The Superstition Regarding Christmas By Justin Dewey Fulton D.D. 1872
Christmas, called the great festival of the Christian world, was a Pagan feast to the Sun and Saturn, which was Romanized, adopted, and transformed into a part of the church, as was the statue of Jupiter in the Pantheon, called afterwards the statue of the Apostle Peter, and made to serve a purpose in popish ceremonies. Previous to the year A. D. 500, the Christi messa, or mass of Christ, from which Christmas is derived, began with the festival of St. Thomas, December 21st, and extended to the feast of Purification, February 20, and included many lesser festivals. The Pagan festival was mainly a day of riotous indulgence, universal license, low masquerades, and all sorts of vulgar sports. The throne, for the time being, was generally surrendered to misrule and wassail. No wonder that the old Puritan Prynne, referring to these disorders, said, “that they should cause all pious Christians eternally to abominate them.” “The Eastern church appears to have originally celebrated Christ's baptism, while the Roman division commemorated the nativity; but towards the close of the fourth century the two branches of the church agreed to unite on the latter, and to celebrate it uniformly on the 25th of December. “The rites of Christians in the early days were simple and impressive. Bells were rung and masses said at midnight, carols sung and the churches dressed with evergreens. Friendly visits were made and presents given, and thus the foundations laid for the world-wide observance of the season which has come down through all the ages with only trifling modifications. “In more modern times, England and Germany have taken the lead in the celebration of Christmas, though very recently, America, uniting the practicable features of the customs of both countries, has made the keeping of Christmas national and almost universal.” There is no evidence that Christ was born on Dec. 25th Newcome claims that the event occurred in October, Paulus in March, Weisler in February, Lichtenstien in June, Griswell in April, Lardner and Robinson in autumn; while Newton, because of the prophecy of John the Baptist, “He must increase and I must decrease,” declared the church placed John's birth at June 24th, and Christ's at Dec. 25th, when the days began to increase. There is but one reason for making it a holiday. As observed in our churches and among our people, it is calculated to promote a friendly state of feeling. But as a day to commemorate the nativity of our Christ, there is neither warrant for the festival nor reasons for its observance. Christ never intended that it should become one of the institutions of the church.
The Superstition Regarding Christmas By Justin Dewey Fulton D.D. 1872
Christmas, called the great festival of the Christian world, was a Pagan feast to the Sun and Saturn, which was Romanized, adopted, and transformed into a part of the church, as was the statue of Jupiter in the Pantheon, called afterwards the statue of the Apostle Peter, and made to serve a purpose in popish ceremonies. Previous to the year A. D. 500, the Christi messa, or mass of Christ, from which Christmas is derived, began with the festival of St. Thomas, December 21st, and extended to the feast of Purification, February 20, and included many lesser festivals. The Pagan festival was mainly a day of riotous indulgence, universal license, low masquerades, and all sorts of vulgar sports. The throne, for the time being, was generally surrendered to misrule and wassail. No wonder that the old Puritan Prynne, referring to these disorders, said, “that they should cause all pious Christians eternally to abominate them.” “The Eastern church appears to have originally celebrated Christ's baptism, while the Roman division commemorated the nativity; but towards the close of the fourth century the two branches of the church agreed to unite on the latter, and to celebrate it uniformly on the 25th of December. “The rites of Christians in the early days were simple and impressive. Bells were rung and masses said at midnight, carols sung and the churches dressed with evergreens. Friendly visits were made and presents given, and thus the foundations laid for the world-wide observance of the season which has come down through all the ages with only trifling modifications. “In more modern times, England and Germany have taken the lead in the celebration of Christmas, though very recently, America, uniting the practicable features of the customs of both countries, has made the keeping of Christmas national and almost universal.” There is no evidence that Christ was born on Dec. 25th Newcome claims that the event occurred in October, Paulus in March, Weisler in February, Lichtenstien in June, Griswell in April, Lardner and Robinson in autumn; while Newton, because of the prophecy of John the Baptist, “He must increase and I must decrease,” declared the church placed John's birth at June 24th, and Christ's at Dec. 25th, when the days began to increase. There is but one reason for making it a holiday. As observed in our churches and among our people, it is calculated to promote a friendly state of feeling. But as a day to commemorate the nativity of our Christ, there is neither warrant for the festival nor reasons for its observance. Christ never intended that it should become one of the institutions of the church.
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