Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-31
BIZ GRETCHEN SMITH.

i
| the maxim When in Rome do as the
Romans do" plan to celebrate New
Year day In true American style.
| But Americas New Year is far cry
from the same day In the far corners
| of the world.
( Calling at few of the Washington
homes Of foreign representatives, an
/ amazing variety of quaint customs was
found to exist throughout the countries
| of the world in the celebration of New
F., Year day and the Yulet1de holidays.
In Poland, for instance, the Christ
mas holidays imply more than one day
of feStivity and holiday spirit. From
the days antedating the Christian era
the Poles have observed period Of
! feStivity toward the end of December.
In early times it was a celebration of
the Winter Solstice.
After the introduction of Christian
ity the holiday celebration started with
Christmas eve, the greatest holiday of
the year. and continued until the close
of January 8, the Feast of the Epiph-
any, or the day of the Three Wise Men.
Gifts Of Little Stars.
In Poland on Christmas eve a supper
is held, at which all members of the
family are present and break the tradi-
tional waters, called "oplatek," at the
same time exchanging good wishes. The
Christmas tree is lighted after supper
and it is then that the gifts of little
stars" are distributed among the chill
dren.
Christmas day is an important religi-
Gus festival with the Poles. Through
out the country people attend the mid
night masses and the masses which are
tricts peasants may still be seen at
tenaing early mass dressed in pictur-
, esque vari-eolored costumes and boots.
Although the 25th and the 26th are the
two days when shops and business
places are offlcially closed. the festivi-
ties continue throughout the season I'M
til Epiphany.
New Year day is day of friendly
visits among Polish families. There is
men and women exchange calls and
wish each other prosperity during the
coming year.
Hay Under TablecI0th.
Lithuania has customs very similar to
those of Poland, her neighbor The two
countries celebrate Christmas eve as
the greatest Of the holidays, and in
Lithuania the quaint custom continues
Of placing hay under the tablecloth at
the Christmas eve banquet. in remem-
brance Of the manger of the Babe of
Bethlehem. At the end Of the BAN
quet each young girl present at the
feast takes a handful Of the hay from
under the cloth and counts the number
OF seeds which are found in her bunch
Of hay.
number OF years she must 60 until she
finds husband.
Like Polands, Lithuania's Christmas
day Is purely o religious festival, but
on New Year day there is q continual
exchange OF calls among the man men,
bers Of the families. The women do
not accompany the men on these calls,
Is it is considered entirely too strenu-
Gus an undertaking.
Beginning with the head of the gov
eminent, the President holds a large
reception to the oficials. members of
the diplomatic corps and men prorni-
nent in the life of the nation.
After the official visits personal calls
are made, and at each home that is
visited abundant refreshments, both
food and drink. are served the callers.
As 1t is considered impolite to refuse
the refreshments offered at the diff
ferent homes, it requires a strong con-
stitution to Withstand the excessive eat
ing and drinking of New Year day. 1t
was explained at the Lithuanian lega-
ton that this was one of the reasons
that Lithuanian women remained at
home on New Year day instead of ac-
companying the men on their round of
calls.
Animals Able to Speak.
One quaint legend which still persists
in Lthuania, as well as Switzerland and
few other countries, is that at mid
night on Christmas eve animals are
n DC
strongly believed by the peasants and
little children, and the fact that some
, OF the older peasants who stay up that
night on purpose to hear the cattle talk
to the donkeys fail to hear any CONVEX
sation in the barns Is explained by the
remark, II suppose we were not there
exactly at midnight. Our clocks must
have been wrong!"
Throughout both Poland and Lithu-
ania from Christmas Eve until the
Epiphany 1t is the custom, particularly
in the country districts, for musicians
to go from house % house, singing and
playing Christmas music. In groups of
nve and six they 60, playing vioiins,
clarinets and accordions.
The custom of serving at the New
Year banquet q sucking pig, with the
apple In Its mouth, as practiced in Eng
land, has been transferred in Lithuania
to Easter. when q roasted "piglet" is
served with an Easter egg in its mouth.
Customs In Spain.
From the Snow-covered countries of
Lithuanta one may travel to sunny
Spain and there find q wide difference
in customs. Here Christmas eve Is a
day Of quiet and fasting, broken by the
midnight mass, attended by old and
young. From that time the holiday
festivities commence, ending with the
greatest day of the Spanish Christmas
season. Epiphany, or Kings day. as 1t
Is called in the land of AlfonSo's sub
jects.
New Year day starts with religious
ceremonies in the churches, and In
Madrid the King gives large banquet
70 the heads of the diplomatic corps
followed by q reception, known as the
"besa Ia mano," or kissing the hand"
1t being the old custom of those at
| tending the royal reception to kiss the
hand Of the King.
The great day in Spain is January 6,
when the Three Wise Men visited the
Babe Of Bethlehem, carrying their gifts
OF franktncense and myrrh Although
/ the Spanish children do not have a
Santa Claus, they are taught that on
the Day of the Kings the Three Wise
Men return to earth and bring to little
! children gifts in memory Of the gifts
TO the Infant Jesus. This Is a day Of
great excitement to the young people of
Spain, and great preparation Is made
by them for the coming of the kings in
! the evening. Frequently refreshments
! OF cakes and wine are left in the halls
and the living rooms for the Wise Men
upon their arrival
a. L.