CHRISTMASTIDE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3590, 2 January 1923, Page 15

CHRISTMASTIDE.

CELEBRATIONS AT HOME. GATHERING OF ROYALTY. LONDON, December 25. _ The Royal Family at Sandringham i® spending Christmas on simple, happy, old English liuee, though on a larger scale probably than ever before, owing to the size of the gathering, which includes their Maiesties, Queen Alexandra, the Prince of Wales, Prince Henry, the Princessea Royal, Maud, and Victoria, the Dowager Empress of Russia, Queen Olga of Greece, and the King, Queen, and Crown Prince of Norway.—A. and N.Z. t able. Christmas Day here was chiefly distinguished by incessant rain. In the morning it began to drizzle, and the afternoon brought a downpour The West End and city streets generally were deserted, except for an occasional policeman and an equally occasional churchgoer. The train and omnibus services had been reduced, and taxi drivers elected to take a holiday until the evening, when prospects of carrying fares to the hotels for 8 a ’ a ners* brought them into evidence. Alt the leading hotels were gaily decorated and those which secured an extension of the hours during which wine and spirits could be served were well patronised, but those which offered the extra attraction o %oo bands and dancing floors fared better, otherwise the city seemed quiet and closed within itself- .. The Roval Family, with the exception of Prince 'George, who is ill, were present at the Christmas dinner at Sandringham; The Palace guests included King Haakon and Queen Maude of Norway and the Dowager Queen Louise of Denmark. AMERIC ax'CELEBRATIONS. NEW YORK, December 25. Nine persons were shot in Chnstma® rows to-dav ih various places in th® from Seattl, state, that » ferrv boat operator who was crazed invaded the home of a «Uzen an killed three of the latter s children. H® then shot himself, dying later. At Louisville (Kentucky) a a ](. a man in her apartment and kept an ail Vi £L°To h r Uniontown (Pennsylvania) 0 despatch four men were Ant during Christmas celebrations in ing region. NEW Y'ORK, December 25. The New York Times’s Doom eornJ ondent states that the ex-Kaiser cele- ££* Christmas in somet-hmg J* £• rTv\ Hairof his residence was decoG< tc!l hva huge Christmas tree cut by S and adornadl b, hi. bn*. T l,„ Grown Prince and the e *“- als ? IraodSo. attended the least- ££ Wilhelm, dispensing with the services the chaplain, officiated bunco. . CTESTS OF ANGLO AMERICAN SOLDIERS. BERLIN, December 25. Thousands of German children *«*.«*• gits of the British and American armies in the occupied regions of Germmiv The children, who were led by their school teachers, received P a< * a ** 9 containing clothing, food toys, and candy. The army bands furnished music. CHRISTMAS IN RUSSIA. LONDON. December 22. Tlie Soviet has officially issued instructions forbidding the decoration of Christmas trees with religious emblems, especially figures of angels or anything recalling a° religious festival. On the contrary, the people were ordered to emphasise the heathen origin of the festival. The Soviet Press hopes that the Christian Christmas will be replaced by a general carnival, including masquerades and fireworks.