Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-25
SANTA IS L|NGU|ST
| IN EMBASSY CALLS
Christmas Observed in Varied
Ways by ENJOYS, But Amer
lean Ideas Prevail.

! credit for being a real diplomatist. He
! deserves it, With So embassies and
! legations in Washington, representing
a bewildering contrast in foreign
tongues and Yuletide customs, this
versatile dispenser of Christmas cheer
today overcame obstacles that would
have brought wrinkles of worry to the
brow of any veteran member or the
/, State Department staff.
Being an internationalist of the flfst
rank, known and beloved by children
in every corner of the world, Snata
Claus didn't find his task here a bar
fling one at All. He didn't have to
ponder nights over the diplomatic list
to find out which household had eager.
anticipating children and which had
mere bachelors. Nor did he have to
| figure out beforehand whether he
should come down the chimney on
Christmas eve at one embassy or "a
whole night earlier AT others.
For in many of the foreign house
| holds Of Washington last night, the
| little children We're making merry
around their Christmas trees. while
in the average American home, they
were still looking hopefully up me
chimney or keeping sleepy eyes open
| in expectation of catching a glimpse
Of the jolly Christmas elf.
Open House at Embassies.
It is the inVariable rule that when
an ambassador or a minister has
children in his own family, he be.
comes host to the children of the EN-
bassy staff and frequently to his coun-
try people residing in Washington. SO
many u foreign household is keep
ing open house today.
Nowhere else in the United States,
including even the East Side of New
York, is Christmas celebrated in more
ways than in Washington. Prepare
tons for the Yuletide were made as
frequently in nOn-ChriStfan homes
where there are children as In those
who revere the Christ child But in a
foreign diplomatic corps SO large as
that in Washington, there are natural
racial groups whose youngsters OBJ
serve century-old customs. But gwen
in most Of these households something
of the American spirit of celebration
figured in the ceremonies.
Among the children from the older
countries of Europe and from those
countries of the far North where
Santa Claus would surely be out o.
luck without his sleigh and reindeer,
the interesting religious customs of
Christmas time largely prevailed. Not
all the little folk in these distant lands
call this old chap Santa Claus, nor
does he arrive in all countries the
night before Christmas. Sometimes
he comes week earlier and some
times week later. But most of the
children in Washingtor's foreign col
ony conform TO the American custom
Of celebrating Christmas today.
Christmas i'm Latyia.
4 tria
Christmas day, as a day of religious
observance and celebration, takes sec
ond place to New Year and Easter.
But mot so in little Latvia, where the
Yuletida spirit reigns supreme and
where no home, however, humble. IL
without its decorated tree on Christ
mas eve. For old and young alike.
Christmas is regarded as the most
sacred Of all holidays in Latvia, an
occasion for general rejoicing and mer-
riment.
1t is not surprising, therefore, that
the household of the Minister of
Latvia and Madame Sega adhered to
the traditional custom of their home
land III observing Christmas for their
three charming children, George, aged
9; AIirdza, Z. and Andrew. 5. In Latvia,
the little children watch by the flreside
for "Old Man Christmas as Santa
Claus is known in that distant land.
He's very much like our beloved Santa,
with flowing white whiskers and jolly
countenance. He, too, carries pack
of toys and good things and distributes
them In homes and public places. But
the good people of Latvia just can't
wait for Christmas day to dawn. They
hold their celebration on Christmas
eve, which explains the happy hours
Ill. 1xArrea l.1ctf
For the three little children of the
legation, last night proved a wonder
full night. During three weeks they
had been preparing for it. Christmas
carols, poems and stories must be
memoriZed by all fthe Youngsters of
Latvia, and being in Washington af-
forded no escape. At the Christmas
tree celebration last night all the le
cation household assembled. Then
little George, Mirdza and Andrew had
to recite their pieces and sing their
carols before they could pounce upon
the generous gifts heaped under the
tree. There We're gifts for everybody,
and Minister Sega, who explained the
interesting customs OF his country,
said that the ohildrer,'s3 gifts to their
parents were always made by their
own hands. =
Atdy AAdS. ItuuCdttOIldI
Aside from the spirit Of jollification
that prevails at Christmas time, he
explained that the celebration in
Latvia was intended to have an edu-
cational value as well. After the tree
ceremony at the legation, there was an
old fashioned goose" dinner, more
, songs, and the three tired, but happy
youngsters were tucked into bed.
Chinese children. except those in
the missions and foreign schools, know
little, If anything, about the Christian
, celebration of Christmas. For them
| the Chinese New Year is the great
! event in their young lives. But at
| the Chinese legation here there was
! o regular Americanized Christmas
| celebration in store for the little
| children of the legation staff. Dr.
! Sao-Ke Alfred Eze and Nine. SEE
are thoroughly Americanized, and
! their youngest children, Betty Julia
and Alice. can Guido most American
children in getting fun out of Christ
mas DR.. SIZE is a graduate of Central
| High School and Cornell. so the
| legation always keeps open house
on Christmas for their many Wash
| ington friends and for the Chinese
students residing here.
| Miss Mamie SIZE, the young lady
of the household. is spending her
vacation at home. She is a student
at National Park Seminary, and while
| she is too grownup to ride on the
velocipede and scooter that de
| lighted the heart OF her little sister
| Betty today, Miss Mamie had her
share OF gifts-pretty things that
would appeal TO any American school
girl The Minister'S two oldest boys
are in school in England, so their
! Christmas packages We're forwarded