Evening star., 1914-12-27

to know that carols are still heard ~
many a quaint little town as in days "
old.
The French as a nation love New
Year. They also love sweetmeats. 10
street In all Paris is SO thronged dur
Ing the holiday season as Rue d,s
Lombards. Days before New Year 1t
is blocked with carriages and throngei
win pedestrians. for it is the street OF
the confectioners. Bonbons. and p.ar-
ticuiariy the delicious corfectton
known as "pragees." is the New Year
gi1t par excellence throughout Franco.
IN faris In recent years the custom oe
making New Year calls is no longer
as popular as il was formerly. al
though innumerable vehicles still hur-
ry along the boulevards carrying i'm
maculately clad young Frenchmc,
often bearing flowers or with a box of
| sweets gayly tied with ribbons
Pious France is most usually found
IN attendance upon the services in the
Catholic churches. which on HOLIDAYS
particularly are filled to overfiowiIis.
The Madeleine trimmed for the holiday
celebrations. its lovely altar aglow
with myriads of lights, is sight once
seen never to be forgotten, exactly as
the visitor from foreign shores viii
never forget the magnificent effect OF
the gorgeous celebration of the early
mass New Year morning in Franz Jo-
seph's splendid old cathedral in Vicn-
na-St. Stephan.
In Belgium st. Sylvester is the na-
tron saint of the last day of the old
year. In Antwerp the children believe
!a ,hat the person who gets out of bed
last on. New Year morning is ''Syl-
vester." The penalty is that the lazy
| one must share his cakes and candies
with his brothers and sisters.
Among the young Belgian maids in
former hat
dom was plunged into the horrors OF
war. New Year was a particularly hap
py time. The girls had to make frantic
haste to finish up their embroidery,
they retired on the day of ST. Sylves-
ter. for II they were dilatory II was A.
sure sign that the good saint would be
onended at their sloth and not exert
himself to secure for them a husband
in the new year.
In Brussels, 1t is said. many of the
more courageous youths still avail
themselves of the old custom of ..frst
footing II after midnight to the homes
OF their sweethearts. When the swain
knocks the maiden, on coming to open
| the door, must receive and return the
kiss rendered or she will have bal
luck throughout the new year b
gian girls today are very y. se
heart as were their great-greaa-l-r. .t,,
mothers. They keep a SHARP isuae,.
and IL they discover the --au rta
| knocks is not the right one tley send
! their mother or grandmot',>t- 90 pvI.'
the door. The unsuspecti-4 youts r. d.
thereupon give the salute TO tn i-1n
who appears in answer 10 his SUM
mons. This being the case is largely
| responsible 'or the lapse Of the nn..
popular cus59r
All through Flanders twelfth r'vDr d..
commonly known as little Christmas
The first Monday after EpphdA, 5s
called Verloren Maanday. or III French
Lundi Perdue. Lost Monday il truiy is.
for no one can be induced to work: it
is most unlucky" to labor on that day.
In Belgium the children delight to
| MUNICH chestnuts on New Year day.
and the engaged couples, together with
their colder sisters and brothers. also
eat chestnuts. as the ancient Germans
once ate acorns. The engaged lovers
sit side by side before the fire and
throw two nuts in the blaze and watch
them burn. II the nuts stay close
peacefully together it Is the omen of q
happy marriage, but II they crack and
| jump 1t indicates exactly the contrary.
whereupon the whole process Is usual
ly repeated until the desired lucky
omen Is secured.