Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1916-12-09

holiday ideas. tree twinkIed in every place that
housed German last year, and though the Bel
gians will not allow their Christmas be German
lied, yet the appealed them nightly. Ger
tainly the Christmas tree will be much more COM
mon henceforth in Belgium whether the Germans
stay there
Thousands of refugees waiting in England until
their country is redeemed will bring back with
them many ideas of the English holiday.
Until the marriage of Queen Victoria to the
prince consort, Christmas in England chiefly a
day of churchgoing, of merrymaking and of mighty
feasting The prince brought with him from his
German home the customs of the Christmas tree
and of gift giving The latter has never become
firmly intrenched in England it is here, but
lighted tree loaded with decorations and presents
is established as part of every English celebra-
ton. Christmas decorations of holly and mistletoe.
the ceremony of the Yule log and many of the ira
ditional Christmas dishes, notably the plum pud-
ding, all owed to English custom
But it is sadder and wiser England that ap-
proaches Christmas this year. Hundreds of thou
sands of young Englishmen have died to make
her So Today every Londoner has had graphic
lesson in what powerful and resourceful enemy
do even in fright little tight little island" As
a further object lesson, England will pay for the
rafsins for her plum puddings something like 200
per cent more than she did last year. The
with Turkey has done that to her.
Engla1I has had other black CbristmaseS, but
they were farther away from home. The Christ
mas of 1899 in South Africa that she does
not like to recall while the terrible Christmas of
1854, the Christmas of the Crimean war; when, as
a writer of the day put it, Thanks to General
Middle, things about bad they can be"
was always a bitter memory to that generation.
The year 1916 has not been good year for Eng
land, and she knows it. The knowledge has shat
tered her complacency and has strengthened her
determination But she is not happy about it and
her Christmas celebration will be chastened feast
Christmas in the Latin countries has always been
more of religious festival than a home celebra-
ton. In Italy it is more customary to exchange
presents at New Years than at Christmas Lighted
trees frequently seen, but they are the luxury
of the prosperous and not the habit of the people,
The day before Christmas is more of an occasion
than the day itself
In the cities of southern Italy booths are erected
in certain Streets before Easter the sale of
odds and ends and sweetmeats; wheeled traffic is
barred and the people promenade slowly up and
down, exchanging greetings. Midnight mass is
said in all the churches. In the churches, too.
exposed the famous cribs, presepi, representing
scenes of the birth and infancy of Jesus. The be-
ginning OF this custom is ascribed to st. Francis
of Assist.
Christmas eve is the great feast of the season in
France In the provinces it is celebrated with pro-
cessions the streets which were originally re-
fgious in character, but which have become pro-
famed by the gayety of the maskers. In Normandy
and in Provence there elaborate puppet shows
of scenes in the life of infant Christ All the
street gayety terminates after in feasts all
the homes.
In Paris there are Christmas booths set ND in
many of the boulevards. This year they will be
devoted to the sale of comforts for the soldiers.
Paris knows better than anyone just how black
a wartime Christmas be. She has never for
gotten the Christmas of 1870 For ninety-eight
days the Germans had battered at the CITY, Every
Sortle had faiied mlSerably- The final lombard
ment was inevitable. On Christmas eve 900 men
froze to death in the trenches just outside the city
Better 1T seems, than any of the other nations
did France realize from the beginning what this
present war would mean and, realizing she
Grated herself utterly She has made every sac
rlhce, great and small, giving up the crusty
rolls and light white bread that the breath
in her nostrils- When Frenchman, every French
man, eats without complaint a grayish bread made
of mixture of wheat and rice and entirely lack
ing in golden crust he has indeed exalted spirit
1t is small thing, perhaps, but it is enormously
significant
Last Christmas solemn festival in France.
million gifts. gifts of wool, the men
in the trenches Every soldier had glass of
champagne But there no merrymaking
Masses We're said at open-air affairs erected back
OF the battle lines In the old church Thanh
Alsace French Christmas celebrated for the
first time in forty-four years But was ceIe-
bration of prayer. not of rejoicing.
This year. at least. midnight masses will be said
In the churches of Paris, but afterwar there will
be no gayety in the as in former years no
dancing pierrots and harlequins leading the mask
ers. no brilliant round restaurant suppers the
beloved reveillon of the Parisian
So Paris on Christmas will go home through |
darkened streets with prayer heart for ali
those who have died for France and for an those
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