The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1924-01-10
By HELEN RICH
Paris, France, Dec. IL, 1923


the French people do not celebrate
Christmas in the way that we do.
They will throw up their hands in
horror at the very suggestion of such
= thing. For over here Christmas is
. religious festival. Do you know
what that is?
A religious festival at Christmas
time means that all France thinks of
nothing except that great many
years ago little baby named Jesus
was born in manger and that He
was born to save the world. No one
worries about giving presents to this
person and that person or wonders
if he is going to get bicycle. He
just thinks about that one great gift
which was given nearly two thousand
years ago. So on Christmas Eve
everyone in France goes to church
for this religious festival, to say
"thank you" again for the gift and
TO tell God with beautiful music and
words that he will always be grateful.
The next morning most everyone
goes to church again and then all the
relatives gather for quiet dinner.
OF course they have something espec-
tally good to eat at that dinner.
And that, girls and boys, is Christ
mas in France.
/ know just how sorry you are
feeling because all these adorable lit
tie children can't have all the fun at
Christmas time that children in the
United States have. / don't want you
TO feel badly about it because you
don't need to. Now listen carefully.
The children in France have Christ
mas present at two different times.
Just think of that! Only neither time
Is called Christmas.
On December sixth when children
90 to bed they put their shoes close
by the fire place. In the morning the
good children have a gift in their
shoe and the bad children rod. You
San see very plainly why all the
French children are so well behaved
and polite. December sixth is the
Feast of st. Nicholas and st. Nicho-
las is the patron saint of children, so
the French believe. Sometimes we
call Santa Claus, st. Nick, you re-
member so it really is the same thing
after all with another name and
another date.
Then on New Years day suppose
you would think the real Christmas
had come for on this day there is
much merry making and everybody
has gifts, just like on our Christmas
day. Each family has a great big
dinner and in the afternoon people
make New Years calls just as they
still do in some parts of our country.
The children never hang up their
stockings the night before, however.
The United States is probably the
only country in the world that does
that.
Now you don't feel sorry for the
French children do you?
You will like to hear about the
way the people of Paris have carni-
walls all up and down their "grand
boulevards" during the Christmas
season. The day before Christmas
dozens and dozens of little stands
called baraques are built up and down
the principle streets Of the city. They
are like the booths you see at fairs
and carnivals and everything imagin-
able is sold there. No one in. town
thinks Of not going to visit the
baraques and for week the streets
are crowded with people who are
having very good time buying lit
tie trinkets and playing the games
Of chance.
Now, il you will excuse me, I win
add postscript for the grownups.
-
p. Sit no doubt is true that
some Of the incest religious music in
Ahe world can be heard in Paris at
the midnight Christmas masses
which are held in every Catholic
cathedral and church. We have been
told Of the best places st. Jervais,
st. Roch, st. Clotilde and st. Sui
pice. It is likely that we shall join
the midnight throngs at st. Clotilde
where the organist is the favoriite
pupil Of Gear Franck. We are told