Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-22

toy on the doorstep of every poor fam

toy on the doorstep of every poor fam fly.
 The Bulgarian peasants, the Germans and others all share the legend that animals are conscious when Christmas eve comes round Many of the coun- try folks really believe that at mid night the sheep awake and march in procession, and the cattle knee1 in their stalls, while by holy miracle all the beasts are able to converse together. But it is a mortal sin for man to at tempt to overhear them; sin punish able with sudden death.
 In, Belgium there are Christmas serv- l ices in the churches; but the children | lack the joy of tree and the presents and good things which usually accom- | pany the day. Bands of beggars often | go about on Christmas eve singing and 1 asking aims, or bread, from door to | door, but the custom is not encouraged. l Many little Belgian boys and girls | look under their pillows for the engels- koek on Christmas morning, believing 1 that the angel Gabriel himself will
 have placed the anger cake there. l Among the Poles it is commonly be- | lieved that every Christmas eve Christ
 again returns to earth as little babe.
 and on the holy night other biblical 1 occurrences are thought to take place. l The pure in heart are said to be able l to see St. Jacobs ladder and the angels | descending to earth to scatter their , gifts~of peace and love.
 | In Italy, France and other Roman 1 Catholic countries the midnight mass | on the night before Christmas is one 1 of the most impressive services of the year. The altars are made beautiful | with myriads of glowing tapers and l fragrant with the perfume of flowers l common on the night of the nativity to l have a miniature representation of the
 Holy Babe in the manager. The creche 1 is often quite complete, not only hav- l ing the figure of the infant, but also | dolls dressed to represent the Virgin | Mother and St. Joseph, and little crude | ly shaped animals.
 ! In France and Italy there Is a pretty | custom. It consists of giving special l welcome to the first babe left on Christmas morning at the door of the | and fine soft linens are made ready, | and the poor little waif is taken in and i given a ceremonious welcome in the | name of the Christ Child. &*
 In Russia. few days before Christ
 mas, the peasants prepare for the quaint ceremony known as bride choosing" All the maria geable young folks try their fortune by sitting be- fore little piles of grain. Just at mid night a hungry cock is brought in, and the pile of grain which he first eats designates the one who will be first married, and the second the next, and so on until he will eat no more.
 1 The bride choosing occurs annually on Christmas eve, at which time all the unmarried girls gather at the house fof the elder of the village, where they sit in a demure row, with thelr heads carefully covered by white wells. The swains in search of a bride are then 1 called in, and make their selection
 without seeing the face of the girl
 But, being a daughter of Eve, the Rus
 sian maiden wears a particular dress or has bit of ribbon on her shoe, or
 other sign, by which her lover may I know her and make no mistake. The
 uncovering of the bride seems to be ] merely a copy of the Mohammedar
 idea. After having been chosen, the bride e1to-be loses no time in hurryins