SANTA CLAUS COUNTERPART

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 December 1934, Page 4

SANTA CLAUS COUNTERPART

IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. The venerable Bede, the old historian, reminds us that long before the first Christmas, December 25 was associated with the honour and dignity of motherhood, and, of course, still is, although the pagan has given place to the Christian feast. We are so used to talking about Father Christmas that it is not until we go abroad that we realise other countries have a Mother Christmas for their toybringer, the bringer of good gifts to good children.

“La Belfana” is often spoken of in Italy, for she is a kindly old woman who flies through the air on Christmas night carrying innumerable presents which she leaves, as our Santa Claus is said to leave his, by way of inviting chimneys.

Once upon a time folks believed that St. Lucy was the wife of Good Saint Nicholas, and that at Christmas time she helped her spouse in the distribution of his gifts. In Switzerland this belief apparently lingers, for in some parts they will tell you that St. Lucy takes gifts to good girls, while St. Nicholas takes his to happy boys. The youngest and prettiest maiden in. the household plays the role of St. Lucy in Sweden on Christmas morning. She it is who goes from room to room laden with sweetmeats and gifts which she leaves first with the master and mistress, then with the sons and daughters, and when the household have all had their Yuletide greeting, she will visit the dogs, the horses in the stables, the cows in their stalls, and, even the fowls.

An aged woman used to bring gifts to the peasantry of Holy Russia. Babinska, they called her, and tradition said that she lived in Bethlehem when the Christ was born, and that the Holy Family begged admission at her door. She refused to house them, and so through the ages she is condemned to appear on earth each Christmastide, bearing gifts in honour of the birthday of the Child she refused to shelter. Very beautiful is the Mother Christmas of Poland, To greet her coming, a, little hay is placed under the tablecloth that covers the festive board, a reminder of the humble bed on which the Babe of Bethlehem, was placed. And when she has given away all her gifts, Mother Christmas takes back with her to Paradise some happy babe that has just awakened from its first sleep; there it sings a carol before returning to the earth, and' they say you can always tell the babe thus honoured, for it laughs and crows so loudly when Christmas Day dawns.