Laurel outlook., 1949-12-21
R~;~gcr, Fl G1b
Ra~ge Iro" Santa
% N"tghl R"0,ert

5 10 C\ht9"f N"H'@Tf
In America on Christmas Eve
there is a merry tinkle of sleigI
bells as Santa Claus drives up il
a sleigh drawn by eight reindeer
He drives from roof to root
pausing just long enough to climl
down each chimney. From a hug
pack on his back he fills the chill
dren's stockings with toys ant
goodies. Gifts that are too large t
be stuffed in the stockings are pu
on the Christmas tree or stacked
underneath it.
This is Christmas in America
but ii is not always Santa
who brings the gifts to children
in other lands.
The Dutch children anxiously
await the arrival on Christmas OF
st. Nicholas. He was the bishop OF
Myra, so he is dressed in the tradi-
tional bishops robes Of black,
wear a mitre, and carries a
crozier.
He rides a white horse and is ac-
companied by Black Peter, his
page boy. Instead of hanging up
their stockings to hold the gifts. the
Dutch children place their wooden
shoes in the chimney corner before
going to bed. On the window sllls
they leave a bunch of hay for
''Sleipner," the bishops white
horse. 1t is customary for st. Nicho-
las to o~verturn chairs and leave the
room in general confusion for
Christmas morning.
English children wait for a Santa
Claus who closely resembles our
own. They also find gifts tied to a
green Christmas tree, but this GUS
tom has been in effect only since
Queen Victoria was a young bride.
She married Albert, a German
prince, and it was he who intro
duced this Christmas custom to
England from Germany.
1t is an angel who leaves the
gifts in Czechosiovakia. She de-
scends on a golden chord to
accompany Santa.
In Scandinavia gifts are distrib-
uted during the supper hour. They
are brought by dwarfs and the chill
dren leave bowls of porridge on the
doorstep for them. Santa comes
riding on a goat instead of a rein
deer.
The birds receive the largest
number of gifts in Sweden. Each
family places a sheaf Of grain on
a pole or on the fence posts for
the birds Christmas dinner.
Spanish children place their
straw-filled sleeves on the window
stills so the Magi may feed their
horses while they leave gifts. The
older people fill an Urn of Fate
from which the gifts are drawn on
christmas Day.
Knight Rupert, who Is the
German Kris Kringle, is repre-
scented by a young girl wearing
. golden crown and gowned In
. flowing white robe. She car
ries . small tree laden with
gifts which she distributes.
The children Of Switzerland have
their gifts brought to them by a
radiant angel who rides in a sleigh
drawn by six reindeer. She brings
them goodies to eat as well as
toys.
And in Poland, at least before the
Communists came in, the people
called at the parish house on
Christmas morning where the
priest presented them with peace
wafers," which symbolized peace
on earth, good will to men. The
exchanged Christmas wishes
as the waters were broken and eat
en- before returning home.
AS Americans observe this
Christmas in the comfort and luxury
of modern civilization, who among
them will pause for a thought Of
how their forebears kept the holy
season?
An example of Christmas of the
past in America is provided in a
study of the history Of the old vii
lage Of Kaskaskia, first capital of
Illinois, where the pioneers braved
the rigors of a new and unsettled
Despite the hardships and dis
comfort which prevailed in the days
Of the early settlers Of this land,
there was hardly a cabin so humble
but what its occupants found some
way to keep Christmas.