s Offices of the Roman Church--The Three
Masses of Christmas, their Origin and their Celebration in
Rome--The Midnight Mass in Many Lands--Protestant Survivals of
the Night Services--Christmas in the Greek Church--The Eastern
Epiphany and the Blessing of the Waters--The _Presepio_ or
Crib, its Supposed Institution by St. Francis--Early Traces of
the Crib--The Crib in Germany, Tyrol, &c.--Cradle-rocking in
Mediaeval Germany--Christmas Minstrels in Italy and
Sicily--The _Presepio_ in Italy--Ceremonies with the _Culla_
and the _Bambino_ in Rome--Christmas in Italian London--The
Spanish Christmas--Possible Survivals of the Crib in England.

CHAPTER V
CHRISTMAS DRAMA 119

Origins of the Mediaeval Drama--Dramatic Tendencies in the
Liturgy--Latin Liturgical Plays--The Drama becomes
Laicized--Characteristics of the Popular Drama--The Nativity
in the English Miracle Cycles--Christmas Mysteries in
France--Later French Survivals of Christmas Drama--German
Christmas Plays--Mediaeval Italian Plays and Pageants--Spanish
Nativity Plays--Modern Survivals in Various Countries--The
Star Singers, &c.

POSTSCRIPT 155

PART II--PAGAN SURVIVALS

CHAPTER VI
PRE-CHRISTIAN WINTER FESTIVALS 159

The Church and Superstition--Nature of Pagan Survivals--Racial
Origins--Roman Festivals of the _Saturnalia_ and Kalends--Was
there a Teutonic Midwinter Festival?--The Teutonic, Celtic, and
Slav New Year--Customs attracted to Christmas or January 1--
The Winter Cycle of Festivals--_Rationale_ of Festival Ritual:
(_a_) Sacrifice and Sacrament, (_b_) The Cult of the Dead,
(_c_) Omens and Charms for the New Year--Compromise in the
Later Middle Ages--The Puritans and Christmas--Decay of Old
Traditions. |9|

CHAPTER VII
ALL HALLOW TIDE TO MARTINMAS 187

All Saints' and All Souls' Days, their Relation to a New Year
Festival--All Souls' Eve and Tendance of the Departed--Soul
Cakes in England and on the Continent--Pagan Parallels of All
Souls'--Hallowe'en Charms and Omens--Hallowe'en Fires--Guy
Fawkes Day--"Old Hob," the _Schimmelreiter_, and other Animal
Masks--Martinmas and its Slaughter--Martinmas Drinking--St.
Martin'