The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-25
CHRISTMAS IN FAR LAND s.

on Christmas eve. Next day Is strict
holiday, no work or traffic up to noon and
everybody at church. Afternoon, games
and frolic and feassing. as everywhere else
in the world"
I called at the Russian consulate, and a
gentleman who apparently had never been
in Russia set out to inform me- 'Oh,
yes, said he, "they go around from house
to house. saying: He is risen'"
Hold on" said /. you're thinking of
Easter"
$50 am" said he. "Well the consul
general will be in from IL To IL tomorrow.
No. that's Saturday. On Monday"
So went to see Nine. d'Apery, who
used to live in Constantinople and is an
authority on Eastern Europe, and she very
kindly told me all about it. II seems that
the Russian Christmas is principally dis
tingushed by being twelve days late, for
the Russians still reckon time by the Gre
gorian calender. 1t is in the Christian
provinces of Turkey. Bulgaria. Servia and
the like that the services are most interest
ing. The day before Christmas is fast day.
At Z O'Clock at night all go to church.
Only the rich have seats. The poor stand,
the men on the vast main floor, the women
and girls in gallery through whose lat
tice fence they may peep. The priest is
dressed in gorgeous robes, and there are
acolvtes, choir boys and deacons, with
long tapers, banners and censers. All in
the congregation have little tapers, which
they light when the priest chants at mid
night, The Christ is bornp' Then all go
home and break their fast. Next day
there is mass and more feasting, but no
giving of presents. That is reserved for
New Years. The welthier Greeks and
Bulgarians have on that day a custom
somew hat like the New Years calls of the
knlckerbockers, except that no one gets
drunk.
At Arnaukeui, at the now entrance to
the Black Sea, every year the water is
blessed by priest in presence of as many
Greeks, BuIgarlans and Russians as can he
present. After the blessing the priest
things his large. silver crucitx into the
river. Strong swimmers plunge into the
current amid the ice and snow, and the
one who secures the crucihx Is held for
tunate above sill his fellows.
Consul Gustave II. Gossler, of Brazil,
told me when | pumped the question
squarely at him, that in all the Latin
American countries Christmas Is mainly
observed as a religious or saints day
merely. There Is. however" he said. "a
large and growing number Of people who
have travelled and seen Christmas DAYS in
America or Northern Europe or who have
read of them IN books who reproduce the
festival faithfully, usually after the Ger
man plan. with loaded, lighted trees and
the hanging of stockings. But they are
the minority: the wealthy people must
have something different from the rest"
Siguor Cesare Poma. vice consul of Italy,
is All extremely handsome gentleman,
courteous and kindly. who has some diff
Guilty in managing our harsh Saxon con-
sonants. The Italians, he assured me,
have scarcely anything corresponding TO
cur Christmas tree celebrations, with gifts
and the like. .'Of course" said he, There
is more or less giving Of gifts. on, not
especially at Christmas. The child leaves
his shoe on Ia cheminne-the mantel. YOU
call it, and it is the good child. the Cam.
bino Jesu. who fills il. not ST. Nicholas.
''0n Christmas day they have what they
call = presepio. representation of the
Nativity. where the figures Of Mary and
ST. Joseph, the Holy Child. the adoring
kings, the OK and the ass are all cut out of
paper ara co!ored. and placed in little
hut representing the stable. Outside Is
the snow, rivers, mountains, Whatever the
designer wishes. Sometimes these pre-
sepios are shown in church, and then the
figures sre made OF wood, hte-slze, and
the appointments are elegant
And the carnival?' | asked.
''Oh. that has nothing 10 do with Christ
mas, though II begins the day after. lis
merely the season of winter fashion.
opera, balls and the like. ana closes 81 Ash
"Wednesday The last week IS carnival
week. when so MANY visitors come 10 see
the conit tu thrown and the inaSQuers."
The Rev. Z. II. Daniels, district secre-