Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-21
Curious Christmas Customs.

money on their window-sill at night. The
children of Flanders. hearing of this, put
their wooden shoes outside their windows,
hoping to find therein a reward for good
conduct AS St Nicholas day occurred
| on the 24th of December, he was selected
| 10 be The bearer of good gifts TO the chill
| dren.
| In Russia, Ctristmas-tde means much
| 10 the people whose Car frequently bears
| the name OF Nicholas At the set of sun
on Christmas Eve. the old and young of
inc poorer classes. form procession, Wis
| ltng the homes Of the wealthy. where
| they sing songs for the aims that are cast
| iheM- Later, masquerade follows. and
| COWS and other animals are impersonatcd
| IN remembrance of Christ's birth having
| taken place in a manger. Another, though
now absolete custome of the Russians.
| was to SINCE a live boar the animal
afame like the yule log, typtied light.
CHRISTMAS GIFTS
AS St Nicholas is the purvcyor Of pres
| ents. so Santa Klaus is the giver of good
gifts to the Teutonic children Old Kris
kingle as he is also called, with his rein
deer team hurrying from his far-away
| home at the North Pole to visit the chin
neys. and descending, fill the stockings
OF the little ones, is a legend brought to
this country by the Dutch. and firmly
believed by the majority of young Ameri-
cans.
In Brittany. where the peasantry ranks
amongst the poorest in France, the chill
dren on Christmas Eve crowd around the
door OF the priest to receive their Christ
mas loaf Thus the custom of giving at
this season is universal, for the world rec
| members that the Messiah a gift and
gift prompted by love. which should be
| the governing spirit of all Christmas Civ.
o hTpJ he wise
| men from the East teach the same lesson,
| for their gifts to the infant Jesus were
! but meager types Of the Veneration that
prompted their homage, the self-sacrific-
ing long journey which made their giving
possible. and the gifts We're but symbols
OF His royalty, His sweetness His beneti-
cence. They all meant something. and
so "A Merry Christmas or some simple
token of love. just a remembrance, may
mean more than costly gift for no gift
should represent intrinsic value but
meaning, not with the idea of investment,
but with a feeling of love or regard.
THE CHRISTMAS TREE
The custom of the Christmas tree. which
, first fourished in Germany, has long
since spread its branches over other lands.
! Few people know that the first English
child who ever had Christmas tree was
the famous Bloody Queen Mary. When
she was years old. her father. King
Henry VIII. made her heart merry with
a little Christmas tree decorated with
strings Of red berries instead Of the tinsel
used nowadays.
The forests Of Maine and Wisconsin
supply the cvergreens that are thus used
in the great cities of our land. The har-
estinS of these trees furnishes fun for the
family of the forester, who help prepare
them for marketing.
la lIi-c nh
cents piece to the lumberman, they are
sold in such numbers the industry is q
profitable one. it takes 4 Christmas tree
five years to grow and when felled iudi>
ciously, a similar harvest from the same
wood may be counted on five years hence.
CHRISTMAS IN DIME.
The Christmas Of the South of to-day
does not compare in jollity with the
Christmas Of ante-belIun days. Fronr1 a
picturesque point OF view it has lost much
of its beauty. Then the old We'd with
the young for grace as they glided across
the polished hall of the old Colonial
home in the stately Virginia reel. III the
cabin, the negro fiddler, calling out the
figures kept time with the pat. pat pat
of his brogan shoe, while all the darkies
danced-for the hired ones were home for
the holiday. The celebration was typical
Of those days OF ease and affiuence. Egg
noS. apple toddE, turkey, and roasted
shoat were counteTbalanced by lnince
pie, fruit-cahe. and pigs foot jelly. III
stead OF Merry Christmas the sounds
that greeted the ears Of the planta ton
owners were Christina Eif'. ole mars
ter" Christmas gif. ole miss"
Now these days exist only az Il sweet
memory. for the Christmas of the present
is characterized by hustle Of confusion
on the streets, with busy shoppers elbow
ing their way along. The sound of the
tin horn and fire cracker kndle a forced
enthusiasm, but the preparations outweigh
III many cases the real endowment. The
prosperity OF the American nstions is such
that the children are ccus~omed to so
many luXuries they are weI'-nigt stated
with toys. The picture books that would
have meant SO much to their fore-fathers
are cast aside, failing to Interest long
less dog cared" Therefore, the Empty
country to give pleasure TO these children
less blessed with worldly possessions, are
beneficial in reminding the children OF
the rich that there are those In the world
to whom they may make Christmas mean |
much. Let US hope that the Empty
Stocking Clubs may continue and that |
by following this fad Young America may |
learn the beauty of the trlisnl: 1T is more |
blessed TO give than receive
CHIEFLY PERSONAL,
1vanhOe Sclater Jr., who is attending I
the University of Virginia. has arrived a |