Evening star., 1957-12-22

dinner instead of turkey.
You might get your gifts
mas Day.
And you mieht hear Santa
CBrazil), pere Noel (Francel.
Father Christmas tBritain) or
Juhensee Norway.
Far from the pine and holly
of the temperate zone Christi
mas. you would find old-time
miracle plays and elaborate
symbolic dances performed
against a lush tropical back
ground.
Let's start out in our own
country. In New York's Rocke-
feller Center. q 65-foot white
spruce from Vermont Is decked
with i,lO0 lantern-shaped and
5000 tirefiy lights. A candle-
light service at the Chapel OF
the Intercession on Christmas
eve will be followed by q pro-
cession of children carrying
lighted lanterns and wreaths to
the grave of Clement c. Moore.
author Of "A Visit From st.
Nicholas" At the New York
Botanical Garden, there's an
exhibition Of an outdoor Nativ-
ity scene with live animals.
In Pennsylvania. the towns
of Bethlehem and Nazareth
live up to their names with
religious displays and musical
programS which draw thou
sands from other communities.
Claims Largest Tree
North Cardinals pride is
what it claims as the worlds
largest living Christmas tree.
It's q live oak at Wilmington
adorned with 1000 lights.
At Spring Hill. Ind. q pioneer
village of 100 years ago has
been created. In the Ozarks,
one Of the country's more spec
tacular alteration scenes is at
Branson. Mo. where some
figures are 2S feet high and q
neon star can be seen three
miles away.
In New Mexico. descendants
of the Spanish explorers per-
form medieval folk plays like
LAS PoSadoS" (The 1nnsl
while the Pueblo Indians pre-
sent basically pagan dances in
honor of the Christ Child in
the pueblo mission churches
In California. where the
poinsettias are blooming every
where, towns vie with each
other for the most spectacular
displays. At Altadena. more
than 10000 colored lights glow
ON the Mile Of Christmas
Trees" the 80-foot-H Himalayan
Deodars. At Ontario. three
miles Of pepper trees are strung
with lights and at Glendale.
the tunnel of Lights" on the
main street creates the effect
Of a rainbow tunnel.
Now let's take a look south
OF the border. Mexicans whack
away with q stick at a pinata
(earthern jar) filed with
sweets and gifts and suspended
from the ceiling. When 1t
breaks. children dive for the
contents.
In Cizco. Peru. presents are
hung over the church door and
there's a free-for-all scramble
after Christmas Mass.
For the small fry Of Rio,
Papa Noel leaves his gifts in
shoes placed on doorsteps and
wfndowsills. Presents are piled
on the bed in Venezuela. In
Argentina and some other lands
Of Latin America. the Three
Wise Men bring gifts on jan
uary g. Epiphany - not on
Christmas.
Roast Pig Favored
For their banquet. roast pig
IL a favorite Christmas dinner
in Latin American lands but
venezuelans are partial to ham
and hallacas Ccornmeal and
meat or chicken tamales cooked
in a banana leaf. The tradi-
tional holiday fare in Brazil is
fried spiced shrimp and African
cuzcuz. a steamed seafood pie.
Panama features Sausages
cooked in Malaga wine.
In Hawaii, our next stop. the
traditional celebration centers
around q tall hoop pine glitter
ing on the grounds Of Iolani
Palace where people greet each
other with "Mele Kalikimaka"
Merry Christmas in Polyne-
sian.
In American Samoa. car
oilers riding in buses try to
serenade every dwelling on
the island through the night
on Christmas eve.
On Tokyo's Gina, Western
style Nativity scenes in shop
windows are explained on