full of sweetmeats. She is a messenger of joy to all children, but that joy is usually changed into terror on the appearance of Hans Trapp, the Alsatian bugbear.
On entering he demands, in a hoarse voicewhich of the children have not been obedient, walking up towards them in a threatening manner, while they, trembling and crying, seek to hide themselves as best they may from the impending storm. But the Christ-child intercedes for them, and, upon promising to become better in the future, leads them up to the brilliantly illuminated Christmas-tree, loaded with presents, which soon makes them oblivious of the frightful Hans Trapp.
In Poland, it is believed that on Christmas night the heavens are opened, and the scene of Jacob's ladder is enacted, but it is only permitted to the saints to see it. Throughout Northern Germany the tables are spread and lights left burning during the entire night, that the Virgin Mary and the angel who passes when everybody sleeps, may find something to eat.
In certain parts of Austria they put candles in the windows, that the Christ-child may not stumble in passing through the village. There is also a wide-spread belief in Austria that a pack of wolves, which are no other than wicked men transformed into these ravenous beasts, commit great havoc upon Christmas night.
Taking advantage of this superstition, it was not unusual for rogues disguised in wolf-skins to attack honest people, rifle their houses, sack their cellars, and drink or steal their beer. As a specific charm, no doubt against these wolfish depredations, it was customary, in Austria, up to a recent date, to sing in a particular tone, after high mass on Christmas night, to the sound of the large bell, the chapter of the genealogy of our Lord.
One of the principle features of the holiday in Italy is the grand Christmas dinner, which begins early and lasts until late. The rich feast right royally, and the poor, who can afford to eat meat but once a year, must have it for the Christmas dinner. In anticipation of this, it is customary for every one who has turned a hand for you during the year to call upon you, in advance of the Christmas holidays, for their buona festa.
This a resident foreigner especially finds out to his sorrow. If he be a consul, so much the worse. He is not only expected to fee his own employees, but those of the health officer, of the captain of the port, of the prefect, of the chief of police—in fact, of all the authorities with whom he has held official intercourse.
In Spain Christmas is observed very much as it is in Italy, the Christmas dinner playing a very conspicuous part.
Throughout the Scandinavian countries the Yule-time is the gayest and merriest season of the year.
In Sweden and Denmark the Jule-klapp, or Christmas-box, enclosed in numerous wrappers, and labelled with the name of the person for whom it is intended; is suddenly thrown into the room by some unseen, mysterious messenger, who accompanies it with a loud rap upon the door.
No little ingenuity is frequently exhibited in the selection of the envelope enclosing the present. Sometimes an elegant vase is enclosed in a monster bale, or a costly brooch in a great straw boot, or some valuable ornament in an earthenware hen.
During the evening all sorts of messengers, in all possible and impossible disguises—some in masks, some in female attire, some as cripples on crutches, others as postillions on horseback—hurry hither and thither, and deliver the presents in the most unexpected and mysterious manner.
The Jule-klapp is not unfrequently accompanied by a biting epigram or satirical allusion, like the valentine. Thus, a lady extravagantly fond of dress is liable to be presented with a ridiculously dressed doll; or a newly-married couple, who are rather demonstrative in their billing and cooing, with a pair of young turtle-doves.
In the larger towns and cities, as in Stockholm, they hold a great fair. The shops are richly decorated and splendidly illuminated. There are family reunions, where children receive their presents and adults their Jule-klapps, while in the midst of the festive scene rises a Christmas-tree with its rich burden of flowers, fruits, and sweetmeats, and brilliant with burning wax lights.
In Greece it is customary for the religiously-disposed to abstain from meat for forty days before Christmas, with the natural result that when the time comes to celebrate the festival great prominence is given to feasting. On Christmas Eve the younger Greeks are accustomed to serenade their neighbours. Musical ability is not required at all on these occasions. Everyone gets hold of some instrument or another, utterly regardless of whether he is able to perform upon it, for the main point is to make as much noise as possible. This serenading goes on all through the night till about five o'clock on Christmas morning, when the early services begin in the churches. The best part of Christmas Day is spent by the Greeks in paying calls. Present-giving is almost entirely reserved for the New Year.
This is also the case in Holland. The country people there usually pay a visit to the nearest town on Christmas Day, and spend it in sight-seeing, winding up their amusement by an evening at one of the café concerts, The average Dutchman does not, however, allow Christmas festivities to disturb his usual stolidity to any considerable degree.
The Russian Christmas comes nearly a fortnight later than ours. It is a very curious mixture of intense devotion and rowdy festivity. The morning of Christmas Day is spent by almost every Russian in church. Immediately they are released their religious observances they begin to eat and drink and make merry; and as the evening draws on there is perhaps more drunkenness throughout the Russian Empire than would be found the rest of the world over at the same time.
Christmas in the New World is thoroughly European in character, since its customs, for the most part, have been transplanted from the Old. Even tho negroes of Jamaica elect a king and queen of misrule, and indulge in Christmas masks and mummers. The New York Christmas-tree comes from Germany, its Santa Claus from Holland, the Christmas stocking from Belgium or France, while the "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year" is the old English greeting, surviving from the times when the Old World did not even dream of the existence of the New.