The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1917-12-08

Another method Of learning of the appearance of
Il lover (this time his features) would be to pour
melted lead into a bowl of water, and, from the
shape which the CONCEALED metal took when it
cooled, imagine some one who appeared like that.
Christmas eve in Russia is a very bustling
time. (Remember, this means prewar and pre-
revolution times in Russia) The peasants pre-
pare to, and eventually do, form into a procession
and march through the village. They are sure to
pass the houses of the nobility, the mayor and
other officials, stopping at each one to sing carols
and receive, in return. copper. This habit of
begging is called "Kolenda." A masquerade fol-
lows the procession, and as soon as the evening
star arises the supper is spread.
Paris INDUCES in one great fete the night before
Christmas. 1t finds everyone eating a sumptu-
GUS dinner, and the restaurants are taxed to their
greatest capacity, for on Christmas eve, If at
no other time of the year he has a full meal, the
Frenchman has it then. At the Founding hos
pital in Lyons a practice is maintained which Tin
the light of recent statements about the decreas-
ing birth rate in Frnnce) Is somewhat humorous.
A royal welcome is prepared for the first infant
received that day. This special honor, however,
has a very beautiful meaning-it being intended
to contrast the humble story of our Savior with
that Of this founding.
In sunny Italy a sumptuous banquet Is pre-
pared, consisting mainly of fish cooked in many
different ways. Fish is eaten for a week previous
to Christmas and it's feast day. rhe churches
Il luTSely ATTENDED, anu the .Ianan Is care1ul TO
see that his children go also. The children have
their part of the rejoicing in What is called the
urn of fate" In some receptacle, preferably an
urn, are placed written fortunes, and the chill
dren and their friends, in the order of their ages,
draw lots. Great merriment is occasioned by
some of the ludicrouS results. This is to them
what the Christmas tree is to the American child.
Peru presents a scene of varied activity at this
time of the year; people are bustling to and fro
and having a jolly good time; suddenly the
church bell rings, calling them to the midnight
mass. The interest of the next morning, Christ
mas day, is usually conferred about a bull fight,
the most popular one Of the year and one in
which it is said the women take more interest
than the men. After this there is a religious pro-
From Germany we get the Christmas tree; San
ia Claus from Holland from Belgium and France
the Christmas stocking, and a "Merry Christmas"
from England.
And a Merry Christmas it was, with its ruddy
glow from the kindling Yule logs and the CLEAN
from the pearly berries of the mistletoe. There
are early records of the mistletoe having been
used as a decoration, and it was held in great
reverence by the Celtic nations.
The bringing in of the Yule log had origin in a
really interesting manner. In the days when
England was young 1t was the custom of the serfs
to bring fuel with them to the baronial hall. The
dinner which they received there was to last as
long as the wood burned. This was called bring
ing q "wet wheel" The wet wheel was usually a
green branch or limb of a tree, and 1t is obvious
how, since their dinner depended upon the size
of the stick furnished, the stick eventually be-
came larger and larger until it assumed the pro-
portions of a log. The term "Yule'' which is pre-
fixed to it simply signifies that it is a log of the
"Yule" season.
In the old days the feast of st. Martin, Novem-
Der 1, opened the Christmas season. From that
time on mummery and m%erriment were king.
Elizabethan England. and even England of a
later period, Is rich in traditions and supersti-
tious beliefs.
Anyone turning a mattress on Christmas day
would die within the year; but the baking of
bread was commended, and loaves baked on that
day would never grow moldy.
Yule cakes were supposed to have miraculous
power, and on them representations of Jesus were
sometimes pressed.
In some places in Oxfordshire every maid serv-
ant had the privilege, and frequently exercised 1t,
of asking a man for ivy to decorate the house. If
the man assented, well and good; but If he re-
fused, the maid stole a pair of his breeches. The
next day they could be seen nailed to the gate on
the highway,
The first maid to pass under this evergreen on
Christmas day was sure to be married within the
year, and equally sure of being kissed-for that
was the penalty to be paid by any maid who
passed under 1t. After each offense a berry was
plucsed, while the privilege was supposed to cease
with the last berry.
For anyone but a dark-skinned person to cross
the threshold first on Christmas day was consid-
cred unlucky in parts of Scotland. the reason for
this being that Judas had red hair. No one would
think of giving a light or matches at this time
in certain counties, and the bees We're supposed
TO sing all night Christmas eve, although previous
to this a sprig of holly had been placed on the
hive. Mortals who die on that night are certain
OF immediate and perennial happiness.
But enough of these children of the imagination,
citizens of the past. Do We not hear, Just outside
our chamber door, a youthful choir singing a
carol, as did Washington Irving on that Christ
mas morning when he was at Bracebrldge hall
And, through the night, were there not voices eth