Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-25

was hostess at her own Christmas
party for the various children of the
embassy. The celebration started last
| night. and ii will continue today. No,
where Is the Christmas spirit more
prevalent than in Germany, and the
traditional celebration of the father
land was rigidly observed. Ambassa-
dor and Baroness Nathan did not give
a formal dinner, that affair being con-
fined to the family and some Of the
members of the embassy staff. But at
midnight the whole staff joined in the
! singing of the songs sung all over
| Germany in honor of Weinacht Abend,
leading with the ever popular "Stille
vie de Nacht. Heilige Nacht" c'Silent
Night, Holy Night'9.
| Gay Austrian Legation.
| Nine. prochnik, being formerly Miss
Gretchen Stirling James of Massachu,
| sets, combines American with native
| customs at the celebration for the
| children of the Austrian legation
| SO also does Countess SZechenyi, for
merly Miss Gladys Vanderbilt. who
| presides over the hospitable house
| hold of the Hungarian legation.
No household is merrier at Christ
| mas time than that of the Austrian
| Legation. The centuries-ol customs
| Of Austria, which makes as much over
| Christmas as her neighbor Germany,
| featured the holiday which began last
night for the four youngsters of the
| household. First of all there is
Lora nda, Is years old, daughter of the
| minister's first wife. Then in point
/ Patrician, 4, who are Nine. Prochnik' S
own children
| For this happy household there will
| be round of pleasures and observ-
ances, which will continue to Janu-
airy 6, the day when the natives of
| Austria celebrate with solemn services
! the coming of the Magi or the Christ.
mas of the Gentiles. The legation
| today kept open house" and for all
! the children connected with the staff
and their friends there was u great
| tree.
At the Hungarian legation, the
three youngest children of Countess
SZechenyi, Nandine, Sylvia and
| Gladys, combined the American man
her of celebrating with the religious
customs of their native home.
Dutch Christmas Plans.
If little Jacob, or Jake, de Graeff
We're here this Christmas, he would
| show them all how to celebrate in
the good old Dutch way. But the
Netherlands legation is without a
Minister at present and the two-year
old son of the secretary, Baron van
Boetzelaer van Oosterhout, and his
wife, was the monarch of all he sur
| veyed. The real Christmas celebra.
| ton in that land of st. Nicholas is
! observed December but the lega-
| ton staff observed their Washington
celebration today, like most other
people.
Holland commentaries the kind
| old bishop who loved children SO much
that on this feast day of December
| 6, the entire nation joins In honoring
! him. st. Nicholas is always repre-
serted in full canonical robes which
lend an air Of dignity and severity
| TO the impersonator. st. Nicholas in
| Holland, however. is a great man who
brings bags full of toys and pours
| forth his treasures on all. Amster-
dam claims the honor of first cele-
| brating the Feast Of st. Nicholas as
the patron of children. Old St.
| Nicholas came to New York with the
| first Dutch settlers along the Hudson
and when some of them returned
| home in later years they brought
with them Il small black boy to help
! st. Nicholas carry his bulging bags.
So st. Nicholas now always has a
small negro boy on Il donkey riding
behind him. But the little child at
the legation here is going to cele-
brate Christmas just like his friends.
At least, the little black attendant of
| st. Nicholas will be missing.
The Central American and South
American ENJOYS represent a compact
group III Washington, and their
! Christmas observances are founded
on the old Spanish traditions.
| Mexican Embassy Observance.
The Ambassador Of Mexico and
Sonora de Teller, among the leaders
in this group, have three small chill
dren to whom Christmas means just
lots of toys and good times. For the
elder folks at the embassy, the reli-
| gious ceremonies OF the day are strict
! ly observed. Emilia de Teller Is about
| years old. Her brother Manuel is
about 3, and then there is Baby Luis,
who boasts only Is months, and will
| be made supremacy happy with a
noisy rattle AMI "a soft. hugable doll.
At the Colombian legation the two
| girls of the family, Maria and Lucia
de Olaya, are going, to have tree,
Of course and a family celebration