The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1894-12-21
Christmas Obseryanees.

"a Merry Christmas and Il Happy
New Year" was an English greeting
shouted from window to street and
from street back to window again.
but the Christmas tree, so dear to
childish hearts, is undoubtedly Of
German origin, while the Christmas
stocking comes from Belgium or
France.
The original significance Of the
Christmas tree is apt to be overlooked
in these later days; the children are
seldom told that the evergreen was
chosen as a representative Of the Tree
of Life; that the wax tapers are SYM
bolic Of the Light Of the World, and
the glistening stars reflect the glory
OF the Star OF Bethlehem.
The mistletoe bough has also a bit
of history back of its pretty senti-
ment. IL was regarded by the Druids
with religious v%eneratiOn, and its ber-
ries OF pearl as symbolic of purity
were associated by them with rites Of
marriage. From this the transition
was slight 70 the lovers kiss beneath
the transplanted branch, at Christmas
tide.
st. NichOlas-the patron saint OF the
Yule tidc-is the Santa Claus OF HOl-
land, the Samiklaus of Switzerland and
the Sonner Klaus of HelgOland. lie
does not always drive reindeer /; in
Belgium the children polish their
shoes, fill them with oats, carrots or
hay, and set them in the fireplace for
their good st. Nicholas's beautiful
white horses. In many parts Of Switz-
erland, Germany and the Netherlands,
he distributes his presents on st.
Nicholas cve-thc 5th OF December
instead of Christmas eve.
In France, New Years day is gen.
orally observed rather than Christmas
for the distribution of gifts, and the
children are not on the lookout for a
big. jolly old mar in furs, but for the
dear, gentle Christ-Child, Jesus bam-
bin, who comes with a convoy of
angels loaded with books, toys and
sugar plums. In Austria they cling
more closely to old legends and put
candles in the windows on Christmas
eve that the tender Christ.Child may
not stumble and bruise his feet in
passing through the village. Through
out Northern Germany the tables are
spread and lights left burning during
the entire night, that the Virgin Mary
and the angel who 20 by when every
body sleeps, may find refreshment for
their long journey.
In some places in Bohemia they use
the manger as the receptacle for the
presents which the Christ-Child
brings and they picture him as coming
in a golden chariot drawn by milk
white horses.
In Alsace the Christ Child is repre-
sented-strange to say-by Il young
maiden dressed in white, with hair OF
lambs wool hanging about her Shout
ders, her face whitened by -four and a
crown OF gilt paper set around with
burning tapers. In one hand she car
ries a silver bell, and in the other a
basket of Sweetmeats.
The idea of feasting as a feature of
OF the Christmas season prevails to
such an extent, that in Norway offer
ings of little cakes are made through
holes picked In the ice, to the Spirit.
OF the waters, and in staid old Devon.
shire, on Christmas eve, the farmers
wassail the apple trees in the or
chards, wishing the trees all health
and happiness.
"Peace on earth, good will toward
men," is prettily illustrated in the
scandinavian custom OF shining the
shoes Of the entire household, great
and small, and setting them close
together 10 Il row, so that during the
year the family may live together in
peace and harmony.
The Breton peasants have a pretty
superstition that the cattle kneel
down together at midnight on Christ
mas eve, and that they are given the
power OF speech during that one night,
because their ancestors were present
at the nativity.
In Poland it is believed that on
Christmas night the heavens are
opened and the scene OF Jacobs ladder
Is re.enacted that the angels go and
come at will on the golden span be-
tween heaven and earth, visiting their
loved ones and comforting the poor
and lonely.
The pure food exhibit, concluded a
few days ago at Washington, should
have been continued during the pres
ent session Of Congress. Give the
members pure food, and probably they
would not pass so many dyspeptic and
bilious measures.