The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1891-12-26
A SHAKER CHRISTMAS.
HOW THE FESTIVAL is KEPT BY
THESE RELIGIOUS cELl8ATEs.


THESE RELIGIOUS cELleATEs.
The Day Is Ono Of Great Significance to
Them and Is Observed with Great
solemnity-Their Songs, Marches and
shnking-The Christmas Dinner.
No one probably celebrates the glad
Christmas holiday in a more peculiar
way than do the Shakers, those strange
yet industrious celibates who were
brought over from England considerably
over a century ago by the good old
"Mother Ann Lee" There are several
colonies of these queer people in the
United States, and all enjoy the same
pleasures, if there can be such thing in
their lives, and all believe in the same
doctrines. Years ago these honest but
misguided people discovered that the
Scriptures directed all men and women
to live apart. They believe that be-
cause the Messiah did not marry 1t is
sin for them to do so, and consequently
there is but one love in their lives, and
that love of religion.
The Shakers have a manner and style
peculiarly their own and worship God
In every breath. Believing as they do
in the Messiah, they think it a duty to
celebrate the birth of the Saviour, and
their service on Christmas day is most
beautiful and impressive.
The remark 'still as a Shaker meet
ing" has often been heard, and those who
have attended meeting Of these devout
people know that a word is never spoken
until the Esprit moves" and SO 1t goes
from Sunday to Sunday until Christmas
comes, which with them means day of
the greatest devotion. The day to them
does not bring the Joys, pleasures and
dissipations Of the world, there is no CIV
ing of gifts, no belief in St. Nicholas, no
Christmas tree and no pleasures, in fact
are made for the glad festival.
The morning before Christmas the
celibates move toward the little church
In couples. The men go by themselves
and dress In the conventional black, with
broad brimmed hats and gaze straight
before them. They never smile, for to
smile is a sin in their belief. The wom-
en- follow the men, and wear Shaker bon
nets of yellow straw and gray gowns,
and look prim and quaint. A large
white handkerchief covers the chest in
primitive simplicity. Quietness reigns
throughout the day, never word being
spoken. In fact the spirit does not
move, and the people stand there for
| hours like statues. At sundown they
go to the dormitories and retire.
Christmas morning they go to the
church again and pass the holiday in
prayer, song and religious glorifcation.
They stand perfectly quiet and mute un-
til the "spirit moves" when each one
gives his or her experience, for on this
day above all they delight in testifying
| to their great and complete happiness,
A Shaker church is entirely different
from the worlds peoples" church. In
| stead of seats or pews, as are usually
seen in churches, there is big open
space, and the men and women range
themselves on opposite sides of the room.
/ One of the elders makes a short address.
Then all is quietness. After about half
an hour dozen or so of the younger
people, either male or female, or perhaps
| DOLus tulGI lLAb ItLlLGA VI lht HEflNE anu
begin solemn march.
The Shakers sing. beautifully and their
| tunes are remarkably pretty, sprghtly
| and quick in character, and have a Won
| derfully fascinating air. The rich, deep
bass voices harmonize perfectly with the
clear, sweet and high tenors and so
pranos. Almost irresistibly the feet and
hands Of all commence keeping time
with rythmical beats. Soon the entire
body Of Shakers are moving around the
singers, AS the music increases the
men and women oircling around be-
come so imbued with the beating of the
notes that their bodies swing and rock,
their feet dance and shuttle, their hands
and arms swing and beat the air, all In
perfect keeping with the music. This
grows more intense until they all drop
from sheer fatigue. Quietness again
reigns for nearly an hour, when the
same performance is gone over, and then
over again, until sundown, when all re-
pair TO the dormitories TO enjoy the only
meal in the year in each others com
pany, for ON every other day the men
and women eat by themselves.
The Christmas dinner Of the Shakers
is not like the Christmas dinner Of the
worlds people. There are no wines, fruits
nor delicacies. They have turkeys
ducks, chickens and plain bread and
butter and vegetables Of every kind
well cooked and IN the greatest abun
dance. The women occupy one side OF
the table, the men the other. The elder
sits at the head and invoEes divine bless
ing, then each man and woman rises al
ternately and lifting their right hand
say, God is love" They then begin
eating, and during the meal not word
is spoken, each one helping himself ol
herself 10 what they desire. They drinB
an enormous quantity Of milk during
the meal At the conclusion of the
Christmas dinner all rise and sing The
clear voices Of the celibates make tn,
banquet room ring with a soft and
charming melody. The hands and fee
of all keep time.
After the song the elder raises his eye
heavenward and chants a prayer il
which all Join, after which they marcl
from the room in couples, the men to
gether and the women by themselves
| anu ~ 70 luclI ubIlAAlLolleos ne 10
mainder Of the night, while the worl(
outside is enjoying itself in every con
ceivable dissipation, is given up to sonl
and prayer, and all night long the voice
of the Shaker sisters and brothers ar
heard through the halls,
, The Shakers are kind hearted and gen
erous They are very hospitable, and
is one Of their principles to entertain ant
honor all who come into their httl
world. For days before Christmas the.
? find great pleasure in sending goo,
things to the poor in the neighborhood
and no matter how poor a man may be
he is sure of a good Christmas dinner i
he lives in the neighborhood Of a colon.
of Buffalo Express.
Those little beauty spots on ladiei
wells, which were supposed 10 look hk
patches Of court plaster ON the fair skin
have found a successor at last. The spo
fashion had its drawbacks. The veil wa
liable to twist around, and no matte
how carefully that spot was located
was almost sure 10 work around 80 tina
It came on the tip Of the wearers nos
Its successor IS a dainty spray Of flower
or a Leaf worked on the Hnza. ons