CHRISTMAS DAY

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 27 December 1928, Page 5

CHRISTMAS DAY

AT CHRIST’S BIRTHPLACE.

CEREMONIAL AT BETHLEHEM. * ALL NATIONS JOIN. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph Copyright.) (Australian Presw association —United Service.) JERUSALEM, Dec. 25. Tourists and Christian pilgrims from far afield as China and Japan joined to-day in a picturesque ceremonial around the grotto, which, according to tradition, served as the stable, for the village hostel wherein the Saviour was born 1028 years ago. A procession, headed by the Latin patriarch, and an escort of Palestine mounted police, com. posed of hundreds of clergy and natives in brightly coloured robes, formed at mid-day in Jerusalem and proceeded from Jaffa Gate to Bethlehem. Many well dressed well-to-do Europeans accompanied the throng, some as onlookers, and some as devout worshippers at this annual glorification of the birth of Christ. The weather was more like an Englisli spring day than the December or the Christmas card artists.. The sky was cloudless and the sun glinted on the jewels in the patriarch’s mitre andon the aecountrements of the guards. The ground was ablaze with a huge silvei star. There were hundreds of twinkling candles around the site of the manger, which now is marked by a marble monument built over the grotto in the Church of Nativity. Into and around this moved the throng. The observance continued till midnight, when the worshippers re-assem-bled in the Church of Saint Catherine, adjoining the Basilica and formed a procession to the grotto, where the image of the infant Saviour was laid in the plae-e of the manger, where it will be kept until Epiphany. Protestants commenced the observance of the holiest day in Christiandom by a, watch in the bright moonlight, in the shepherd’s field, situated east qf the road to Bethlehem. They spent the night under the clear stars and sang carols in the courtyard adjoining the grotto.

M. BRIAND AS SANTA CLAUS. PARIS, Dec. 25. As the result of the decision of the French Senate not to complete work on the Budget, its prominent members Were able to spend the holiday at their estates and elsewhere. The Foreign Minister (M. Briand) svent to Cocherville, where he acted as Santa Claus for the children of the town, according to custom. M.M. Poincare, Leygues and Painleve went to their estates. M. Clemenceau motored to the tomb of his friend, the artist Claude Maney, upon which he placed flowers. SEVEN-LINKED BRACELET. QUEEN’S CHRISTMAS PURCHASE. LONDON Dec. 25. Continuing the policy of presenting herself with the object most desired at Christmas, Queen Mary selected a seven-linked bracelet of platinum encircled with cut diamonds, in three divisions of which were beautiful miniatures of her grandchildren, Princess Elizabeth and- the Honourables George and Gerald Lascelles, It is understood that the four remaining divisions will later contain the likenesses of the Queen’s four sons. AMERICAN FESTIVITY. GREAT CHRISTMAS BUYING. . WASHINGTON Dec. 25. Having complied with the. annual custom and pressed an electric button on Christmas Eve lighting the capital’s Christmas tree President Coolidge and Mrs. Coolidge departed today for Eapelo Island, off the Georgia coast, where they will spend the Christmas and New Year holidays. Mr. Hoover passed Christmas on board the battleship Utah, which is nearing the equator on her voyago home, while the crew joined the Presi-dent-elect in singing carols on' the quarterdeck. Meantime New York reports a bountiful Christmas mail. Records were broken and stores reported tremendous sales, some managers estimating that this year, found the greatest buying in the history of their stores. The New York Post Office reported that 141,000,000 pieces of mail were handled, which is the greatest Christmas mail ever handled in New York City. THE DAY IN ITALY. GIFTS FROM THE QUEEN. ROME, Dec. 25. The Italian Royal Family celebrated Christmas quietly in the Villa Sa.voia, near Rome, and, according to custom, hundreds of children in the asylums in the city received toys as a Christmas gift from the Queen. The Pope officiated, at Mass in the private chancel and gave communion to a number of his relatives.

Signor Mussolini and his family celebrated, the day at their residence in the city, and were joined later by members of the Italian Naval League. POISONED LIQUOR. SIX DEATHS REPORTED. NEW YORK, Dec. 25. As the result of the Christmas celebrations, six died of poison liquor and several cases are reported to be critical. A total of 58 drinkers were taken to hospitals, a number of whom are suffering from delirium tremens. Several women are among those poisoned. ' KING AND CATHOLICS. PRAYERS FOR. KING'S HEALTH. RECOVERY A CAUSE FOR REJOICING. Received 10.40 a.m. to-day. ROME, Dec. 24. In an address to the cardinals of the Vatican, the Pope declared: “The King’s improvement is the cause of rejoicing. Wo trembled and prayed for the life of-the sovereign who graciously vsiited us, and whose Empire is the world’s largest. In that Empire there are many millions of Catholics, who prosper in all forms of Catholic life, as the Sydney Eucharistic Congress testified. We have prayed for the life of the sovereign, who is always so. well disposed and benevolent towards these Catholics. Now Divine Providence seems to confirm the hope of the King’s early return to perfect health. 3 ’