The daily Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1916-1917, 1916-12-24
(By v. r. NJ

Christmas is the greatest holiday ii
the year all over the Christian world
but nowhere else is it better observed
than in the Philippines. With a sea
son at this time of the year similar
to the late days in May in the United
States, the Christmas spirit is felt
even more in the streets than in the
homes. The children have heard o1
the wonderful legend of the good San
Nicolas, but they have not heard OF
San Nicolas as the gift-giver. While
Christmas is held here within the
homes, and the children dream of the
good, kind-hearted and long-whisker-
ed old Santa Claus who fills their
stocking with goodies and hangs on
the evergreen tree the rest of the
presents, in the Philippines Christmas
may be felt both within and without
the homes. The children dream of
their presents, not in terms of good
les, but in pesos, pesetas. diez CEN
tavos, and cinco centavos. the Fill
pino dollar. fifth-dollar, ten cents, and
five cents, respectively.
Here one feels the approach of
Christmas as he thinks of snow about
the middle of December, but in the
Philippines, having no snow, one
knows Christmas is coming by the
morning bells.
"Misa de Gallo" literally, the "mass
of the rooster" begins at four o'clock
in the morning and lasts until five
Such early masses start December 16
and end December "a. Think of four
in the morning. considered here the
best time to sleep,-and of the fact
that seven o'clock is the earliest time
one rises, About this time of the year
at the gates of the patio Church
yard) and on the corners of the
streets may be found movable stands,
where hot cakes, waffles, coffee, milk,
and chocolate are sold After mass,
the people call at these stands to buy
and take their first breakfast, after
which they go for two-mile walk
out of town, returning home at sun
up.
Girls never go out unchaperoned.
They dress plainly when going to ear
Iy masses. AS do the boys. ''The
girls" they say, ATTEND early masses
to pray, but go to High Masses 10 be
seen" The boys like to go to these
early masses, not to pray,-for they
seldom do it,-but to see the girls, for
hey think that ''to appreciate the
beauty Of girl it is best to see her
n plain dress" Another reason for !
heir going to these early masses is
o chance the occasion of walking with |
he girls. The girls dress like Ameri- !
AN girls until they are sixteen, after !
which they go back to the Filipino
lress. made of pineapple-leaf fibers,
With broad, stiff sleeve, and a shawl
bout the shoulders. They seldom
year hats, except when they go horse
Jack riding. The men are not so pa
riotic as the women in the matter of
ress. They usually dress as Ameri-
ans or Euroneans
For nine days the people go to these
arly masses. But on the last day
hey scarcely sleep an hour. At eight
clock the procession begins, and the
esire to be on the line of the march
rings the people to the Church. So,
y seven-thirty, on every street may
e seen holiday-dressed crowds hur-
ying to the Church, which is soon
acked, while the rest stay and wait
n the patio" The children are u.s.
ally left at home At about eight
lirty, there appear, at the main door
the Church, three "sacristanes"
altar-boys); the crowd begins to form
long line and thus the procession
tarts on the Hunt of the Inn" The
[oly Family comes,-on the "andas"
-hich is litter-1ike conveyance for