Semi-weekly independent., 1895-12-21
Y vHEHL Err Christmas is cell
M ebrat Il the occasion is invest


V V ed win more or less of re-
liGious character. but usage and surround
ings have much to do with the festive OBJ
scrvaEce of the day. Here. wealth and
fashion have somewhat changed the oc-
casion People 20 TO church less and
give more expensive gifts. Years ago
the day was simple. joyful and pictur-
esque-a time of hOmccomings. love
makincs. pardons and prayers. The
stockings were hung. the children APP
pcared with great hurIah to find three
Dr four bright pennies, candies, few
Paisins. a rosy checked apple. 1t was Il
chidren's Jubilee, with roast turkey,
mnce pies. Blind mans buff. and puss i'll
thc corner. The practice of making pres
rnts was little known. Farther back our
Puritan forefathers considered all fri
vclties pagan mummeries. and attempted
10 uproot the too-lavish pleasure of the
Nue-tde of merry Old England.
There as here the new order of things
has not banished the children's joy of
hanging up the stocking. There. too, old
superstitions prevail. The Yule log. the
cellar. barrel. the mistletoe, the lighting
of the Christmas fire, the candles, the
carols are still part of an occasion when
the nobility display splendid munificencc.
You sill find the plum pudding, the holly,
the snapdragons, the boar's head decor
ated with rosemary. The Canadians are
in harmony with these customs. ard ut
ST John, New Brunswick. distinctive
features prevail. There is sleigh riding,
hockey on the frozen lakes. and curling
matches After dinner. slImptuOus gifts
1
reaching TO the ceiling, thus taking the
place of the Christmas tree. \ jolly old
mariner is hailed as ''St. Nicholas" and
he unloads his cargo. After Il feast, the
older people dance their favorite ''Sir
Roger" with Old-time steps and vigOr. In
Peru there is Il great church festival.
Bishops and choristers. gorGeOusly clad.
hearing tapers, carrying images bcdeckcd
Vith jewels. A safe heads the process
sion. and into it the people drop their
offerings.
In some countries Santa Claus is ac-
companied by an evil spirit which attends
20 naughty boys and girls In Germany
and Austria "Christ Kindchcn'' flies down
from heaven with gifts for good children,
while the hobgObin, "Krampus." creeps
a switch. In Belgium the children fill
their shoes with hay and vegetables for
Santa Claus horse, and in the morning
find presents instead. In Bohemia men
dressed as Santa Claus and the evil spirit.
Rupprecht, go about rewarding good and
furnishing bad juveniles. In Italy and
Spain, Epiphany takes the place of
Christmas. and in Russia Santa Claus is
the chief saint of the Greek churches.
In Poland Christmas is the season of
"the little star" They have the little
star tree. little star carols. little star pres
ents. 1t begins after the twelfth night,
January 6, with the appearance of the
first star Then comes the little star sup
per. the breaking of the wafer. when
wrongs are forgiven, quarrels forgotten.
\ hay manger is under the table-a me-
mortal token. All the presents are hid
den. ard the children search for them.
singing Gregorian chants. a show with
marionetteS follows. Il survival of sacred
drama Gf the middle ages. In Central
America this same idea is executed by
out-of-dOOr tableaux, pOrtraying religious
scenes
Ireland's warm-hearted pcasantry have
a most attractive Christmas feast, last
ing two weeks. They visit each other
greeting are exchanged. and court
ships contracted for the following
shrovetide. They make the Christ
mas mold" or huge long candle:
the bog deal block is fired, the
door flung open for friend. enemy and
mcndicant. and "caed mile failte" "a
thousand times welcOme) includes every
body. SteaminG bowls of punch. stirring
poteen and merry registering fill in the
time.
Naturally enough. Christmas is the
great fete day at Bethlehem. AT mid
night a procession starts with candles.
headed by a patriarch bearing the divine
child in n manger on II silken cushion.
rose-colored and gold-embroidered. under
which is "A straw bed with thorns He
proceeds To the spot where Jesus was
born, chanting the story of the nativity.
and places the child on silver star. All
Bethlehem watches with lighted candles,
cOmmemOrating the occasion which nj
that hour is in the minds and hearts OF
many millions of ChristendOm