Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-03-13
cra,.rMAs IN ITALY
impressive services Held in the
churches Of Rome in Honor OF
the Nativity.

protestapts II is more OF iestiNhi
1, swedep and Germany than IN itnis
and Spain, where greater attention If
Maid to the anniversaries OF events ID
tbe life of the Holy Virgin and certain
Kaiuts than TO that OF the Redeenler 3
birth II il holiday In Rome. how
ever Business is generally suspend
ed. the banks are closed and obiiga-
t,ona Milling due on the 25th OF De.
c.mber can be paid on the following
day II Is also customary-amons the
upper classes to hold family reunions,
with a noon dinner a, the house OF
the eldest or recognized head OF Tn"
family to which all the relations are
iny,,ed n there In room for them, and
AZ mt tho nearest OF KIN come to ain
nsr and the rest appear after me
feast TO spend the remainder OF the
day In conviyiality. Among the 10
mans these occasions are usually very
formal and great Difference In paid
10 the head OF the house. particularly
4; he is rich OF Influential The ut
tie toads euiogiEe the big ioads Ia
the puddle when the time comes 10
propose heaiths.
In humble circles. among the iniddie
classes. this custom is Initiated. Ihe
peasapts have tho best time they can
afford. and n large proportion OF mo
working population spend the gay IN
going around begging presents.
Every man who has done anything TOT
The household during the previous
wear feels at liberty to call and wish
the family 'buepa festa,' which y
equivalent TO our merry Christmas,
expecting n present In money some
tlmcs the lady of the house or the
master does not know who he is. but
II Ia easier 10 give him few copperN
thsn listen to HIS explanation that on
the 2Tth OF May he trimmed the hedge
in the garden. or on the 18TH OF Mhrch
he mcnded the roof or painted the
kitchen door. clerks nj the groceries
and butcber-shops where the inmils
deal, the hackmen who have driven
them about the cobblcrH who mend
their shoes the lhupdress. the shf
bage collector. the barber the dress,
mnker's maid Ike the postman and
newspaper carrier with ps, hll expect
presents of from 10 cents To dollar
in cash. and DO not hesitate TO canvass
the patrons of their employers for
that purpose. which makes people OF
small Incomes, who are trying TO keep
up Appearances GLAD that Christmas
does not come but once a year "
Ia n mild form OF biackmail for on-'s
reputation among the trades people
and artists depends upon his gener'
A. n. t.A u..nrHtUVIk
Roman children do not hang up
their stockings on Christmas eve, and
Christmas trees are rare except IN
the foreign colonies and among fam
ilics who imitate foreign ways, The
Italians exchange presents on the
Epiphany, on Jan. g. the anniversary or
the visit Of the wise rpen who follow
ed the starr and brought gif,H TO the
infant Savior ne He lay in the man
rer at Bethlehem.
Mass Ia celebrated In nearly all the
Roman churches on ChriHtmas morn.
Ing. and in some Of them special ser
Wees are held. when the pope was
yonurer and stronger he used "a. ON
ciatc at st Peters nj one OF the most
sumptuous ecclesiastical pagoante
that can be imagined, attended by
tens Of Thousands of people No one
has ever vet been able TO calculate
how large a congregation tho Pride
of the Popee" win hold Yesterday
Leo XIII. did not appear, He at-
tended mass In his own chapel ns uHu'
nj. and there was nothing unual In the
programme at the vatican, except the
receipt OF many rich gifts and letters
and kilograms Of congratulation.
Services was continuous In st
Peters all day. There are dozen
or more al,nrs and chapeis, and II is
So vast that service can he going on
nj all Of them at the ssme time with
ont Interference. md yesterday there
WAS always crowd of worshlpers at
each
II 10 customary at Rome TO cele-
brate certain religious holidays at
certain churches with pomp and cerc-
mooy. and on Christmas day people
20 to Arp.Cocli and 20 Saint Maria
MaKgiore. The latter in many rc-
rprcts Ia the most beautiful and In
tercstinc building In Rome. md daten
from Pope Libertus tsbel. to whom
the Virgin appeared and commanded
him 10 erect chapel in her honor
upon a bill which would be found COW
cred with snow the next morning II
was Aug. 8. and the legend is com
memorsicd by solemn high mass
every year on that date, when white
rose leaves are showered upon the
heads Of the worshipers through holes
in the ceiling
Al Saint Maria Msggiore's ARE some
OF the mos, precious OF the relics Of
Christ. pieces OF stone from the stable
at bethlehem. the swaddling clothes
In which Jesus was some Of the hay
which made HIS he'd and six pieces
NJ wood about eighteen inches long
and three or four inches wide taken
from the manger in which He was
Graded. These relics were brought
from Bethlehem 70 Rome hy Bishop
Stephen In the seventh century. and
since that date have been exposed FOR