The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-12-19

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three or four days before. the boulevard
! +, T.afiS are not W,gh lJec wooden
hooths. which belong to the nuHcl
aa,jty. and in which all SORTS OF cdeat
! -ovs are sold. Large quantities ct song
| birds are exposed for sale, together win
I TITLE paroquets. As in Spara family
rem ON is Customary on La Neli.e,
Christmas eve. and Of young men at res
: taurants Many go TO the midnight
}fays at the churches, fac music at the
Madeleine being particularly fine. Pres
ent,s are put in the breakfast table on
Christmas morning.. In the Catholic
churches, rs everywhere throughout
Christendom, there is shrine with Il
cradle ard the infant and the Holy
Family.
In Spanish America the old customs
are held tenaciously. In Lima bands of
children so about on Christmas eve,
from house to house, where there is a
Nacimiento. singing carols in the Old
familiar way. Where the Germans pre-
dominate. as in Argentine, the Christ
mas tree is as common as with us.
In Italy the ceppo, as the Christmas
tree is called, exists in many scarcely
recognizable forms. In Florence We
al al
TO hold the gifts The plaster toys OF
the Nativity~are here curiously medieval.
The Three x gpgs are accompanied by
servants wearing Phrygian caps, and the
tints of the robes of Joseph and Mary
are those we see in the Old pictures.
Here, as in Merry England, the Yule-
log survives, with magical virtues that
come down from remote heathen times.
~ fn11 hot in,
a village nearby long deliberations We're
held whether to put lightn ng rod Oh
the church steeple or a brand from last
years Yule log. The log was finally de-
,ided on--and could until recently have
een seen in place on the steepe.
Farmers go Ground their orchards with
the brands, which are not only n protcc-
ton against lightning, but also keep
way caterpillais.
A more or less intimate connection
!. ems TO exist between the Guie log and
he Christmas tree. The latter, with
IS lights, is analogous to b0ndhfes made
by tie Scandinavians in honor of Thor
1T the winter solstice. Both refer to
he revival of the sun, to the renewed
gut which the new sun brings into the
world. In Iceland we read that the
ervice tree is found adorned with burn
ing lights during Chr stmas night, which
lights cannot be eXtingushed, even by
the strongest storms.
But it is in ancient China we find the
6rst record of what has become of our
Christmas tree. In the records of the
Ts;n dynasty. which ended 247 B. c.,
and from which our name of China is
derived, we read that a tree with hun
3Ied lamps and flowers was placed at
the entrance to the audience hall.
Again, it is recorded Of the celebrated
Princess Yang, the all-powerful favor
lite OF the Emperor Ming Hwang, A. D.
713-T55, that she caused "hundred
lamp tree" so feet high, to be erected
upon high mountain. II was lighted
upon New Years night ami its shine
was seen for hundreds Of miles, eclipsing
the light of the moon. I
DR.. Gustav Schlegel tells how the
Christmas tree is no longer lighted in
China, being replaced with enormous
quantities Of lanterns, which are lighted
everywhere. OF course, one must not
look for the analogous celebrations to
our own Christmas at precisely the same
season. Like most of our Christmas GUS
-oms they belong property to the New
fear.Thus in Japan, two evergreen trees
ire placed without the house, just oppo-
site the door. They are tied at the top
With a straw rope, and various symbolic
'hjects, Holsters and oranges, are fasten-
ID to their branches.
In Southern China, from where our
Unnese laborers come, an equivalent
for the tree is erected everywhere at the
New Year season. A special altar is
built, with curious lunches Of artificial
flowers and paper toys in vases placed
on either side. These objects, called
golden flowers, are the tree. There is a
pa l.au genii Of the occasion, too, an old
man with a very long eggshaped head,
popularity known as Shan Sing-kUng, or
the Starry Longevity Sage. He is reps
resented holding a peach, the emblem of /
long life, and little boys swarm around .
him. He is the prototype Of cur own +.
jolly saint and is the especial friend and /
patron of children. We cannot always
connect the similar customs and tradi- |
tions of separated people and weave
them into a smooth historical narrative, |
but these worldwide Identities which |
we find in customs and traditions serve
to emphasize the sentiment of the
Christmas season, peace on earth, good
will fo mpn"