Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 292, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 December 1910 — First Christmas Observance. [ARTICLE]

First Christmas Observance.

Christmas gets Its name from the mass celebrated in the early days of the Christian church in honor of the birth of Christ. Its first solemnization having been ordered by Popp Telesphorns. This was in or before the year 138, for in that year Pope Telesphorus died. At first Christmas was what is known as a movable feast, just as Easter is now. aud owing to mlsunder standings was celebrated as late as April or May In the fourth century an ecclesiastical investigation was ordered, and upon the authority of the tables of tbe censors in the Roman archives Dec. 25 was agreed upon as the date of the Saviour’s nativity. Tradition fixed the hour Of birth at about midnight, and this led to tbe celebra tion of a midnight mass tn all tbe churches, a second at dawn and a third in tbe later morning.