The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-12-31

IOr every MEMBER OF the uOuSenOlQ 10
take bath which, in many instances,
is the only thorough bath taken dur
ing the entire year. In some Of the
villages lights are left burning in the
windows to light Kristine, who brings
the gifts, while q cake of meal is set
outside in the snow as a Christmas
, offering. In the early part of the even
ing boys dressed ia white go from
house to house. One carries a star
shaped lantern Of colored paper, anoth-
er an ornamented box containing two
dolls supposed to represent the Mother
and Child; then the boys chant a carol,
after which refreshments are served
them, when they depart for another
house, where the same ceremony is
gone through with, until all the houses
in the village have been visited.
In Peru the Christmas services are
peculiar. Even the climate is different.
Instead of ice and snow of the more
northern chimes a dangerous heat per-
vades the air, and the perspiring merry
makers are pretty free patrons of the
ice stalls which line the street on this
night of nights. Every one is out gaily
dressed. No doors are closed and
music and dancing and the distribution
of gifts is to be found upon every hand.
/ All ceremony and restraint are put
aside and the stranger is sure of a
hearty welcome in any house he may
choose to enter. Midnight mass is Of
course e distinctive feature of the occa-
| sion and while this is in progress the
streets are deserted. After the morn
ing mass at 8 o'clock bull fight en-
cages the attention of the populace. At
I this fight, the best of the year, from
eight to ten bulls are killed, innumera-
! BILE horses and sometimes one or two of
| the men. Christmas night, long pro-
cession is formed, headed by priests
and monks, and followed by soldiers
and people Every one is dressed in
his best and the sound of music fills the
air. In the midst of this procession the
Madonna is held aloft bearing in her
arms the Holy Child. After a long
march the procession returns to the
Cathedral and disbands. This closes
the festivities for another year.
Christmas was great day during the
ante-bellum period of the Southern
States. Their Christmas was special
celebration handed down from those
English folk who first peopled Virginia
and the Carofinas and whose descend
ants nave spread over the country
south of the Mason and Dixon line
NO slave owner in those days who re-
spected himself dreamed of asking his
black charges to do more in the month
| OF December than to kill hogs and to
get up a big Christmas wood pile The
old negro Mammies" and "Daddies''
often went visiting on their own ac-
count those days to see ''Ol' Marse or
Missus" and they were always sure of
a warm welcome at their journeys end
Sometimes the dancing and singing to
the accompaniment of a gourd banjo in
the darkies' cabins was kept up all
night, while the more pious of the old
slaves spent the entire night in prayer,
but that did not deter them from drink
ing of their masters eggnog Christmas
morning.
From many countries come the legend
of the Christmas tree. The first a
Scandinavian myth of great antiquity,
tells of a mysterious lighted tree in the
forest springing up from the spot where
two lovers had met a tragic fate At
certain nights during the Christmas
season lights could be seen on its
| branches which no wind had power to
extinguish.
| One tale bestows the honor of discov-
ering the first Christmas tree on
Martin Luther, another on ST. Winifred
But legends aside, the history of the
Christmas tree is hard to trace. 1t
may have some remote connection with
the great tree. "Yggdrasil,' Of Morse
mythology. it may be a survival of the
pine trees in the Roman Saturnalia
which were decorated with the images
of Bacchus, or it may be derived from
the ancient Egyptian practice Of dec
Grating houses at the time of the win
ter solstice with branches Of the date
palm, the symbol of life triumphant
over death. These traditions may have
peen influenced by the fact that about
the time of Christ's birth the Jews GEL
ebrated their feast of Channckale or
Lights, known also as the feast of the
dedication, therefore, innumera Bile
lights must have been burning in the
houses of Bethlehem and Nazareth at
about the reported time of the Savior's
BIRTH
The German name for Christmas is
Weihnacht, the night of dedication,
while the Greeks call Christmas the
L CeloI VI 4iSHtS I0GSe VdSfdnt ITdQl-
! tons merging together finally lei to the
permanent establishment of the Christ
mas tree. AS a regular institution it
| can only be traced back to the six
teenth century
| The first description of a modern
Christmas tree in literature is to be
found in 1.-THE Nut Cracker" a fairy
tale by TONGUE and Hoffman.
| In 1880 Queen Catherine introduced
the Christmas tree into Munich. At
the same time it was introduced into
! Hungary where it became popular
among the Magyar aristocracy.
| In 1910 the Duchess Helena of Or
| leans brought it to the Tuilleries. 1t was
also patronized by the Empress Eu-
genie, but was not popular among the
middle classes.
| 1t was the marriage of Queen Vic
| toria to a German Prince which first
brought the tree into England. But
| this was not the first Christmas tree
in England, as a Christmas tree. or
something very much like one played an
| important part in Christmas pageant
given in honor of Henry Will
1t was first brought to America by
German emigrant and Immediately be-
| came popular among all classes.
BESELENA.