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Grandfather Frost, or Dyed Moroz as he’s known in the Soviet Union, still gets

around the country’ suring the winter holidays but as this photo, taken near

These outline stories about how Christmas is celebrated in
various countries were prepared by staff writers for the
U.S. Daily World. 2

Ireland

66

Oidnche na ceapairi” is the Gaelic name for Christ-
mas eve. It means “Night of Cakes.” On Christmas eve, in
ireland a cake is baked for every member of the family.
This custom-also exists in Scotland and England.

Christmas was introduced to Ireland by the man who
allegedly introduced Christianity to the country, St. Pat-
rick. However, the Irish than applied their ancient Celtic
lore and culture to the celebration of the holiday and it has
become a rich tradition.

There was an old belief that at the stroke of midnight
on Christmas, the gates of paradise would open up so
that in the sad event you died, you'd be taken directly into
heaven. But nobody’s around to prove it’s true.

Of course, the Irish were a persecuted people. As the
English would celebrate the yuletide with rollicking and
boisterous carols and songs of plum pudding, goose,
minced pies and roast beef the Irish, whose church had
been outlawed, and whose priests took to hiding in the
forests and dells from the British, would leave candles in
their windows “to guide travelers, priests, and patriots in
the dark of night.” Thus, it is alleged that it is the Irish who
brought the tradition of putting lights in windows around
Christmas time to the U.S. It is apparently an ancient
Gaelic custom.

The wreath seems also to be an Irish tradition brought
to this country by the immigrants of the 19th century. The
Romans regarded the laurel wreath as a symbol of vic-
tory, glory, joy and the Irish celebrated Christmas with
it—unlike many other countries on the European conti-
nent.

Ellen Holahan

Soviet Russia and
Soviet Ukraine

Spain

lL, most sections of Spain.families get together on
Christmas eve to eat a traditional meal of turkey. Many
sweets are served with the meal—particularly sweets
called turrones, which are made of almond and honey.
After the Christmas-eve dinner families go to midnight
mass. This is not as common as it used to be. On Christ-
mas day another big meal is prepared which consists of
turkey, or lamb and shell fish dishes.

Presents were customarily exchanged on the 6th of
January, —Apiphany—since this is the day that the three
wisemen were supposed to have given their presents to
Jesus. But in the last few years it has become more
common for presents to be exchanged on Christmas day
to give children more time to play with their presents since
they retum to school after Apiphany.
~All the children of the house put out a’ pair of their
shoes to be filled with sweets and gifts. They write letters
to the three wiseman before Apiphany requesting certain
things, and on the eve of Apiphany they place sweets and
wines outside with their shoes for the three wisemen. The
day before Apiphany there is a huge parade in towns and
villages across Spain. There are floats with the main
feature being the three wisemen.

In the Catalonian region of Spain the traditions are a
bit different. There Christmas day, not Christmas eve is
the celebrated holiday. In fact, there is not a Christmas in
Catalonia until Christmas day. The family gathers and
there is a huge meal which according to custom is of
chicken. Also in Catalonia children place a log in the
fireplace and leave the room briefly, parents in the mean-
time place candy under the log. The children return and
hit the log with sticks, and poke at it trying to jar it to get at
the gifts underneath.

With the traditional Catalonian chicken dinner local
champagne is served, in honor of the grape harvest.

Grace Mora

On Christmas eve the children of the towns and vil-

Moscow, shows, he’s had to adopt more modern means of transportation.

Germany

Cinistmas in Germany is especially enchanting in the
many mountainous and forest areas, such as the Bava-
rian Forest or the Alps.

_ Children get their first taste of Christmas on De-
cember the 6th, which is St. Nicholas Day. St. Nicholas,
who is dressed as a bishop, with a tall hat and curved
staff, keeps track of how children behave during the year.
‘Ifthey are good, they are rewarded. Asign ofhaving been
good is being able to recite a poem to St. Nicholas. If they
have been bad, and what's worse, if they have forgotten
their poem, St. Nicholas summons in his helper Knecht
Ruprecht, to punish them with a switch that looks like a
broom fromthe eighteenth century. Knecht Ruprecht may
decide to put the naughty child in a gunny sack and take
him to the forest.

“St. Nicholas Day also coincides with the first week of
Advent. Homes throughout Germany have Advent
wreaths with four red candles. “Advent, Advent, ein licht-
lein brennt; erst eins, dann zwei, dann drei dann vier,
dann steht das Christkind vor det Tuer.” (Advent, a lightis:
burning first one, then two, then three, then four, then the
Baby Jesus is at the door.)

Christmas gifts are exchanged after dinner on
Christmas eve. There is a Christmas tree, which in most
homes is still illuminated with real candles.

After the gifts. are exchanged, the children are allowed
to stay up and play with their toys. The older children
usually get to stay up until midnight, when the entire
family goes to Christmas service in the town church.
Church service is accentuated by a huge Christmas tree
with real candles in the sanctuary and candles in front of
worshippers sitting in the pews. At the end of the service
all electric lightware is extinguished and the church-goers
stand in the candle-light and sing Germany's favorite
Christmas carols, including ‘Oh Dy Froehliche,” and “Si-
lent Night.”

On Christmas day, families gather for a big holiday
meal including a traditional Christmas duck and the kids
spend the day playing with their toys and fighting with
other kids over who has the best toys.

MIE 00.
Amadeo Richardson

B efore “Christmas” came to Russia and the Ukraine, a
pagan holiday was held during that time of the year, that
celebrated the meeting of winter and spring. In the Ukraine
a traditional family dinner was held that opened with
everyone tasting “Kootya” from a huge wooden spoon.
“Kootya” made from poppy seed, wheat, honey and
chopped nuts symbolized the spiritual unity of all living and
deceased members of the family as well as providing a
guarantee that the next wheat harvest would be success-

ful. The custom dates back to 3,000 B.C. when wheat was ~

first cultivated in the Ukraine.

When Christianity spread to the Ukraine and Russia
there were some modifications and additions to the pagan
celebrations. Ritual requires that Christmas dinner, which
still opened with the “Kootya,” consist of 12 courses to
represent the 12 appostles of Christ. Dried grass was
spread on the dinner table to represent the manger in
which Christ was born and the bam animals were given a
special feast since they were supposed to have been the
first ones to look upon the Christ child.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—DECEMBER 20, 1978—Page 8

lages, boys in one group and girls in another group, would
go from house to house singing old songs—most of them
pre-Christian folk songs. Ahuge star constructed of paper,
_ with a burning candle inside, was placed at the end of a
stick and carried around by the carollers. Gifts were not
exchanged and there was no Christmas tree.

Today in Soviet Russia and Soviet Ukraine a tradi-
tional dinner is still prepared and there is a Grandfather
Frost and Snow Maiden who bring New Year's presents
for children. The streets, homes and stores are gaily deco-
rated with lights, bulbs, fir trees and tinsel. New Year's
galas are held in the sports arenas for the children, where
they can meet Snow Maiden and Grandfather Frost and
receives gifts of candy from them. Favorite Soviet chil-
drens’ cartoon characters like the wolf and the rabbit are

‘ portrayed by ice Follies actors who put on skits on the
arena floors which have been iced over. There are produc-
tions of folk dances on the ice all culminating with Grand-
father Frost and Snow Maiden coming out to wish the
children a happy holiday.

Barbara Moskal-

mM