The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1916-12-09

that great loosely knit empire. Where the Greek
church prevails the celebration occurs a fortnight
later than ours; that is, on January Z. 1t Is ac-
companied by feasting and by various local GUS
toms. The Slovacs of Bohemia and Moravia have
curious Christmas usages in which superstition
has entirely triumphed over religious significance.
This is the great day of the year when the peas
ant appeases all the invisible world of spirits.
On the afternoon of Christmas eve the whole
household marches in solemn procession to the
stables and COW houses carrying bread, salt and
beans. These are offered to the animals with GER
tain hallowed words, and great is the dismay if
any COW or chicken is Indifferent to the offering.
Returning TO the house, the parents sprinkle
all their unmarried daughters with water sweet
ened with honey, thus insuring them honest, good
tempered husbands. The entire family then sip
of s~livovitza, a strong native liquor distilled from
plums. A small quantity of this is then poured
on the hoor to conciliate such other spirits as
may have been overlooked, Everyone then falls
on the Christmas feast without CEREMONY
But this year war has reached out to the re-
mote districts and blighted even such simple
Christmas celebrations as this. The men of the
families are all gone. Only the very young and
the very old remain. There will be no blessing
of the kline this year, for there are no kline to
bless. All have long since gone to supply the
army. There will be no Christmas feasting. for
food was long ago reduced to the smallest uuanti-
ty that will sustain life. And every day, in every
village, the list of the widowed and orphaned
grows longer and longer.
Vienna is known as a gay, light-hearted city.
Its Christmas observance is ordinarily n happy
combination of religious ceremony and TeutOnic
good cheer. But this year the brilliant midnight
masses will be attended by black-robed mourners
and there will be no good cheer in Vienna.
The Christmas celebration in all the countries
where the Greek orthodox church prevails are
much the same. AS the holiday itself is preceded
by a severe fast the Christmas feast takes on a
highly important character. In many parts of
Russia, especially in the cities, the gift-hung
Christmas tree has been borrowed from the Ger
mans, while a pudding of rice and raisins is the
feature of the Christmas eve feast. From this
feast has now been taken Its browning glory. the
vodka bottle.
In only one other part of Europe has the heel
of war pressed so hard as In Russian Poland in
only one other place has the land been so utterly
devastated by fierce and continued fighting; In
only one other place will the season of peace
and good will be such a bitter mockery as to
the hunted and starving Poles.
And this is in Serbia, poor, brave, beaten Ser
bia, with its whole population. an entire people,
fugitive before hated and terribly feared invad-
ers. During three years Serbia has been swept
by three wars, the preseEd one so relentless and
so overwhelming as literally to wipe out the ordi-
nary relationship of the people to life. They have
ceased to have homes; they have ceased to pos.
sess property they must burrow in the earth for
shelter and forage for their uncertain food like
VIII animals. With her army making a heroic
and desperate struggle, with her people dying with
their spirit yet unbroken, the birthday Of the
Prince of Peace win not be celebrated this year
in Serbia.
The sorrows of Belgium this year as compared
with last are more of the spirit than of the flesh.
The voice Of Christmas of peace and good will
does not speak very loud to a captive people.
With its army terribly decimated, its beloved king
all but driven out of his own country, with it's
daily life subject to the scrutiny and the con-
troll of a stern captor, there is no room in Belgium
for any of the old light-hearted Christmas spirit
that used TO show itself in crowded churches for
midnight masses and gay all-night supper parties.
Belgium waits as all Europe waits for the end
of the war-waits with faith and hope and a de-
termination as grim as it must be silent.
Happily the physical condition of the stricken
people is better than last year. There is not the
frightful confusion, the separation of families,
the pitiful terror and want that went with the
flight before the invaders. All relief measures
are organized. Belgium is no happier this year
than last, but she is less cold and hungry.
If the Belgian people ever again have a united
Christmas they will find themselves with many new