"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]