E-text prepared by David Starner, Jeffrey Johnson, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net/) Transcriber's conventions used in the preparation of this e-text: Carets (^) indicate superscripts. "* * * * *" is used as a divider between entries, and " - - - - -" as an internal divider within entries. A detailed transcriber's note is at the end of the text. Our American Holidays Edited by Robert Haven Schauffler and Others A series of anthologies for the use of students and teachers in schools and colleges; consisting of the best verse, plays, stories, addresses, special articles, orations, etc. Applicable to the holidays listed as follows: CHRISTMAS.........................._December 25th_ DEMOCRACY DAYS.................................... EASTER............................_March or April_ GOOD WILL DAYS.................................... HALLOWE'EN.........................._October 31st_ INDEPENDENCE DAY........................_July 4th_ LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY................._February 12th_ THE MAGIC OF BOOKS....................._Book Week_ THE MAGIC OF MUSIC...................._Music Week_ MEMORIAL DAY............................_May 30th_ MOTHER'S DAY................_Second Sunday in May_ PAN-AMERICAN DAY......................_April 14th_ PEACE DAYS........................................ ROOSEVELT DAY......................._October 27th_ THANKSGIVING..........._Last Thursday in November_ WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY.............._February 22nd_ * * * * * Our American Holidays CHRISTMAS Its Origin, Celebration and Significance As Related in Prose and Verse Edited by ROBERT HAVEN SCHAUFFLER [Illustration] New York Dodd, Mead and Company 1968 * * * * * Copyright 1907 by Dodd, Mead & Company * * * * * CONTENTS Preface Introduction I ORIGIN