by S.
Originally published in The New Monthly Magazine (Henry Colburn) vol.1 #1 (Jan 1821).
It was no strange circumstance that, at the dawn of Christianity, every festival which was observed by the Jews should be equally solemnized by the Christian converts of the first century. A great portion of these converts had gone over from the Jewish to the Christian faith; and this portion was, for a long time, unable wholly to emancipate itself from the trammels of early impressions. Nay, the Apostles themselves were tenacious of the Jewish feasts, and retained, amongst others, those of the Passover and Pentecost. It was but by slow degrees that the Christians were able to estrange themselves from the Jewish observances, to throw off the usages of the sons of Abraham, and transform the festivals, which they had brought with them on the day of their conversion, into Christian anniversaries. Far, however, from seeking to abandon the customs and solemnities which had once been received into their new church, they set themselves about rendering them typical of some important occurrences in the history of their religion. By this permutation, the festival of Easter was grafted on the feast of the Passover; Pentecost was converted into an annual commemoration of the descent of the Holy Ghost; and out of the Jewish Sabbath arose our Sunday, than which no other day in the seven could by possibility be of deeper importance or more awful interest to the believer in the Saviour's resurrection.
Among the early Christians, there were many too who dwelt in Heathen countries; and not a few of this class having themselves abandoned the splendid superstitions of Paganism for the noble simplicity of Christian doctrine, introduced Heathen festivals among their brethren, and gave such an interpretation to their transmigration as was consistent with the character of their new faith.
In the lapse of time, Christianity having extended itself to the palace, and its ministers having succeeded in acquiring a considerable share of power and influence, they were not wanting to themselves in any contrivance which could invest their religion with greater external pomp and dignity. They knew that ever increase of its outward splendour would have the effect of shedding additional lustre on its expounders; and, with this conviction, every occurrence in the history of their faith was diligently ransacked, that its memory might be perpetuated by some festival: indeed, so widely was this field enlarged, that, at last, a manufactory of fictions was set up, which were greedily swallowed by their ignorant and credulous flocks; amongst whom, these inventions served the intended purpose of enlarging the catalogue of religious observances and festivals.
We must return, however, from these matters to the more immediate object of our inquiries.
We have already remarked, that many of the anniversaries solemnized by the Christian church were transplanted into it from the Heathen soil. Whilst Easter has succeeded to the "Feralia" of the Romans, there can be little doubt that Christmas has taken the place of their "Saturnalia."[1] This festival, instituted in honour of Saturn, was celebrated by them with the greatest splendour, debauchery, and extravagance. It was, during its duration, an epoch of freedom and equality: the master ceased to be master, and the slave to be slave; the former waited, at his own board, upon the latter. The ceremonial of this festival was opened on the 19th of December, by the lighting of a profusion of waxen flambeaux in the temple of Saturn, as an expiatory offering to the relenting god, who had, in remoter times, been worshipped with human sacrifices. At this festive season, boughs and laurel were profusely suspended in every quarter, and presents were interchanged on all sides.[2]
The Christian church was anxious to abolish the celebration of these Saturnalia, in which she blushed to see her own disciples partaking; and therefore appointed a festival, in honour of her Divine Master, to supersede them. If, during the Roman games, the order of social affairs was inverted, and the menial was raised to be master, surely it was not unnatural that the should, in their purer features, be adopted as the model of an anniversary in commemoration of that Christ, the King of kings, who had appeared in the garb of a menial, and had elevated those who were the slaves of their sins, to be lords and chiefs among the heavenly hosts! Though of Heathen origin, the festival of Christmas no longer exhibited sacrifices of bulls or goats: it was carefully pruned of those disgusting features and extravagances which nourished and excited debasing passions; and yet, in order that it might not prove revolting to the habits and feelings of the new convert who was called upon to resign the meretricious blandishments of the Saturnalia, it was permitted to retain such innoxious customs from the Pagan celebration, as were not wholly irreconcilable with the bland and cheerful spirit of Christianity. The torches, which had shed their effulgence through the temple of Saturn, shone with undiminished splendour in the temple of Christian worship, and presented, as it were, a symbol of Jesus, "that eternal light which was born into the world" to waken the whole human race to life and immortality;—which illuminated the fields of Bethlehem, and shone about the shepherds, "a lamp unto their feet, and a light unto their paths."[3] The Saturnalian custom of decking the streets and houses with laurel and boughs, and exchanging presents, was also preserved, and has partially descended to our own times. The interchange of presents was supposed to typify the spiritual and heavenly gifts which our Saviour, by his coming, had lavished upon mankind.
There is one custom in particular, prevalent in some countries, and formerly common in England, which strikingly designates the origin of our Christmas festivities. And it is this: from amongst the domestics of a family, it was the practice to elect one as the Master of the Household, under the appellation of the Christmas King, or Lord of Misrule, and to assign him a species of sovereignty both over the other servants as well as the immediate members of the family. In this way, as Selden remarks, "the master waited on his servant as the Lord of Misrule;" and "the like," says Stow, "had ye in the house of every nobleman of honor or good worship, were he spiritual or temporal."
In some Catholic countries there is a custom of dressing up puppets, called Christmas children, hiding them on Christmas-eve, setting persons in quest of them, and giving a reward to the finder; nor is it improbable that this custom was also derived from the Heathen practice of sending puppets as presents during the Saturnalia. "At Rome," says an ancient calendar, "sweetmeats were presented to the fathers in the Vatican, as well as all kinds of little images[4]; and these last were found in abundance in the confectioners' shops."—Nay, in England, the bakers used formerly to bake a kind of baby, or little image of paste, which they presented to their customers; in the same way as chandlers gave Christmas candles.
Before we take our leave of this subject, we cannot refrain from adverting to a singular tradition, from which some have been willing to derive the name given to this festival, in the East[5]. It is related by some of the old fathers of the church, that, on the night of our Saviour's birth, a number of fountains and rivers were turned into wine; and they add, that this miracle took place on the very night and at the very hour of his nativity, in order that the disbelievers in the truths of Revelation might be turned from their unbelief. St. Chrysostom says, in one of his Homilies, that the water drawn on that night, kept for some years without undergoing any natural change; and he concludes that from this circumstance arose the tradition we have mentioned. Epiphanius, the first father of the church, indeed, places so much credit in the tale, that he ventures to make use of it as one weapon for confounding the infidels of his day. However, the second father of that name, who lived thirty years later, pronounces this tradition to be, what it really appears to have been, a fable; though he still believes it to be the distortion of some different occurrence. Be all this as it may, the tradition was once of general notoriety; the people placed implicit faith in it; many of the fathers sided with them; and none but the enlightened Chrysostom were unable to persuade themselves of its authenticity. S.
1. "Christmass," says Selden, "succeeds the Saturnalia; the same time, the same number of holy days."
2. It is singular that our Druid ancestors, as well as the Greeks and Romans, devoted this season of the year to ceremonies and religious observances.
3. On the night preceding Christmas-day, our forefathers were accustomed to light up candles of enormous size, which were called "Christmas candles," and with which they illuminated their houses in honour of the Saviour's nativity. The same custom prevailed from the days of St. Jerome; "accenduntur luminaria jam sole rutilante, non utique ad fugandas tenebras, sed ad signum lætitiæ demonstrandum." Cont. Vigil. c. 2.—"On the night of the Saviour's birth," says also Chateaubriand, "troops of children adoring the manger, churches gay and brilliant with flowers, the multitude pressing around the cradle of their God, joyous hallelujahs, and the air re-echoing with the sounds of bells and organs, presented a noble spectacle of innocence and ajesty."—Génie du Christianisme.
4. In Vaticano—"Dulcia Patribus exhibentur.
— omnium generum Imagunculæ."
5. Our English appellation of "Christmas" originated in the mass at this season being called Christ's-mass; it was usual, at this season, for the Romish priests to offer up masses to the saints, imploring forgiveness for the people of their debaucheries, or backslidings, at this festival.—The German name for this season is "Wein-nachten," or Wine Nights, which some derive from the tradition above alluded to, and others from the practice which prevailed among the ancient Germans, of celebrating this period of the year by general drinking-bouts, and interchanging presents of "the juice of the grape."