The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-22
English and American
 Christn1as Customs, q aReuerie
By HARRY HURTEL GARRETT

tTEL GARRETT
 gladly consented to tell me about the
 English Christmas customs.
 'srhe Yule log he begins, after lei surely crossing his legs and filling his long ! pipe, 'las very old history and is a custom observed by many English peo- | pie. You observed that tonight it was
 placed in the fireplace and lighted with l the brand left from last years log. The | log is always brought in on Christmas | eve, and as long at is burns, all must
 be merry. If is should go out during the I night, some misfortune would surely fol- low. The peasantry have a tradition that | If a squint eyed or barefooted person en- 1 ters the house while the log is burning some evil will certainly come of it. Our church services are, as q have been told, somewhat similar to yours. The interiors of the churches are deco rated with evergreens; a special musical
 programme is prepared, and the preacher ! relates the simple but beautiful story of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. the Savior of Men.
 Another of our customs" continued the squire, 'ia that of the mistletoe, which I have heard is similarly ob- served in America. At Christmas sprig l of mistletoe is hung up in the farm houses and kitchens and the young men can kiss the girls under it, as many
 
 A smile crept over the squire's face and betrayed the fact that he had tried the experiment, but as he made no allusion 1 to the incident. l supposed he had been an unsuccessful soldier in war; "The Christmas dinner" he resumed, lis an example of English hospitality At this season of the year all friends and relatives gather together and the host offers on his table all the good fn xUtl licb 1 wish for. One of our standard dishes 1 is the boar's head. The peacock pie is also served at the Christmas feast The wassail bowl-a very fine beverage-is
 made of wine or ale, nutmeg sugar toast ginger and roasted crabr~but I must not tell you any more as you will be denied the privilege. of expec- tation. Tomorrow you will see what we English call a Christmas dinner. Another old superstition is that on Christmas eve the bird of dawning singeth all night long to guard and keep all evil from prefaning the sacred hours" Here the squire paused as he observed an expression of amusement on my face. He shook the ashes from
 his pipe and gazed deep into the ire
 Perhaps we are more superstitious than you Americans but Sometimes I think it keeps one young to indulge in
 such fancies. Rome and Greece had their golden myths of childhood-why
 cannot we have ours? An. my friend. we grow old soon enough"
 Far distant over the hills came the
 faint sound of voices. "Christmas carol
 singers" whispered the old squire. Fainter and fainter grew the silver
 notes l stirred and went to the win
 dow. To my amazement, instead of looking upon the white hills of England I saw the busy streets of America. .s..4x~ L
 streets are thronged with people My
 ears are greeted with the clamorous
 noise of home. How happy everyone looks, and how funny. All wrapped up to their ears in fur coats, their arms bursting with bundles. We'll there is one man carrying live turkey! Who
 are those patient creatures on the street
 corners ringing bells? Oh, I know, they are men aid women of the Salvation
 Army trying to obtain money~for free Christmas dinner for the poor. My eyes
 wander over the tall buildings and rest upon the quiet homes, where children are all nestled. all snug, in their beds while visions of sugar plumss dance through their heads.' St. Nicholas. What a beautiful myth! Rome and I, Greece had their golden myths of child hood-why cannoe we have ours? An, my friend, we grow old soon enough" Long I pondered on what the old squire ha dsoid: of the many different Christmas customs England and Ameri- ! ca have. At last l came to the con- i clusion that though England and Amer I ica are unlike in many ways, they are ] essentially alike in keeping sacred the true meaning of Christmas. and though an ocean rolls on in silent majesty l between the two countries they are
 united by their faith in the Star of
 Bethlehem.