The Washington times., 1923-12-24
ColorfuL Customs
Mark Christmas
Observance
BY JEAN ELIOT.

TUsToMs of many lands give
color to the celebration &C
~ Christmas in Washington,
for there will be festivities at most
of the forty-nine embassies AMI
legations here. In accordance with
long established custom, the
French Ambassador and Nine.
Jusserand will entertain the mem
bers Of their embassy staff at din
ner tomorrow night. The Am
bassador of Spain and Nine. Riano
will also entertain at a family
the embassy mily"-dinne, to-
morrow evening, and so will the
Belgian Ambassador and Baroness
de Cartier, and the German Am
bassadOr and Nine Wiedfeldt.
Christmas Day festivities will also
include the informal dinner to be
given by the Minister of Norway
and Nine. Bryn for the legation staff.
The BrynS like to observe all the
pretty Scandinavian Yuletide GUS
toms, although they have been 80
long in Washington that their chill
dren have grown up good A1neri-
cans. The Minister of Sweden and
Nine. Wallenberg are having their
Christmas celebration tonight,
when they will have their staff at
dinner. They are also entertaining
a house party, having as guests
the minister's nephew and niece,
Mr.. and Mrs. Marcus Wallenberg,
of New York; Olaf Herman Lamm,
Swedish consul general in New
York, and Berth Wallenberg, VINO
is a student at Harvard UniVer-
sity.
NNHE Minister Of Switzerland
Il and Nine. Peter, who have
their sons. Marc Peter. jr., and
George Peter, with them, will en-
terrain their staff tomorrow
evening at dinner, and the
Minister of Ecuador and Nine.
Elizalde will have luncheon
party tomorrow for their legation
family. The Minister of Panama
and Mime. Alfaro are also having
a midday Christmas dinners for
their staff. Members of the Next
can embassy will dine tomorrow
evening with the Charge daft
flares, Don Manuel G.. Teller. and
Mime. Teller. who have installed
giant Christmas tree for their
compatriots.
A Christmas tree, agleam with
lights, has also been set up at
the Chinese legation for the chill
dren of the Minister and Nine.
SEE and they are planning to give
a party for their young friends
on December 81.
The British embassy is dark"
this year. as the Ambassador and
Lady Geddes are celebrating
Christmas with their children
about them at their home in Kent.
But the Charge d'Affaires and
Mrs. Chiffon will entertain the
embassy staff at tea tomorrow
when their Christmas tree will
be lighted. Earlier in the day
Comdr. and Mrs. H A. Brown,
of the embassy staff, are having
a luncheon party. Another merry
party scheduled for Christmas
afternoon is the tea which Baron
di Giura is giving at the White
PeacOck-a party at which italian
Christmas customs will be OBJ
served.
DERHAPS the most picturesque
observance of Christmas will,
however, take Place at the Polish
legation. There the three chill
dren Of the Minister and Nine.
Wroblewska, with the legation at
taches and the domestic staff, will
assemble this evening in the great
room where the Christmas tree
stands, and Adam, the baby Of the
family. will take his stand at the
window TO watch for the first star.
This will be the signal for the
lighting Of the Christmas tree and
has been in Poland since the con-
the candles in the windows, as it
version Of that ancient land to
Christianity. Gifts will be ex-
changed and Christmas hymns
sung, the ceremonies lasting until
the entire company adjourns TO
St. Paul's Church for the midnight
mass.
Although the French, like all the
Latin9. regard Christmas more as
q religious feast than as q. time If
merrymaking, the children of the
Counselor Of the French Embassy
and Nine de Laboulaye will he
treated to all the gifts and the
merrymaking that little Americans
enjoy.
The Scandinavian and Teutonic
nations have many little folk in
their embassy and legation staffs
for whom national Christmas Gus
toms are being observed The chill
dren OF the Air Attache Of the
Italian embassy and Nine. Calderara
are Celebra ting Christmas after the
manner of their little American
friends although, had they spent
the holiday at home, Sit would have
been devoted to religious OBJ
serVanCeS, with the merrNmakine
and gift giving put off unit
Epiphany. the season when the
three kings came bringing gifts tc
tho Christ child. At the Ru
a1anian legation. the Christmas
celebration rcVOlvcs around small
Frederick Nano, who Is n deVout
believer in Santa Claus.
In the households of Latin Amer
lean diplomats the religious fea
lures OF the holiday are to the
fore and even where there are chill
drcn visit to the "crcche'-tht
representation of the manger with
the Babe of BcthIchcm' lying in j
which is set up in the Catholic
churches will be thrilling part
of the Christmas program.
i
Mr.. and Mrs. Stearns Xmas
T4 YE/Esa ~