Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-12-25
IN FRANCE AND RUSSIA.
Customs About the Same as Here, Except
-, .t..t..,x T. ,,,,,o Na,, Va,r,s nav

the Giving IL Done New-Year's Day.
al want you to tell me how they cele-
brate Christmas in Russia and France" ."
said the DIsPArCH man yesterday eve
ming 10 Professor l.. y. Hasseleff as
the genial and courteous little Russian
was leisurely stroiling M Main street
and complacently viewing the busy
throng passing to and fro.
JUST LIKE THEY DO HERE.
The Professor turned around and re-
cognizing the reporter said
"Well, just as they do here, as far as
| can zee. You know tue custom origi-
mated chiefly in Germany. In Paris the
people crowd the streets just a. they do
here, and I have walked along the bou-
levardo during the Christmas season and
seen the throngs 50 dense that one could
hardly move. Everybody is hurrying,
and there are hundreds of booths on the
streets, and The owners Of each are yell
ing ont the merits OF their special goods
aud delivering little speeches upon them
in their own peculiar French style.
PRESENTS ON NEw-YEARs DAY IN FRANCE.
"Do they give rs many presents
there as we do here asked the re-
porter.
Eyes, Just rs many was the reply,
"although most of them are given on
New-Years day instead of Christmas.
ION New I ears eve the French girls
are allowed to receive presents such rs
flowers and bon-bons from their gentle
men friends. At other times their pa
rents are very strict with them about
having beaux, and when the holiday
season comes each girl carefully stores
up her Jonbonaieres in order to see If
she did not get more than her friends,
thereby proving that she Is the most
popular.
Paris" continued the Professor, "is
q beautiful sight to see during the holi-
days"
THE FESTIVAL IN RUSSIA.
.'But what about the Russians?
added the reporter
well" responded the Professor.
sits the same there, too, although IN
both France and Russia they pay more
attention TO the poor at this season than
we do here.
The Russian peasantry all visit the
houses of the landlords and sing outside
their doors on Christmas-day until they
are invited in, when a good meal IS
served them. On New Years day they
peIt every one they see with rice and
grain and cry out " Happy New Year
Happy New Year
SWEETHEART IN THE MIRROR.
"By the way, said the Professor,
smiling. 81 have jest thought of Rus
Sim custom that will please the girls, !
expect On Christmas eve every maid
in the land. whether rich or poor, con-
suits hu bonnie arent,re telling.
Two mirrors are placed on opposite
sides of the wall and connected on eech
side by rows of burning tapers. This
forms square, the two mirrors consti-
tuting two sides and the rows OF candles
the other two. In this square the girl
gets and there she sits gazing straight IN
front Of her. About midnight in the
double reflection before her she sees the
vision of her sweetheart. Sometimes
thev wait thus for hours before the face
appears. and some OF them faint with
exhaustion ere the future husband and
lover shows himself.
xMAs-IREss AND SANTA CLAUS.
"Do they have Christmas-trees and
Santa Claus in these countries 2" queried
the newspaper-man.
80. yes, said the Professor, "iust az
many as they do here. In Germany lal.
though you did not ask me about that
country nearly every house. no matter
how poor the people are, has Christmas
trees.
"Do they drink much on these occa'
sions In the old country 2"
Yes, n good deal, though you don''
see any eggnog."
Il would be glad to tell you some
thing more" concluded the Professor
"but from my observation the customs
there are just the same as they are here.