The Coolidge examiner., 1940-12-24
MAGIC CARPET TRIP REVEALS
CHRISTMAS CUSTOMS OF OTHERS

food for Saints Wnlte morse.
While the children sleep, St.
Nicholas returns and Grams the
stocking or shoe of each good
child with gifts.
AS we journey on to France
we see the children anxiously
waiting for either the Christ
Child (Petit NoeD or Father
Christmas (Bonhomme NoeD who
resembles our Santa Claus, to fill
their shoes with candy and toys.
We receive the answer that the
grown-ups exchange gifts on New
Years day.
We look to see children who are
going from house to house singing
greetings and who are carrying
long bags to hold gifts they re-
ceive, as we are passing through
Poland and the Balkan countries.
Here they are taught that the
Christ child himself brings the
gifts.
Presents are drawn from the
Urn of Fate in Italy.
How interesting the Spanish
way of bestowing gifts seems!
Here the children receive small
gifts at the street festivals. They
also put out their shoes on the
evening of Jan. 5 in hopes of real
presents. The Three Wise Men
fill the wooden shoes, which are
placed on the hearth, with gifts.
Continuing our journey we Wis
it italy. Wherever there is a Yule
log, presents are generally given
at the time the log is placed on
the fire. On Christmas the chill
dren may receive small presents
and candy; On New Years day
relatives give them money. In
Italy, as in Spain, Jan. is the
time to set out their shoes for
real gifts. An old woman, La
Befana, appears dressed In rags,
riding a broom stick. She visits
the children and leaves ashes in
the shoes of the bad children and
gifts in the ones belong to the
good.
Jan. is the time the children
receive gifts in Mexico. There
we see a coarse, red, earthenware
jar, pirate, filled with gifts,
sweets and nuts, which is hung
from the ceiling or from tree on
the patio. The young people,
who are blindfolded, try to break
the jar with a stick. When 1t Is
shattered all snatch bandages
from their eyes and rush for the
gifts.
Finally, after visiting around
and learning something Of the
different ways of celebrating
Christmas, we sail homeward to
good old US.A. in time to see a
merry, fat jovial sort of a fellow,
dressed in red who comes in the
winter time, and who droves eight
tiny reindeer. Where is his home?
No other place but the North
Pole itself. He is as old as Faith
er Time, and has a long, white
beard; he has rosy cheeks and
over his shoulder he carries
pack of toys and other gifts for
children. Wonder who this could
be? Three guesses. 1t must be
old Santa Claus.
We enter room and see
wreaths and green's. Oh yes, a
Christmas tree with silver icicles,
colored glass ornaments, and lit
tie electric lights. From the win
dow are holly wreaths, scarlet
Poinsettas, or other bright plants
for the passerby to see. Some
times even little evergreen trees
on the lawn twinkle their electric
lights. Stockings are hung by the
chimney with care, children are
snuggled in their beds, all hoping
ST. Nick soon will be there to fill
their stockings with toys, oranges,
nuts and candy to be found by the
hearty American youngsters early
on Christmas morning.
Lord, thank you for the most
beautiful Christmas of all and the
one closest to our hearts.