e Portion of Picture in National Gallery]

THE WORD "CHRISTMAS": ITS ORTHOGRAPHY AND MEANING.

"Christmas" (pronounced Kris'mas) signifies "Christ's Mass," meaning
the festival of the Nativity of Christ, and the word has been
variously spelt at different periods. The following are obsolete forms
of it found in old English writings: Crystmasse, Cristmes, Cristmas,
Crestenmes, Crestenmas, Cristemes, Cristynmes, Crismas, Kyrsomas,
Xtemas, Cristesmesse, Cristemasse, Crystenmas, Crystynmas, Chrystmas,
Chrystemes, Chrystemasse, Chrystymesse, Cristenmas, Christenmas,
Christmass, Christmes. Christmas has also been called _Noel_ or
_Nowel_. As to the derivation of the word _Noel_, some say it is a
contraction of the French _nouvelles_ (tidings), _les bonnes
nouvelles_, that is "The good news of the Gospel"; others take it as
an abbreviation of the Gascon or Provencal _nadaue_, _nadal_, which
means the same as the Latin _natalis_, that is, _dies natalis_, "the
birthday." In "The Franklin's Tale," Chaucer alludes to "Nowel" as a
festive cry at Christmastide: "And 'Nowel' crieth every lusty man."
Some say _Noel_ is a corruption of _Yule_, _Jule_, or _Ule_, meaning
"The festival of the sun." The name _Yule_ is still applied to the
festival in Scotland, and some other places. Christmas is represented
in Welsh by _Nadolig_, which signifies "the natal, or birth"; in
French by _Noel_; and in Italian by _Il Natale_, which, together with
its cognate term in Spanish, is simply a contraction of _dies
natalis_, "the birthday."

CHRISTMAS: blest Feast of the Nativity!
H eaven made thy lowly shrine
R esplendent with the gift of the eternal Deity
I n whom we live and move, whose large benignity
S pared not His Son divine:
T hat well-beloved Son by God was given,
M ankind to save with His redeeming blood;
A nd Jesus freely left the bliss of Heaven,
S uffering death, to achieve our lasting good.--W. F. D.

[Illustration]

_CHAPTER II_.

THE EARLIER CELEBRATIONS OF THE FESTIVAL.

THE EARLIER CELEBRATIONS.

[Illustration: GROUP FROM THE ANGELS' SERENADE THEODORE MINTROP]

The Angels' Song has been called the first Christmas Carol, and the
shepherds who heard this heavenly song of peace and goodwill, and went
"with haste" to the birthplace at Bethlehem, where they "found Mary,
and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger," certainly took part in
the first celebration of the Nativity. And the Wise Men, who came