Chapter Christian'a [ch = k] to Church of C by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Christian'a [ch = k] to Church

Christian'a [ch = k] . The wife of Christian, who started with her children and Mercy from the “City of Destruction” long after her husband. She was placed under the guidance of Mr. Great-Heart, and went, therefore, in “silver slippers” along the thorny road (Bunyan: The Pilgrim's Progress, part ii.).

Christmas (Kristmas). “Christmas comes but once a year.” (Thomas Tusser.)

Christmas Slang for a railway-guard. Explained under Chivy (q.v.).

Christmas Box A small gratuity given to servants, etc., on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas Day). In the early days of Christianity boxes were placed in churches for promiscuous charities, and opened on Christmas Day. The contents were distributed next day by the priests, and called the “dole of the Christmas box,” or the “box money.” It was customary for heads of houses to give small sums of money to their subordinates “to put into the box” before mass on Christmas Day.    Somewhat later, apprentices carried a box round to their master's customers for small gratuities. The custom since 1836 has been gradually dying out.

“Gladly the boy, with Christmas-box in hand,
Throughout the town his devious route pursues,
And of his master's customers implores
The yearly mite.”
Christmas.

Christmas Carols are in commemoration of the song of the angels to the shepherds at the nativity. Durand tells us that the bishops with the clergy used to sing carols and play games on Christmas Day. (Welsh, carol, a love-song; Italian, carola, etc.)

Christmas Day Transferred from the 6th of January to the 25th of December by Julius I. (337-352).    Old Christmas Day. January 6th. When Gregory XIII. reformed the Calendar in 1582, he omitted ten days; but when the New Style was adopted in England in 1752, it was necessary to cut off eleven days, which drove back January 6th to December 25th of the previous year. So what we now call January 6th in the Old Style would be Christmas Day, or December 25th.

Christmas Decorations The great feast of Saturn was held in December, when the people decorated the temples with such green things as they could find. The Christian custom is the same transferred to Him who was born in Bethlehem on Christmas Day. The holly or holy-tree is called Christ's-thorn in Germany and Scandinavia, from its use in church decorations and its putting forth its berries about Christmas time. The early Christians gave an emblematic turn to the custom, referring to the “righteous branch,” and justifying the custom from Isaiah lx. 13- “The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee; the fir-tree, the pine-tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary.”

Christmas Trees and Maypoles are remnants of the Scandinavian Ash, called Yggdrasil', the Tree of Time, whose roots penetrate to heaven, Niffheim and Ginnungagap (the gap of gaps). In Ginnungagap the frost giants dwell, in Niffheim is the great serpent Nidhögg; and under this root is Helheim, the home of the dead.
   We are told that the ancient Egyptians, at the Winter Solstice, used a palm branch containing twelve leaves or shoots to symbolise the “completion of the year.” The modern custom comes from Germany.

Christolytes [Kris'-to-lites ]. A sect of Christians that appeared in the sixth century. They maintained that when Christ descended into hell, He left His soul and body there, and rose only with His heavenly nature.

Christopher (St.). The giant carried a child over a brook, and said, “Chylde, thou hast put me in grete peryll. I might bere no greater burden.” To which the child answered, “Marvel thou nothing, for thou hast borne all the world upon thee, and its sins likewise.” This is an allegory: Christopher means Christ- bearer; the child was Christ, and the river was the river of death.

Chronicle Small Beer (To). To note down events of no importance whatsoever.

“He was a wight, if ever such wight were ...
To suckle fools and chronicle small beer.”
Shakespeare: Othello, ii. 1.

Chronicon ox Chronicis is by Florence, a monk of Worcester, the earliest of our English chroniclers. It begins from Creation, and goes down to 1119, in which year the author died; but it was continued by