Christmas Celebrated Round World

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28161, 27 December 1956, Page 7

Christmas Celebrated Round World

(Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, December 25. Thousands of Christian Arabs and pilgrims and tourists returned today to the Israeli sector of Jerusalem after attending Christmas Day church services in Bethlehem and in the Jordan sector of Jerusalem. Christians throughout the world marked the day with solemn religious rites and gay holiday celebrations. Reuter correspondents reported: AMMAN: The Jordan Government declared Christmas Day a holiday for the first time in the State's history and Government offices closed while the city wore a festive air. A procession travelled from Bethlehem to Jerusalem as other pilgrims returned to Israel after the day of peace and open borders in the troubled area. PARIS: Parisians in record numbers, attended midnight Mass and then joined in the “reveillon,” tlie traditional midnight-to-dawn parties. A fev. flakes of snow fell on the city early this morning, bu’ it was generally a cold, grey Christmas. More than 600 tramps who sleep under the Seine bridges ate Christmas dinner provided by charitable organisations. BUDAPEST: Hungarians flocked tc church as a bright winter sun shone on their freezing snowbound country. Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, decorated with fir branches, were packed. In many there were not sufficient pews for the congregation, and many worshippers stood in the aisles. Russian tanks and troops stood

guard at bridges and public buildings throughout the city, but observers said that they kept in the background and only occasional lorry-loads of infantrymen patrolled the streets. Cardinal Josef Mindszpnty, the Roman Catholic Primate f Hungary, conducted a private Mass in the United States Legation where he sought asylum on November 4 when the Soviet forces attacked Budapest only four days after the Cardinal’s liberation by nationalists. VIENNA: Many of the 794 Hungarian refugees who arrived in Austria overnight said today that finding asylum in the West was the best Christmas present they could wish. One group consisted of a man and his wife who arrived at Kleilhof, on the Austrian frontier, carrying between them a wash basket containing two children, aged one-and-a-haif and three years. The father also carried a baby in a knapsack on his back. LONDON: In spite of a temperature near freezing point, 20 enthusiasts plunged into the waters of the Serpentine in Hyde Park for their annual Christmas Day race. The Post Office reported today that every man, woman, and child had received an average of 40 postal items this Christmas. Railway stations were almost deserted throughout the country and there was only a sprinkling of cars on the roads. Preachers at Christmas services referred to the recent world crisis in the light of the Christian spirit of peace and goodwill.

SANDRINGHAM: The Queen attended a service at the local parish church today. Twelve members of the Royal Household, including Prince Charles, who has recovered from a slight cold, accompanied her. A crowd of spectators, some of them with rugs wrapped round their shoulders because of the cold, clapped and shouted “Happy Christmas” to the Rqyal Family. There were special cries of “Happy birthday” for Princess Alexandra, the Duchess of Kent’s daughter, who is 20 today, and for the Duchess of Gloucester, who is celebrating her fifty-fifth birthday. The small church was decorated with holly and flowers for the Christmas service. SYDNEY: Australians spent Christmas Day in a variety of weather from tropical heat in the north <but with floods in parts of Queensland) to a traditional European white Christmas in parts of Tasmania which were lashed by a blizzard. They spent the day in a variety of ways, too, but emphasis on the spiritual side of the holiday was evident all over the continent. In every capital city church attendances were increased. WASHINGTON: President and Mrs Eisenhower had a family Chrstmas at the White House with their four grandchildren. Major John Eisenhower, the President’s son, his wife Barbara, and their four children drove to the executive mansion from nearby Fort Belvoir. Mr Eisenhower went outside the White House to meet them. The family went inside to open up presents before a gaily-decorated Christmas tree and then to dine on turkey with all the trimmings.