El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-12-19

) state in the early Colonial days, brought
. such COLLINS with them from Holland
It was one Of these who lured the un-
fortunate Rip Van Wrinkle TO his sleep
of 20 years-away from the loosenesses
of the town to the Businesses OF the
Catskills. Three generations Of chill
dren in this country have seen, on the
stage, the speeches. dwarf a shrunk-
en- spector. of the Hendrix Hudson
sailors-ascend the mountain-side. with
key of brandy on his bent back
What figure in all the history OF the
drama is more impressive and even
awe-inspiring than this mOrose and
silent ghost-pigmy?
Most Of Them Get Lost.
Most Of the supernatural beings i'm
ported by the Dutch have got lost IN
the New World sOmehow-at all events
one seldom hears Of them. But II IS
a fact familiar to students of folklore,
that Hendrix Hudson and his mystic
crew of the good ship Half Moon never
fail TO hold high revel upon the sum-
mits of the Catskill Mountains on
Christmas Eve.
In Syria and CarniOla (southern
provinces of Austria) Gabriel plays at
Christmastide the part of messenger
from Angel Land, with scepter and
crown. From house to house he goes
about as celestial announcer, followed
crowned and bears a basket of goodies.
But this is not all, for, to wind up the
ceremony, Saint Nicholas himself ap-
pears, with a bishops crozier in his
hand and a inter of gilt paper on his
head to give judgment as to which
children deserve to be rewarded.
In the Tyrol it is a common pratice
among the peasants, on Christmas Eve,
to leave a big bowl of milk and bread
on the kitchen table, and a fire on the
hearth, in case the beloved Madonna
and her Child should wander in from
the mountains cold and hungry. The
notion is that, should such a thing hap
pen, the Holy Mother and her infant,
finding food and warmth, would surely
leave a blessing and good fortune be-
hind them.
A Porto Rican Custom.
Children in Porto Rico. at the Christ
mas festival, chosen for their beauty,
are costumed as angels, and as such
take part in religious professions. That
island is now United States territory
through political accident, but like the
Philippines, it is still Latin in its
Yuletide as well as other customs, and
the place of Santa Claus is taken by
the Three Kings-in other words the
three Wise Men-Who, personated by
individuals suitably and gorgeOusly
cOstumed, bring gifts, just as did their
at Bethlehem.
Mexico Adopts Christmas.
Mexico being a Latin-American coun-
try, has corresponding Christmas Gus
toms Nevertheless, the idea of the
Christmas tree, originally German and
known in the United States only within
the last half century, has already been
adopted there-thOugh, instead of a fiji
or pine an ornamental paper tree much
more beautiful, with pink berries, is
utilized for the purpose.
More distinctively national, however,
IS the ''pinata"-a huge star of many
colOrs, suspended in the patio or CEN
trail yard, of the Mexican house. In
the middle of the star is an earthen
jar. big as a water bucket and filled
with nuts popcorn, candy, oranges, and
peanuts, and covered with pink, green,
yellow, and red tissue-paper. A blind
folded child is invited to whack the jar
with stick, being turned around sew
eral times as a preliminary. If she,
or he, fails to hit it. the opportunity
Is given to another, and so on until the
jar is broken, and the contents are
scattered for an exciting scramble.
Christmas With MOki Indians.
Many Of the aboriginal tribes on this
continent, long before Columbus landed,
were accustomed to celebrate festivels