Evening star., 1936-12-13
Dolls

Continued From First Page)
from Nazareth. Posada, the name
applied to the ceremony, originated
from the need to beg lodging, or posada,
for the night during the journey.
Several families usually hold Posada
together.
Fifteen minutes before midnight on
Christmas eve, each carrying a can
die, they gather in corner Of the
drawing room which has been arrang-
ed to represent stable. Here, with
dolls, the ceremony Of Noche Buena
takes place. followed by singing. At
IL O'Clock the Nino Dios is placed in
His manger, ending the ceremony. =
Since the dawn of Christianity,
dolls have been used in the Old World
as the symbol of nativity. Through
out Italy the churches are filled with
dolls representing the birth of Christ.
The Christmas manger Of King
Charles III, King of Naples, is said
to be the most beautiful in the world.
On this 40-foot stage is depicted the
nativity, the arrival of the shepherds
and the magi of Bethlehem. The 500
dolls are 8 inches tall and were dressed
by the Queen herself. Besides human
figures. there are 200 animals all made
of finely carved wood, wax and costly
fabric.
THE best known and most widely
worshiped doll in the world is the
Blessed Bambino at Rome. 1t depicts
the infant Christ and history says it
was carved by a monk from a tree
that grew on the Mount Of Olives.
This monk died before he finished the
work, which. according to tradition.
was completed either by an angel or
St. Luke.
At Christmas and Epiphany the
Bambino is carried up and down the
church aisles in dignified process
sional escorted by church dignitaries
and a military band playing dance
music. Finally the professional halts
at the main door on the landing fac.
ing 124 outside steps, and the image
is held aloft so that the great throngs
kneeling on the steps may worship it
and be healed of their ills.
Wilhelmina. Queen of Holland. has
in her adored doll collection soldiers,
sailors, statesmen, court dignitaries,
maids of honor and charming fish.
wife from Scheveningen. dressed in
typical national costume of bright
cloak and scoop bonnet. Many Of the
dolls were presented to her on st.
Nicholas day, December 6, which Is
celebrated in Holland by the giving
of gifts. 1t is said that when Will
helmina was a child and sought to
punish her dolls, she threatened them
with the worst punishment she could
imagine-that of being Queen. Curt
seys and situations bored her, so,
ironically. she used these, too, to pun
ish her doll subjects.
OF the 1872 beloved wooden dolls.
some of which we're Christmas pre-
sents, still preserved Of Queen VIC
toria's collection, the Queen dressed
80 herself. She recorded them her
self in a copybook, now yellow with
age, under the heading, List Of my
Dolls
ONE of the largest and most i'm
~ portant doll collections In the
world is the 1900 dolls assembled by
her highness the princess mother Of
the Queen of Rumania. These dolls
have attracted worldwide attention.
Many are life size and dressed in ma
tional and historic costumes. They
represent every European country.
dating back to the fifteenth century.
with exact reproductions Of each
period.
When exhibited in the palace Of the
margrave at Karlrush in 1899 they
were arranged by centuries, begin-
ming with the daughter of an Egyptian
King of the year 1900 BIC. and end
ing with the modern woman on
bicycle. Peasants from the Black
Forest were arranged in groups and
the various industries OF the country
were depicted by manikins at work.
The age-old love for dolls of all
kinds still lives in the hearts of mod
ern children, as indicated by the recent
revival of the ancient marionettes,
which appeared in Greece as early
as 422 BIC. Today school children
still design the puppets, make their
costumes, beat out tiny tin swords
and cut their midget suits of armor.
In some progressive schools the
children also build their own theaters.
paint stage scenery, and write. re-
hearse and direct the plays.
Pining away on q shelf in the dead
letter ofice at Washington is q pa
thetic group Of homeless dolls
Anxious children still wait for these
dolls which, because of improper
wrappings and poor addresses, have,
never reached their intended desti-
nations Minus an arm or q Leg
they lie. manned and sadly discon-
late. guarded by a large, beautiful
Santa Claus In perfect condition.
In the grandest home or the hum
blest cottage, dolls and Christmas
are synonymous in the hearts Of chill
dren. As the first actor, centuries ago,
was a Greek puppet doll, so may the
last actor on the stage of life also b.
q doll which some loving mother pro.
sented to heAsman child at Christ
mas time. -