Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-01-19

No sign Of the coming change In italy
o. So clear to the wise observer as the
different ways Of celebrating Christ
mas. The old way uses images. The
new does not. And the presepio ana The
Christmas tree are emblemdtic OF the
two systems 0t religion which now, ar
ter the lapse OF centuries meet In
Rome. says the Chicago News. The
presepio is a reproduction OF the stable
OF Bethlehem where Jesus Christ was
born There. in a rocky cavern. are
wax images. often as large as life, OF
the virgin mother and the child; OF 70
seph the shepherds and the magi while
other images Of placid cows and wise
donkeys. the natural inhabitants OF the
stable, filled up the scene.
The Christmas tree has no Images,
not even the German Christ child on
the top but It's green, aromatic
branches are laden with yellow
oranges with silyered balls and strings,
Of gilt paper. with lighted candles. red,
white and green, the colors OF ltaly,
and with flakes or mimic snow. The
Sunday schools OF the evangelical
churches in Rome GENERALLY have
Christmas tree not only beautiful 70 see,
but laden with gifts that make the
hearts OF the litil, ones sing for JOY.
Nearly all Of the Roman Catholic
churches have a presepio, but the most
splendid Is that Of the church Of Ara
COlI on the historic Campidoglio. There
the Madonna holds in her lap the Won
drous Bambino Gesu, a dark com
plexIoned wooden doll dressed In gold
and silver tissue stuff and covered
from head TO foot with precious stones.
II Is believed by the pop
ulace TO have miraculous heal.
ing power, and Is often car
RED In a grand carriage TO the sick.
The presepio Is on the left Of the en-
trance after you climb the long stone
staircase that leads up the hill.
Wherever In the smaller churches
there Is a modest preseplo, the mothers
gather and urge their little ones to re-
cite their hymns of praise to the Ma
donna and the Child. But 10 the divine
Child alone are the hymns and songs
addressed. which are repeated by the
children around the Christmas tree.
Some time In Christmas week. not al
was on Christmas eve, these visions Of
light and beauty entrance the children
In the Waldensian. the Methodist, the
Baptist and the other Italian evangel-
zeal churches. And not only the chill
dren. but the mothers and the fathers
come 10 celebrate the peace on earth,
good VIII 20 men" Then is sung the
beautiful hymn written by Alessandro
Manzoni, set TO a melody even more
beautiful than the words sung by mar
tyrs and confessors Of the prosecuted
churches since the year 1885,
Christmas eve Is a family festival,
where old and young Of three or four
generations meet at a supper Of FISH,
cells. nuts. cakes and fruit or vegetables.
No meat is permitted, as this Is what Is
called eating magro. but II Is none the
less a full meal. 1t is followed next day
by the sumptuous dinner, graced neces-
sarily by fat capon, and ended by pan
gallo, a sort OF coarse nut and fruit
cake. Roman children receive no gifts
on Christmas day They have no
legendary Santa Claus, with snow-cov-
cred cap and fur and bells who comes
down the chimney 20 tiIl their stockings
with long desired gifts.
Their ideal is La Befano, an ugly but