The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-24
cHRrsrxAs IN FRENoH CANADA.
Custom. stili in vogue There That Came
From Old brittany.

From Old Brittany.
QUEBEC, Dec. 22-Christmas In French Can
ada ~ still marked by o number OF the old Gus
toms brought from Brittany by the early settlers
Of the country, and the time -honored LEGENDS
Of Noel" that were current three ana hnIi cen
turtles ago In the old home oil the nrs' french
Canadian colonists ore repeated In on unchanged
form by their descendants Of the present day.
The children are told on each succeeding Christ
mas Eve tales Of miraculous occurrences. that
legend from time immemorial had handed down
In the French home Of their ancestors Domestic
animals were supposed TO have the gilt Of speech
on Christmas Eve as a memcnto Of their presence
In the stable in which jesus Christ was porn
and the little ones are now taken to church az
Christmas time. even before they can walk anu
talk, TO see the specially improvised groto IN
the interior Of the parish church, made To repre-
sent the stable Of Bethlehem. There Is the IN
FAINT Christ lying in the manger, with Mary ana
Joseph near by: but Of infinitely more delight
and Importance TO childish fancy, are Inc OK
and the ass in the immediate foreground
When the farmers In Brittany entered their
stables on Christmas Eve in the early centuries
OF the Christian legend says that their cattle
told them in doleful accents how they had been
cruelty used, balf.starved and ill-treatcd On
that night too. tho sands OF the seashore, lofty
mountain ridges and deep valleys opened out
and revealed 10 the starry heavens treasures
concealed In their depths Another story credited
the graves with being opened. The old village
pastor. dead for years, awoke from his long Sleep
rose amid the other departed spirits who had ap
pcared upon the scene. bockoned them TO follow
him and all to meet around the cemetery cross,
TO Join in reciting tho prayers Of the Nativity.
After this, each one INDUCED In brief glance
at the hamlet Of which he was once a resident.
Al a. H..
once more for tho place Of departed spirits.
whether in the great French Canadian city
temples Of Montreal and Quebec or in their humble
parish churches the midnight mass Of Christmas
Eve is the grandest and mos, imposing Of tho year
The most gorgeous decorations that can BE- sup
piled tho most brilliant display Of multi coored
electric and gas lights, tapcrs and miniature lamps
and the most beautiful music arc reserved for the
great fetc In the midst Of a driving snowstorm
men and women will journey for miles In sleighs
or on snowshocs IN attend tho only midnight mass
Of the year II it. bc a clear, frosty. starlight
for Protestants as we'll as Catholics attend the
service in large numbers, delighted To witness the
among The rich music Of The mass. the singing
Of the peculiar French c nnadian cantques de
Noel; and ofsI some old French carols too such
etable." Of which the first verse runs as follows
Quo Jesus est charmanti
ou'il est aimabls.
Dams Son abaissementl
Que a attraits La fos!
Tous les palss des rois
Mont rien de comparable
Aux bcauns que ,e vols
Or II may be-:
Nouyelic agrksble.
I'm sagvsur Ent.n n nous est nal
Quil nous est donne
There is nothing qunnter in the large collection
Of quaint Old English Christmas carols than some
French { anadian children. and with which they
are familiar from their earliest years A good
example OF these Canadian carols Is tho follow
ing:
-p.ou yiens.tu, berssre.
.Je yiens do rotabie
De my promener:
Jai yu un miracle
Co soir arrive.
Sa.:.sa WI WI, o'rsSr''
IA WI dams Ia crsche
I'm pc 1T onfant
Mis- bisn tendrement
-Ren De plus, bersers.
SAINT Marie, sA msre.
sAin. Joseph. Son pore.
Out trsmblo do froid
-Rien dc plus, berssrs.
IA 10 bsuf ct lAne
Qui sont par dovant
Avec leur hAlene
Rechaunent rcnfant.
simple English translation Is as follows:
Where do you come from. shepherdsss,
From From Wis, Where 90, do ycH conner
From taking walk.
And i've seen a miracle
This very night
What have you seen, sheph.rdo..,
What have you soonf
I've econ In the manger
Tenderly laid
On the clean straw,
little child
lsthere nothing moro, shepherdess
Nothing moref
His mother. Holy MARY,
Who gives Him milk 70 drink,
~ Joseph who's HIS father
shivers with the cold
Isthere nothing morn. shepherdoss.
Nothing moref
Yes. the OF and the ass.
Which are In front
A.wsrnins the child
The "Adeste Fideles" is usually sung A, the mid
night mass with full orchestral as well AZ organ
accompaniment and all the church bills In town
and country ring out their chimes together I'm
addition 70 the music OF the bells the midnight
mass, under the French regime, was always
tunes In succession. From the earliest DAYS of
New France special efforts made for a fitting
Observance Of tho midnight mass. Before the |
early missionaries had any means for heating.
were satisfied with the little warmth that proceeded
from the torches carried by the worshippcrs
From the sanctuary lamp, an old tradition |
IN France in the sixteenth century prescribed |
that the fire must be- taken 10 light the Christ.
mas log, In thc early days Of French Canada,
az well as In brittany, when, this was not done,