The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1905-12-22

from the back porch. Various men,
bers of the family. blindfolded, strike
at the jar with a long stick When
one finally breaks it all engage in a
scramble in the shower Of sweets.
Then a basket filled with gifts is
passed around.
There is always great tree at the
Austrian embassy, as was the case
last year when all the little ones of
the diplomatic corps, about fifty in
number, We're invited to see the WON
derful tree.
Japanese Christmas.
To the Japanese our Christmas is
but little known. They celebrate, how
ever, day very much like ito
Nehan." the anniversary of the birth
of Buddha- 1t is an occasion on which
every Buddhist house is in holiday
trim, and gayly dressed happy faced
children flock the streets.
IL a certain meaning it is Christ
mas day to all Buddhists-this BIRTH
daE of Buddha, the founder of Japan 5
religion. Every temple. excepting
those OF the Mon and Hokke sects,
horror it with an important celebra-
ton The founders of these two
sects are considered by their follow
ers to be themselves the meditators,
instead of Buddha, between Amioa
and the people, and as a matter of
course, Buddha's birthday is to them
of secondary Importance.
The chief feature of the celebration
at the temples consists of the crowds
in a booth dipping water with little
bamboo dippers and pouring it over
the image of Buddha standing in the
water.
1t is representative of one OF the
beautiful legends that gather about
the miraculous birth of Buddha- Half
a century before the time of Christ
when the religious and social world
of prosperous India needed the great
refOrmer. heaven sent baby prlnce
to save the people The mother of
the babe did not live and for three
years he was nourished by the Juice
of the tree which his mother loved.
In Russia.
In Russia the peasants of all ages
dress themselves to represent differ
emit domestic animals; the effect is
ludjcrous in the extreme. The reason
they give for this is that they wish
to commemorate Christ's having Seen
born in a stable.
In Norway it is the custom to pre-
sent ones lady love with a gift in a
very odd way; the house door is thrust
open and a large bundle of hay or
straw thrown inside; when pulled
to pieces. it will be found to contain
some pretty bit of jewelry.
Because the Greek church never
adopted the GregOrian calendar but
clings to the old way of compiling
dates, the Russian Christmas does not
fall ON December 25, but on January
z.
There are Christmas trees and pres
ents for the little ones, but no stock
ings are hung up, for in the Russian
celebration of the great day there is
no such thing as Santa Claus coming
down the chimney. Costly presents
are scarcely known in Russia, the
gift-making being confined almost ex-
cluSively to the children. The pres
ents are placed under the tree, and
the latter lit up with candles, and on
the top there is generally a statuette
of good St. Nicholas who is practical
ly the same as Santa Claus.
The people attend services OF mass
in the church in the morning and the
rest of the day feast and entertain
their friends in royal fashion. Prior
to Christmas day there is a period of
five or six weeks fasting among the
common people.
Christmas there is celebrated three
days the 9Th, 9Th, and Sth and during
that time no one does any work. 1t
ly, though many attend high mass in
commemoration of the birth of Christ
Feast on Roast Pig.
After the long fasting there is much
eating and drinking. Roast pig is
the main part of the feast. There is
much indulgence in the cup that
cheers.
Among the most popular things
done is for the young girl to take a
hand glass and hold it up before her,
either in the house or outside-it mat
tiers not-the legend stating that the
firs' face of a man she sees in it will
be that of her future husband.
Another favorite pastime is for the
young women to wind cord or wire
around the fences and gates Of cot
iages of houses at night so as to en-
tangle the young men, the legend read
ing that the first of the sterner sex
to come out and trip or run against
the winding cords is destined to be-
come the husband Of the girl who
spread the network.
Christmas among the orthodox
Greeks is not nearly so important a