The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1942-12-24
CHRISTMAS, U. s. A.
Customs are Old, Odd
but All Prove Merry
CHRISTMAS, U. s. A.


than usual but the spirit is
bright down in the south
west corner of North Carolina
devout pilgrims are climbing to
the tip of Burger mountain for
re-enactment of the Nativity. Z.
This is Christmas, United
States of America, 1912 A D.
Every town has a celebration,
but here are some of the unus-
ual, the strange, the old fashion
Grimy faced coal miners high
in the Oftiz mountains of New
Mexico have been saving and
preparing for months to make
their town of Madrid (pop. 430)
a mecca for thousands. Madrid
celebration, in the heart of the
ta-country, is tradition. In
early December every man, Wo-
man and child in town helps to
string electrical lines, install
sound systems, trim $50 outdoor
trees, construct mechanical dis
plays and a dozen Biblical
scenes. For a month the lights
shine on in magnificent spec
tacle. Built on the mountainSide
is =. miniature Bethlehem, while
above it in Tableaux frightened
shepherds gaze upward at the
Christmas Star.
Across the nation, in Pennsyl-
vania's Moravian district, an
other Bethlehem carries on a
traditional candlelight ceremony
that was begun in 1856. The
church service is known as the
love feast, which Signifies
the bringing together of all
classes. Afterwards, in Moray
ian homes, children hurry to
find the putt, miniature
landscape that is another age old
tradition.
Another Pennsylvania group
carrying on as of old are the
Swedes in Philadelphia. For
them the Christmas season be-
gins with a pageant on Dec. -,
Santa Lucia Day, in the parish
hall of historic Gloria Del (Old
Swedes) church, built in 100.
Down at Winston-Salem, N.
c., Moravians hold the love
feast too, and the Christmas
putt" is displayed. But high
light of Winston Salem's holiday
activity is the community party
in which $4,000 persons take
part.
Another North Carolina city,
Wilmington, claims the world 5
largest Christmas tree 800
year-old live oak that is the CEN
ter of festivity.
Out on stormy Hatteras island,
the fisherfolk of tiny Rodanthe,
n. c., observe "Old Christmas
or Twelfth Night on Jan. 5 keep
ing up a custom that dates back
to the founding of the commun-
ity. (This Twelfth Night cele-
bration is a day early for some
unknown reason.) Santa Claus
comes on Christmas Eve, but
when he returns for "Old Christ
mas" he brings with him "Old
Buck menacing ogre who
takes care of naughty children
while Santa administers to the
good.
AT Murphy, n. c., the Church
es of God prepare replica OF
ancient Bethlehem at the eastern
end of a natural amphitheatre
between Ten Commandments
anu Sermon on the Mount peaks.
On the afternoon before Christ
mas at the hour coinciding with
midnight in Palestine, the Ma
tivity pageant is enacted.
Boston is planning its annual
c h r S tmas tree on Boston
Common, but minus lights. Car
oilers, tradition on fashionable
Beacon Hill. will tour the dis
trict as usual, but their candles
w. be BACKED out.
Newburyport, Mass, has UNI
dertaken the job of raising
enough money to send every
man and woman from the city I'm
the armed services $40 Christ
mas check.
Up in New Hampshire, Epis-
copal Bishop John T. Dallas, has
called upon the public to dis
this Christmas the Civ
inG of habit gifts"
Habit giving" the Rt. Rev.
Dallas says, lis but an express
sion of hurried friendship. For
get the gifts and do the harder