Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-25
CHRISTMAS IN MANILA
HOW 1T is CELEBRATED IN THE
PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.

past several years II has Decome one ol the
largest in the world
The company is a trifle mixed, when the
little. coffee-colored Filipino. dusky-hued
Hawaiian and the ollve-tinted Porto Rican
come crowtiing in and scramble for the
wish-bone, and the pudding. and the pres
ents off the top of the tree.
Five years have elapsed since they entered
his family, but they have not yet adjusted
themselves to his fashion of keeping Chist-
mas. and they all have well-deveoped no.
tons Of their own as to how the day should
be celebrated.
Christmas in the Philippines, or, rather,
in the Island of Luzon, Is one Of the great
days of the year. AS state and church nave
been until recently inseparable there. all
the religious festivals have been matters of
national celebration. Church professions are
the pride and passion of the Ffliplnos, and
at Christmas they bring together great
crowd, both actors and spectators. Most
brilliant are those which take place after
sunset. when some thousands of persons
carry lighted wax candles, and the process
sion, composed Of all the ecclesiastical func-
tionaries and many OF the civil officers, Is
sometimes more than mile long.
At Christmas gorgeously dressed images
of the varied objects of veneration form an
important part of the ceremony In one
Christmas procession the jewels worn by an
image of the Madonna exceeded $4,000 In
value
Many bands of music accompany the pro-
cession. and a number of little girls, prettily
and fancifully dressed In white, follow the
sacred images or the pallio of the arch
bishop. Often the entire length of the pro-
eessaon on both sides is lined by bearers
with blazing wax tapers, and the spectacle
Is like the procession in an Assyrian bas-
relief.
On the eve Of Christmas the streets are
decorated with bamboo arches. covered with
painted linen. The draperies suspended over
these arches have various openings. In which
vadegated lanterns are placed. an art sug-
gested probably by the Chinese who are
found on the island.
Clusters Of artificial flowers. groups of
fruits and other artistic devices decorate
the houses. and local musicians serenade
the priests and authorities. In the process
sion queens and saints and various Scriptu-
raj personages are represented by members
velvet and gold. With beautiful !ndifrer
encs to their appropriateness or historical
accuracy.
Sing Popular Songs.
Popular songs are sung and the Christ
mas eve gayeties are carried on until mid
night Everybody goes to early mass and
takes part in the procession on Christmas
morning, all of which Is followed by
siesta during the heat of the day.
In the principal houses on Christmas day
a dinner is ready for any guest who may
CALL and variety of dishes prepared
for this occasion. BY O. clock more process
SionS. more street music and perhaps a drill,
If our officers are accommodating. The
streets are crowded with a cosmopolitan
throng, and there Is a great display of fire
works, rockets and balloons.
+ is a great day for the cockpit which,
IN Manila, takes the place of the bull
fight. Immense bets are laid, for the Fill
Pine plays a game of chance almost as
well as he plays the guitar.
These pla6itoria1 hat no
carried on In secrecy, for the American
authorities have decreed that the cock fight
is as brutal as the bull fight The process
sions are not over until far into the night,
when the principal ecclesastics and people
OF rank and position who take part in the
parades are invited to a temporary struc-
ture, where, under the stars and before
great table decorated with pyramids of
flowers and laden with every delicaey the
public Christmas festivities are concluded.
But it is nearly dawn before the phi
vate parties, which begin after the public
functions are over, have finished with
fireworks and balloon ascenslons, the ceIe,
bration of the day of joy.
Christmas in Hawaii.
In Hawaii Christmas is celebrated much
as in other Christian countries The Gus
toms of the ancient Hawaiian, the weird
ceremonies of the savage, are superseded
by the ritual of the Christian church, and
rejoicing in Honolulu as in England or
America. The native Hawaiian is a friend
ly, kindly creature, who has ceased to
pray an adversary to death, and has
adopted the teachings of the American mis-
sionary with great enthusiasm.
In Hawaii, Christmas is celebrated with
the usual solemn services in the churches
gifts and joyous celebrations at home. No
where is there a more cosmopolitan society
than in Honolulu, and each colony of eau
casians vies with the other in its Christ
mas display.
The Germans. far away from their dear
IA therland. teach their children folklore
stories of old Kris Kringle and his rein
deer, and deck their Christmas trees with
imitation snow and ice, to the great de-
light of the children of perpetual spring.
The English exiles bring from the old
country their yule logs and mistetoe, ana
they only need the crackle of the under
brush and the sound Of the hunters gun in
the preserves to make them feel at home.
The Americans send for foxes from San
Francisco, decorate their houses with the
gorgeous foliage of the island, and feel the
Christmas spirit is there, no matter If they
do take their afternoon constitutional
among the tropical flowers and pluck their
fruit after dinner from the trees in their
own courtyards.
The Portuguese, the natives, even the Chi
nese and Japanese, all stop in their rou-
tine of great or petty traffic to acknowl-
edge Peace on earth, good will to men"
The foliage of the island is marvellous,
and every house Is decked in royal palms
and gorgeous flowers In honor of the day
People go about the streets with wreaths
on their shoulders. The Kanaka women,
dressed In flowing mother hubbards, the re-
suit of civilization, strew flowers In their
paths, and the Christmas spirit is trans
planted from the land of snow and ice to
the Southern Gardens of Eden, a haven
where 1t is never too hot and never too
cold where the color of the sky, the land,
and the sea is one long drawn out delight.
Picturesque Honolulu.
1t would be hard to fancy more pic
turesque group than which Honolulu har-
bors during the holiday season.
The native women wear what Is really
only full nightgown, hibiscus blossoms
in their flowing hair. and wreath of
flowers falling over their gown, which has
the musical name of hololsu.
Their hats, when they wear any. are
trimmed with fresh flowers and wreaths
of orange blossoms fall about their Shout
ders The men wear GaribaIdi shirts
and brilHant-colored handkerchief around
their necks or on their heads.
The large number of Chinese In Honolulu
make that city as picturesque as San Fran
CISCO On festival days no procession is
complete without them, and their various
costumes-some wear white shirts and
white trousers with crimson wreaths about