Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-12-22


the festival of hope. wrote Dean Farrar
On that blessed day the thoughts of mill
ions all over the habitable globe, from
the huts of the EskimOs to the kraals of
the Kaffirs, and from the tOrrid zone down
to the wigwams Of the Patagonians and
the stormy Antarctic isles, will turn to
Bethlehem and to the Christ Child. All
will lie glad to think how to us is born
in the City Of David a Savior, who is
Christ the Lord. And why? Because
even the dimmest and vaguest conception
Of Christmas will show that this COM
memorates an infinitude of love and infn-
ftude of hope. 1t tells that man is not a
worthless atom; but that he is dear to
God that there is an infinite value and
preciousness in this, our mortal life.
Christmas is the gladdest festival of the
year. People talk of holiday making, but
this one season fairly radiates gladness.
There is around it, as it were, halo or
atmosphere of JOY. From the time when
we were tiny children, before we knew
the meaning of work, when every day was
a play day, we looked forward to Christ
mas as a magic occasion. And, now we
are grown up, we still look forward to
Christmas. There is the excitement of
the mutual exchange Of gifts, the exhil-
aration of the winter festivities, the pleas
ure of family reunions, the inspiring sense
Of holiday.
In some of the old Belgian towns a
beautiful spectacle may be seen on Christ
mas Eve. Amid the sounds of drum, cor
net, cymbal and a whole orchestra of in
struments, with the soft chanting of old
carols, long, gaily decbed procession
marches through the principal streets;
children Of all ages, each division dressed
60 its special cOlOr-white, blue, pink or
yellOw-and all bearing some badge or
emblem, or grasping some bright ribbon
attached to various objects.
The Germans have a truly childlike
love for Christmas. The spirit of Kris
Kringle animates the hearts of rich and
poor: faults and foibles are covered with
a kindly mantle, end mirth and jollity
reign Every family wants a Christmas
tree. of course, but if too poor to get
tree, a bough will give them just as much
pleasure. and if not a bOugh, then a twig
will do very well. Tt is a home festival,
and the gifts, however small, are pretty
sure to be love gifts. All through the
land there is mirth and laughter and the
spirit of Christmas. and we feel that here
the holiday retains the charm it once had
when we were little ones. In the distri-
button of gifts everyone is remembered,
usually with only a trife, but it is beau
tiful as expressing remembrance. There
Is a general caring for the poor. Rich
families care for poor families Individual
", and choose gifts which will be of real
value to them.
Ancient Christmas customs are passing
away i'm the larger cities of Russia, but in
some of the remoter provinces of the
empire the Old-fashioned form fingers.
Once upon a time the festival seemed to
be devoted to the amusement of young
girls. nor is this practice entirely obsO-
lete. The house of some wealthy family
was chosen for the place of festivities, IN
order that there might be no lack of good
cheer" OF course. these festivities were
only INDUCED in by the rich. The poor
never gained admittance to them, except
occasionally as maskers or mummers.
From time immemOrial it has been the
custom in ROumania, 1t Christmas, to
bless the Danube. Formerly a scaffold-
inc was erected on the frozen river, and
on this was a large cross of ice; but ow-
ing to the extraordinary number of people
who presented themselves, the ice fire.
CuentIy gave way, and many were drown
ed. The ceremony now takes place on the
bank Of the Danube. The people, in rec
IGNITION of the occasion, wear turbans Of
cOIored paper and carry long, white
wands These people, who are dressed to
represent POntiUs PLATE, HerOd and other
religious characters, go from place to
place singing hymns, which are almost
similar to our own Christmas carols. At
the appointed hour of the ceremony, the
notabilities arrive in professional order,
accompanied by the priests. The service
lasts half an hour. at the close of which
the ice is broken and a small wooden cross
Is thrown into the water. Hundreds of
people rush in after it. and the person
who is successful in recovering it is con-
sidered very lucky.
Christmas in the West Indies is a very
joviaI. rollicling affair-at least in the
estimation of the darkies. The great fea-
ture of the season is the series of mas
uuerades or mystery plays enacted by
strolIing negro performers. They are
quite an imposing lot of men, with a good
ear for music. and as YOU watch their
antics you might easily imagine that, in
stead Of being in a civilized British col
Onv. You were back in the heart Of Africa,
assisting at some savage death dance or
other heather rite.
Christmas is celebrated in Sweden to
an extent unknown in our country, and
the celebration is not over until Jan. ID,
or twentieth day Yule." At every farm
er's house there is erected. in the middle
of the yard a pole. to the top Of which is
bound a large. full sheaf of grain. Not
peasant in Sweden will sit down to a
Christmas dinner within doors, until he
has first raised aloft a Christmas dinner
for the birds in the cold and snow with
out.
OF all Chinese festivals that of New
Years day is the greatest. Being a pecu-
IiarIy contradictory race, the Chinese do
not reckon time by the sun. as we do in
America, but by the moon, so that the
Chinese New Years day may come at
any time between the middle Of January
and the middle of February. When the