Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-12-23
AN IMPOSING RITUAL
CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION AMONG
THE FRENCH CANADIANS.

Than a Holiday and Where Gifts to the
Little Folk Are Not Credited to Santa
Claus.
Jean Baptiste Leblanc of lower Cana
da has this advantage over his cousins
in the rest of the Dominion, that his
| Christmas celebrations are not confined
to one day. but are divided between
| that great holiday and New Years
Then again he has the further advan-
tage Of an early start, for while the Eng
lish folk are still sleeping snugly in
| their warm beds he is out attending
mass at church or cathedral Indeed it
may be said with truth that Christmas
among the. French Canadians is more of
a holy day than holiday, as it consti-
tutes one of the four great church festi-
walls of the year
The celebration of the day begins at
midnight on Christmas eve, when, sum-
moned by the chimes of the bells, all
good Catholics who can manage it
crowd to the sacred edifces, which are
appropriately adorned for the occasion,
and there take part in an elaborate sew
ice lasting nearly two hours. The splen-
dor of this service, of course, varies ac-
cording to the equipment and facilities
of the establishment, being compare
lively simple in the remote country
churches while in the large edifiees it
becomes superb religious function.
The midnight mass in Notre Dame
church or St James cathedral, Mont
real, celebrated as it is before congre-
cations Of many thousand people, is
perhaps the most imposing and awe in
spring religious ritual to be witnessed
upon this continent. The musical fea-
lures of these services always receive
careful attention, with the result that
the whole proceeding is made so inter
esting as to attract large numbers of
Protestants who are willing to forego
the comforts of sleep in order that they
may be spectators of the proceedings.
To what extent this is the case may be
judged from the fact that for the mid
night mass in the Jesuits' church of
Montreal, where the music is always
of an exceptionally high order Those
not having the right to a seat in the
church may obtain one by payment Of a
fee, and these seats may be reserved in
advance, just as they may be for the
theater or the opera
Nor is this the only important re-
ligious function of the day, In many
places there is also an evening service,
where again the proceedings are very
elaborate and ornate and the music very
beautiful. Since the advent of electrici-
ty and its wonderful adaptation to pur
poses of ornament there has been added
to this vesper service in Notre Dame
church novel and striking feature in
the sudden illumination of the great
altar just when darkness has enshroud-
ed the vast edifice by means of innumer-
able electric bulbs cunningly concealed
in the intricate and florid carvings the
whole altar front is instantaneously IL
Illuminated. producing an effect which
cannot be adequately described in words
4 In the rural districts the midnight
service, if not so sumptuous in its ap-
pointments, is Individually more pictur-
esque, for there, as the hour approaches,
one sees the great stone church that
dominates the parish lit like vast Ian
tern, and stretching from it on either
hand the homes of the habitants, each
one doing its little best in loyal imita-
ton Hardly have the big bells in the
tower begun to ring out their clear call
upon the crisp, cold air than the little
bells on the horses necks send back
tinkling responses as one after another
the carioles appear upon the road and
speed swiftly toward the church.
The houses are awake and ablaze all
night, for when the long service at last
comes to an end the congregation does
not go quietly home, but breaks up into
little groups, usually consisting of fam
lily circles, that with chattering and
laughter hasten indoor to enjoy the
bountiful supper which is the reward OF
their piety and at which by immemorial
custom doughnuts and potted head form
the pieces de resistance. These family
gatherings are perhaps the cheeriest OF
all the year. The strangeness of the
hour, the sense of satisfaction at having
done their duty as good Catholics, the
inspiration, no doubt, gathered from
the service they have just attended and
the fact that the day already broken in.
to is to be given up to pleasuring to the
full extent Of their ability, all these in
fuences not only combine to put every
body into the best of humor, but to pro
duce an exultation of spirits that drives
all care and worry into temporary obliv.
ion.
For those who are very piously dis.
posed this midnight mass by no means
completes the religious programme Of
the day, for if they SO choose they may
again attend high mass at 10 o'clock,
vespers at 2 o'clock and benediction al
O'Clock, thus practically spending the
day in the church
Not many, however, are so devout as
all this, and the majority of the men
go in for good time, according to theil
taste, whether it be to gather at the
tavern and play cards and checkers, OF
to regale one another with well worn
stories garnished with tobacco and eau
de vie. or to engage in horse racing,
shooting matches and similar sports.
AS / have already stated. Jean Bap-
tiste divides his Christmas By this
mean that two important features oi
the festival as celebrated by English
people ON the 25th day of December are
reserved by the French for the 1st day
of January the giving of pres
ents and indulgence in especially good
fare
With regard to the giving of pres
ents, in which the French take just az
much delight as the English, it is in
teresting to note that these etrennes, al
they are called, are by the little foll
credited not to Santa Claus, but to l.
petit Jesu and are perhaps all the more
enjoyed ON that account.
As to the culinary characteristics oi
the day, my readers may perhaps be in
terested in list of dishes, some or al
of which may be found upon every
French Canadian dinner table on this
occasion They are: Pain dore (toast
with egg), pate aux patates (potatc
pie), poulet sauce blanche Chicken with
white sauce), tourtieres (meat pie),
graisse de roti (fresh pork grease) co
chnn an lait (sT1ckino Diol naleror