The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-12-23
(By Frederic j. Haskin.)

Nowhere on earth does Christmas
have such a deep significance as in the
tiny Syrian city of Bethlehem. for it
was here that Jesus was born. In
Bethlehem the festival has retained its
purely religious character, and the
customs and ceremonies associated
with its celebration are distinctively
the religious ceremonial observance of
Christmas is overshadowed by holiday
customs which are the lineal descend
ants of Teutonic myths. The Christ
mas spirit is Il Christian spirit. and
there is no need to eXpel Santa Claus
on the ground that Inc once was a
pagan. Nevertheless 1t is Interesting
to observe how the birthday of Jesus
is celebrated in His native town.
Today is Christmas to but few of
the the people of Bethlehem, for a
majority of the Bethlehcmitcs are
COMMITMENTS of the Greek Orthodox
church. which holds to the Julian cal
endar and which will celebrate Christ
mas twelve days hence.
But today is Christmas wherever the
Gregorfan calendar is in use, and il is
Christmas to the Roman Catholics and
to the PrOtestants of Bethlehem. There
are perhaps a thousand Catholics and
& hundred Protestants among the ma
Nv VIZ ~ IL lutlIl SIIlSIlIIIS
is a day Of rest and enjoyment, celc-
brated by the consumption of liberal
Quantities of the peculiar wine for
which Bethlehem is famous among
Syrians and infamous among Europe
ans and Americans. 1t is Il gala day
and the truly beautiful girl of Bethle-
hem wears her tiara of gold coins. her
necklaces of silver fivc-franc pieces,
and her bracelets of bronze money;
for every girl wears her dowry in
money most plainly to be seen. From
the top Of her jaunty little bonnet falls
a veil, not over her face as the Mos
lem women would Wear it, but over
her shoulder, which veil prOclaims
that Bethlehem is the town Of her ma
tiVity. 1t was such a veil that Ruth
wore when she won the heart Of Boaz,
who was mayor Of Bethlehem some
thing more than 1000 years age.
The celebration which today en-
crosses h Latin church population of
Bethlehem will on the Greek Christ
mas he extended to the entire city, for
Latins. as we'll as Greeks join in the
popular observance Of old Christmas.
The Latin Christmas, which we OBJ
serve in America, is, however, the oc-
caSion of the most beautiful ceremOni-
al celebration of all the year in Beth
lehcm. a city where cercmonials never
cease, and where religious alteration
Is literally perpetual. AS in all the
Cathode world. Christmas is ushered
in by the solemn and inspiring mid.
night mass.
On the day before Christmas the La
tin patriarch Of Jerusalem. who is the
head of the franciscan order in Pal
cStine, the order which has charge U1
all the sacred Latin shrincs in the
Holy Land, escorted By the consul gen.
eral of France, leads the processiona
from Jerusalem ver the six miles
roadway, by the convent of st. Elijah
and the tomb of Rachel to Bethlehem
The procession is made UP of all the
Latin priests and monks from tho
various churches and converts OF
Jerusalem. 1t is met in the marke,
place of Bethlehem by the franciscan
monks, who guard the Latin interest,
in the Church of the Nativity, and who
are the priests of the parish church O.
st. Catherine. which is under the ROOT
OF the great Church of the Nativity.
There is n boys choir. made up o.
sturdy. .ruddy-faced boys of Bcthle.
hem. who are the worthy successor.
Of David himself In psalmody. TIL
bands play and the choir chants as thu
solemn professional forms at II
o'clock at night and marches into the
Latin chapel Of the church. Here are
gathered all of the native Catholics o.
the city, most OF whom arc women
The women chatter and gossip ant
laugh and seemingly have none Of tina,
sense OF prOpriety which western
Catholics possess to so marked Il dc,
gree. The chatter is permitted to gt
on for Il while. and then one or twt
sturdy Franciscans rush into tn,
crowd in the church and chastise tn,
offending frivolous women hy beatin,
them with the cords of their robes.
In Palestine the Catholic churche,
for h most part initiate the Grecl
customs and have no seats in church
so that the worshippers either stand o
kneel. In non of the churches in tn,
Holy Land does the congregation seen
to nave II obligation to keep quiet
but 1t must not be inferred that the,
are not devout, for, on the contrary
the greater portion of the disturbanc,
Is caused by an excess OF religion
fervor. This high emotionalism find
expression in shouting and in sway
Ing the body to music, just as per
fevid religious excitement affect
southern negroes at "a baptist cam
meeting in Georgia.
! Just at midnight the procession U