A Jolly Folly?

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Allan J. Macdonald. A Jolly Folly?

A Jolly Folly?

Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction

Historical Basis in Europe

Down the Centuries

New Year

Historical Basis of Christmas in Modern Britain44

The Origins of Victorian Christmas Customs

Biblical Misconceptions of the Nativity

Significance for the Christian

The Regulative Principle

Twelve Reasons Justifying the Endorsement of Christmas

Conclusion

Bibliography

Digital Sources

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The Propriety of the Christian Endorsement of Christmas

Allan J. Macdonald

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Note that the ‘occult’ aspects of modern Halloween (all-hallows-eve) have their roots firmly in Roman Catholic belief, not in ancient paganism! Both the vigil and day remain Roman Catholic holy days of obligation. It would seem that the people needed something more tangible for their own dead and therefore All Souls’ Day, on November 2, with its solemn Mass and prayers for the departed was introduced to supply this need. The special liturgical features of the church’s celebration are the Vespers, Matins, and Lauds of the Dead on the evening of November 1, and the solemn Requiem Mass on November 2. Throughout Europe various customs continue to prevail, from making meals for the dead to eat in the night, to baking “soul-cakes,” given originally to the living as a reward for their prayers for the dead in purgatory.

St. Hubert’s Day, was concocted for November 3; St. Martin’s Day or Martinmas was concocted for November 11 by Pope Martin I (649–654); St. Clement’s Day for November 23; St. Catherine’s Day for November 25; St. Andrew’s Day for November 30; St. Nicholas’s for December 6; St. Lucia for December 13; and St. Thomas the Apostle for December 21. The three saints’ days immediately following Christmas are St. Stephen’s for December 26; St. John the Evangelist’s for December 27; and the Holy Innocents’ for December 28.

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