The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1896-12-26
JOLLY SANTA CLAUS.
PATRON SAINT OF CHILDREN IN
MANY LANDS.

Naughty Children Punished.
ST. Nicholas Is ono OF the patron saints
OF Russia. and SO at Christmas time he is
very special favorite But Easter is tho
great feast, and the Christmas gifts are
not so handsome as the Easter presents.
He is known as Santa Claus in Holland
He Is Samiklaus in Switzerland.
In Helgoland the children call him Sou
ner Klas.
In the Tyrol he is the Holy Man. st.
Lucy and the Christ Child go with him.
In lower Austria his name Is Niklo, or
Niglo, and his masked servant, who helps
to carry the bundles, is Krampus
In the Vorarlberg he is Zemmiklas, and
he puts all naughty children into his bag
and carries them off.
In Belgium tho children polish their
shoes and fill them with hay, oats and car
rots for the saints white horse. Then they
place them in the fireplace or in corner of
the room, one of the saints favorite hiding
places. The door Is carefully locked and
next morning everything is found topsy
turyy The chairs and table have been
turned about, the horse has eaten up the
hay and left instead sweetmeats and toys
for the good children and rods for the bad
ones But there are very seldom any bad
ones at Christmas.
In the Netherlands the children write
to him and sing to him to let fall from the
chimney top something into their white
aprons. AS they sing they keep time,
swinging the aprons back and forth:
Sunder Klaas du code Blcotl
Breng' mi Moot un Zuckerbrod,
Nicht to veel un mich to mimi,
Smiet in mine Schorten inl
In Bohemia and Syria there are Christ
plays in every village during Advent. St
Nicholas, dressed in a long cloak, has u
golden inter ON his head and bishops
staff in his hand. He reads his report Of
how the school children have behaved
Those who play truant, loiter on their way,
forget their lessons, soil and tear their
books or forget their prayers are to be
beaten with his rod Then comes the
Christ Child and says: Good Nicholas,
be patient! Spare the little ones! Spare
the young blood! Forgive them this time,
good Methodist And st. Nicholas forgives
them because it Is Christ's birthday.
In Carniola the good bishop dresses in a
sheet and wears pillow case on his head
instead of inter. Then he comes to see
the children in their dreams, and asks
them if they always say their prayers. Then
he leaves fruit for the good ones and rods
for the forgetful out of the big basket he
carries on his arm.
In Alsace the Christ Child himself comes,
dressed as maiden, in white, to bring the
good children sweetmeats. With silver
bell in her hand and lighted tapers as a
crown on her head she fills the tiny wood
Gil shoes from her basket.
Then she disappears out at the window
where she came in, and her bell is heard
tinkling as she enters the next house.
In Suabia the Christ Child carries bell
and an earthen pot full Of gifts.
In Hanover, Mecklenburg and Holstein
the Christmas fairy is Clas.
In Poland the heavens are opened and
Jacobs ladder is let down for the angels
to come down with gifts for good children.
In SOME parts of Austria candles are
placed in the windows to let the Christ
Child see the way.
Near Cologne tho country children &c
round with cowbells in honor of the man.
ger of Bethlehem.
Three boys, dressed in white, with leather
girdles and crowns of colored paper, march
about and personate the three kings OF
Cologne who were said to be the three
wise men.
The first child left at the gates of the
Founding hospital at Lyons on Christmas
eve is laid In % handsome cradle and dressed
in pretty clothes.
Bonhomme Noel brings the French chill
dren sweets for their shoes
Children in Lorraine must not sit in the
| chimney corner on Christmas eve because
they intercept the draft.
In the country villages near Stuttgart
| and Tubingen the children on the three
| Thursdays before Christmas shoot peas ant
lentils through pipe at every window
This custom is said to date from thu
time when the plague ragged and country
friends came into town to see If their rela
tiyes were still alive. They threw handfuli
of peas at the house, and the inmates up
peared, if able to do SO, and gave them {
kindly salute.
In the Black Forest the Christ Child an
nounces his arrival at the door by ringing
his silver bell. Then the door is PARTIAL,
opened, and the gifts are thrown in. Some
times rod or handful Of peas is addet
for the naughty folk. The rod is for pun
ishment, and the peas are for penance.
In northern Germany lights are place.
in the windows and food on the tables, 81
that the Holy Mother and the angels wh'
pass when every one is asleep may flint
food.
Saturn's temples were hung with flower
and wreaths of greens, tapers burned ev
erywhere, feasting and dancing were in ev
cry home, gifts We're freely exchanged, ant
all these customs were observed by Chris
tians, but with a newer, deeper zeal TO
the dear Christ Child.
The Christmas tree, born in Germany
has taken root in every land where tn
Christ Child is known and loved.
American children have chosen the bes
of all the Christmas customs of the oil,
world. Santa Claus comes from Holland
the stocking Is French or Belgian; tn
Merry Christmas is English, as is ais
the mistletoe; the holly is Norwegian, ant
the happy, happy whole is American
Philadelphia Ledger
Christmas Tree Ornaments.
Strings of silver and gilt balls and ball