Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-13
VISIONS OF SANTA CLAUS.

apple and poplar trees-is handsomer,
larger in leaf and fuller in berries. than
the English
1--WE had always thought that the English
alone had preserved the memory of the an
cient sacred plant of your common Celtic
ancestors" said George
"Oh. no. The Bretons have kept the ira
ditions far more faithfully than the Eng
lish.' answered the other Il think may
say that. without doubt, the gathering of
the mistletoe, its generation as luck
bringer, and even its kissing prerogatlVes
still remain part and parcel of the Breton
peasant life
THAT is true spoke up one of the guests,
v no, 1t turned out, himself Breton.
The 'gui, as we call it, is valuable for
three things. 1t is a talisman against the
spells of witches. 1t brings good luck And
it affords young people an opportunity for
innocent firtation!''
"a few days before Christmas" he con-
tinued. "all the boys and girls go out In
companies to seek the May of the cold
season. They go into the old oak forests,
where grows the only mistletoe having any
mystic virtues. So they wander through the
depths of the mysterious and poetic old
woods of Armorica, where once white
bearded Druids cut the plant with golden
sicklesi The boy who first finds the cele-
brated plant is made king Of the feast. They
carry him in triumph, with his branch of
mistletoe, back to his home"
What them?
1.-The mistletoe is solemnly hung above
pass, one by one, beneath it, to be kissed
without ceremony by all the young fellows
present"
"Oh! ohr' exclaimed the French young
ladies.
Chestnuts and Cider.
'"Then, after a feast of hot roasted chest
nuts and cold cider. they burn the branch
of mistletoe on hot tile or fire-pan, which
they thrust into the blazing chimney. The
in
little bags to be hung around the neck.
Often these little bags are buried in the
middle of wheat-fields, to bring good crops.
1t is for its mystic power, also, that the
mistletoo bough hangs outside all Breton
tayerns-to prevent the drinkers of 'gwin'
from seeing devils, korrigans and sorcerers
on their way home at night"
All this was new to us and unexpected
We had always heard that New Year was
the great French day for present-giving
and festivity, Christmas being nothing more
than a religious feast like Easter
''You will show us Christmas tree next"
said George.
..But we have one" answered madame.
and as she said it the children made
break for the stairway.
1t was in one of those luxurious villas of
the suburb of Auteuil. Upstairs we troop
ed to the second-fioor back, large sitting
room with a bay window. Here we were
really startled. 1t was just like home The
Christmas tree stood in the bay window.
While the children took to their toys again
with natural sef-importance, one of the
elder sisters asked us about our own Christ
mas.
do the children put their shoes in the
chimney" she asked.
mo" we answered; "they hang up their
stockings.
Glow stranger she murmured, while the
children laughing, called out:
Listen little mother; in America they
hang their stockings up beside the chimney
for st. Nicholas to put their presents In
This caused them more surprise than any
we ourselves had felt that pleasant Christ
mas night. -
They hang their stockings up! they all
reneated "How strangei We put out our
shoes STERLING HELLO.