The Irish standard., 1908-01-04
cHRtsTMAs IN IRELAND.
The Atmosphere Of the Great Festival
Prevails Long Before Its Coming.

The Atmosphere Of the Great Festival
Prevails Long Before Its Coming.
Christmas in Ireland as In every
Christian country. is time of glad
ness and rejoicing The Irish heart,
too, always warm and kind, overtlows
during the holy season with good ma
ture and hospitality. In every city,
and town, and village enthusiastic
preparations are made for the coming
Of the great festival. Indeed. the at
lnosphere of Christmas prevails for
days and days before it's arrival; nor
is the happy excitement of the pco-
PIE soon lost when Christmas has
gone.
|, The young people gather holly.
string the leaves together and with
the mistletoe decorate their homes.
The good Irish mothers, helped by
their dark-eyed colleens, prepare the
ingredients that make up the big plum
pudding which will be carried to the
dinner table Christmas Day. In the
homes of the well-to-do, the Christmas
dinner il a family reunion. The boys
are home from college. and the girls
from the convent; and father and
mother, brothers and sisters. aunts and
uncles, nephcws and nieces join hands
in happy family gathering.
In many parts Of Ireland midnight
Mass is celebrated. Whoever has
been present at one Of these Masses
will never forget the wonderful faith
and simple devotion of the Celtic peo-
pie. Immense multitudes attend these
midnight Masses. 1t is pretty sight
on an early Christmas morning to see
the crowds of people vending their
way over the hills or through tne
lanes to the Christmas Mass. After
Mass the congregations gather around
the crib, and on Bonded knees make
their hearts offering and alteration.
Every chrrch in Ireland, no matter
how poor or secluded, has a crib.
Sometimes these cribs are not very
artistic, but nevertheless they are all !
ways surrounded by believing hearts.
In Dublin many OF the churches erect
very costly and artistic cribs. The
beautiful churches of the Passlonists
and Oblate Fathers have in past years
brought visitors from far and near to
see the wonderfully life-like and beau
tiful representations of the stable ana
the newborn Saviour.
But while the song of the angels In
that far-away long ago is being re-
echoed in the hearts of the Irish peo-
pie at home, millions of her exiled
children are thinking of Ireland on dis
tant shores. Nothing so easily
awakens In the hearts Of these Irish
exiles such tender memories of home
and kindred as the thought of Christ
mas in Ireland. 1t recalls a picture of
that dear old homeland and mother
land, with its green mountains rising
SO proudly above the storm-tossed bill
lows. In thought the exile sees once
more old scenes, and old friends. He
hears the bells of Ireland's great ca
thedrals, abbeys. and churches peal
ing throughout the length and breadth
of the Isle of Saints. From the an
oient City of Armagh he hears the bell
of the national cathedral of st. Pat
rick. Amid the historic hills of DON
egal he listens to the chimes Of St.
Humans, Letterkenny. Over the ram
parts and walls OF Derry comes a
sweet message from the bells of st.
Eugene's Cathedral. Across the green
fields Of Monaghan are heard the peal
of bells from the magnificent cathe-
dral of st. McCartan. Down the bay
of Dublin the breezes bear the deep
rich tones Of the chimes Of old ST.
Patrick's, accompanied by the music Of
u hundred bells from the Irish metrop-
oils. The bells of ST. Mel's, Longford.
and st. Mary's. Kilkenny. proclaim the
Christmas tidings through the Midland
plains. Along the beautiful river Dee
the bells of st. Finbar's, Cork. are
telling joyful news to the southern
rebel city. And from above the
heights Of Queenstown Harbor the
bells Of st. Colmans magnificent new
cathedral are sending far out on the
western sea a greeting to Ireland's
exiled sons and daughters-NewZ ea-
land Tablet.