(Christmas week is much different this year, with many traditional family events cancelled, many gifts and decorations remaining unbought because of their unaffordability in these uncertain economic times, and sorrows because of those who have not survived the pandemic to be part of our celebrations—-we could continue, but all of us recognize this Christmas is different more than it is special. Dr. Frank Crane reminds us, however, of a universal and unchanging message—-)
CHRISTMAS MEANS THE INDESTRUCTIBILITY OF JOY
Christmas is the protest of the human race against gloom.
The one thing time nor force can suppress is instinct.
In days past religion tried to stamp out earthly gladness, play, fun, the joy of man and maid. As well one might endeavor to dam the waters of the Mississippi.
When we have clamped human nature down with our reasonings and revelations, along comes instinct, and to use the words of Bennet, blandly remarks :
“Don’t pester Me with Right and Wrong. I am Right and Wrong. I shall suit my own convenience, and no one but Nature (with a big, big N) shall talk to me!”
In the fourth century the Christian world was pretty dismal. This world was considered a dreadful place, to get away from as soon as possible. Consequently, the boys and girls were lured off into heathen sports, for the heathen alone raced and danced and frolicked.
Then the Church established the Christmas festival, which was one of her wisest strokes of policy.
In 342 A. D. the good Bishop Tiberius preached the first Christmas sermon, in Rome.
Into this opening poured the play instinct of the world.
The time of the winter solstice strangely enough had been the jovial period of the year everywhere. Then the Swedes of old used to light fires on the hills in honor of Mother Friga, goddess of Love. Then the Romans indulged in their Satur nalia, the one carnival of democracy and equality during the twelve months of tyranny and slavery. Then the Greeks lit torches upon Helicon in praise of Dionysius. In Egypt at this period the populace bore palms for the god Horus; in Persia they celebrated the birth of Mithras, and the Hindus in India sang their songs to Vishnu.
Many of these festivals had become very corrupt. Excess and license darkened the hour of national joy.
The wisest thing Christians ever did was to turn this feast day over to the child.
The child Jesus stands for the childhood of the world, perpetual, evergreen, inexhaustible.
It’s a weary world to those who have lived wrong or too long, but to those who remain healthy in their tastes it’s a wonderful world, full of undying youth, running with sap, recurrent with primal joy.
Christmas means the supreme fact about life, namely: that it is joyful.
In the opinion of many the greatest music ever composed is Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. As a climax for his orchestral composition the master chose a chorus to sing Schiller’s “Hymn to Joy.”
Christmas means that when this world and all its purposes and deeds are wound up, and the last men and women stand at the end of time and contemplate the complete story of humanity, they will not wail nor hang their heads, but they will shout and exult.
The truest, most everlasting element of mankind is play, accompanied with laughter.
(This article is from Dr. Crane’s 1915 book, Christmas and The Year Round, which can be found at https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=loc.ark:/13960/t3vt2h96j&view=plaintext&seq=7)