Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-15

vate. In short. everybody OF any inn
portance is gathered around that midnight
supper table.
.And We laugh and eat and talk and eat.
and the maid keeps continually appearing
with gifts for the host and hostess and
their children which different guests have
confided to her keeping Then after sup
per We all go upstairs to the library and
there we drink coffee and liqueurs about q
Christmas tree which has been Brought
in and brilliantly lighted to pacify the
children. but which is not to be hung
with gifts until few days later All the
days between Christmas and Epiphany
are equally days for Christmas trees and
gift-giving among the French.
1t is long after O'Clock before any
one makes a move TO go home. and as we
are departing our host tells US that they
must be up at o'clock with the children.
and must still remain UP long enough to
fill all the shoes which the children have
placed in every fireplace I'm the house In
careful preparation for Pere Noers noe
turnal visit.
In the south Of France. at Marsefile.
there Is survival of the Old medieval
custom of performing a mystery play In
connection with the midnight mass. These
mysteries have been collected and pre-
served as nearly as possible in the form
in which they were given IN the middle
ages. 1t begins with the shepherds sing
ing a song outside the church, asking II
they may enter. Then. after their prayer.
full OF a wild and original sort OF melan-
choly they go In and are followed by the
shepherdesses. who arrive three by three.
carrying a tree festooned with apples.
fNv-rr In rNyn
cession and march around the church.
singing carols. and then follows the play.
which Is usually given under the pulpit
near the baptismal fonts. which repre-
sents summarily the palace of Herod.
y
The king is seated on a raised throne.
between his two ministers. and three
lawyers stand about table covered witt
books. Suddenly the eastern star glides
on a string from the sanctuary to the
pulpit Three knocks sound on the church
door and the beadle goes to open for the
magi. dressed in full. oriental trousers.
with shawls rolled up into belts and tur-
bans.
They make known the object of their
Journey to the greatly astonished KING
They consult the lawyers. who. after dis
GUESSING at length anu loOhihS thiooe
many books, end by quoting the prophets
Whereupon Herod sends the magi TO
Bethlehem and they crowd before him.
making salaams, and then walk toward
the sanctuary where the shepherdesses are
already waiting for them. After they have
prostrated themselves an angel comes l"
warn them that they should return I"
their country without visiting Herod
again. Then the star reappears as a
guide: the wicked king rises noisily. gives
orders for the slaughter OF the innocents
and the play is finished.
Save for a few of these old customs
which still persist, the French Christmas
is rapidly losing it's character. The FASH
ion Of celebrating Christmas after the
English and American custom Is gaining
ground every year. good deal OF mis-
tletoe now makes its appearance on the
boulevards and in the shop windows, ana
it is considered chic in many quarters
to eat .plomb Pooling" on the 10Th OF
December But happily the "baraques
and the family reveillons and the mid
night masses have not disappeared en-
tirely.
,Copyrirhted by Continental Newspaper synda-
cate.b