Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-22

just as the POlaZnik is about to seat
 himself by the fire, the idea being to make him fix, by sitting down hard, all the good wishes he has just uttered.
 Afterward he is wrapped in a shawl
 and seated by the Badnyak, while the young people exchange kisses across
 the log. The shawl or blanket is sup
 posed to insure thick cream for the
 coming year, and the kisses Of the shepherds and shepherdesses to secure peace and love among the sheep and other live stock.
 Before the principal meal of Christ mas day is eaten all the members of their father with lighted tapers in their hands. Reverently lowing their heads, they listen to his fervent prayers for good luck. Then all embrace and kiss one another before sitting down to the
 roas pig and the rest of the savory repast At the end of the meal all stand and drink 'to the glory of God
 and to the glory of Christ's birth!' aft CT which special toast the Christmas ceremonies usually are brought to a close.
 While the su1tan's subjects in Con- stantinople, the great OsInanli capital, are mostly Moslems, Christmas day there is observed by many celebrations The Greek Catholics, Roman Catholics and Armenians, as well as other na tionalities, ali celebrate in their own way the feast of the nativity. As the Mo1lammedans honor Jesus and the Ko- ran even maintains the sinless birth of Mary, His mother, the day Is one WHOSe i observance is looked upon by the Turks | in more tolerant spirit than any other | Christian holiday.
 /, Christmas in Constantinople to the Greek boys of the city is as full of noise and frecrackers and the shooting l off of pistols as was our own observ- | ance of the Fourth of July before the safe and sane method of celebrating the Creek Church congregation exchange 1 presents of fruit and flowers from home i to home and the poor are remembered b.- the gift of good dinner.
 | In Russia, as In Greece, Bulgaria, Ser
 bia and other countries in which the people still cling to the old Julian cal
 endar, Christmas now comes thirteen
 days after ours, for December 25 by the lGregorian calendar is only December l12 by the old style of reckoning. To 1 make the discrepancy less confusing,
 the Orthodox Greek Church countries
 usually give both dates. Thus St. Nich- olas' day is written December 6-19
 "Kolenda" is the Russian Christmas
 eve celebration. The peasants, go in
 bands and serenade the rich nobles l their masters. The whole company, young men and old, scramble in the snow for the coins tossed them from i the windows. Later they enjoy gay masquerade in which the whole coun- tryside takes part, both sexes dressing
 up in absurd costumes supposed to rep 1 resent aniInals, the idea being to com fnemorate the fact that Christ was born in q stable among the humblest o1 | the animals.
 ] Russian children peep out into the dark snowy night on Christmas eve to
 catch a glimpse of poor old Babouska whose sad story every little Muscovite is sure to know. The legend tells that one night, when cold and weary, she met a grand procession headed by the 1 three kings in white robes and golden
 crowns; who told her 'The Christ is born, Come thou with us and worship them" But Babouska was cold anC eager to get home. All night she hearo tthe Babe call, and next morning she Ieathered together bag of toys ano started out to find Him. But search as lshe may, she never finds the holy Babe
 and she goes stumbling through the
 snow in her vain search she dropsAs