EVE OF CHRISTMAS.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 December 1924, Page 8

EVE OF CHRISTMAS.

HOLIDAY SPIRIT RELEASED. BUSY SCENES IN TOWNS. MANY VISITORS ARRIVE. VARIED OUTDOOR ATTRACTIONS. To-day is Christmas Eve—the end of the year's work for most people and the beginning of the happiest and brightest holiday season. The festive spirit which has been released in Taranaki towns during the past few days will be quickened to-day, and the season of gladness will be encouraged to speed on its merry way in a riot'of fun and frivolity. From alt parts of the province people will go to their shopping towns to-day, and to-night the gaily decorated towns will be thronged. From all parts of Taranaki yesterday came reports of big crowds and brisk shopping, and everywhere there were scenes of activity in completing the festive decorative schemes of shops and thoroughfares. The bush-clad valleys have been stripped of greenery to brighten the exterior of shops, and electricians have employed reels of wiring to carry streamers of coloured lights across streets, towns vieing with one another to produce the brightest scenes to delight the crowds in gay mood who will flock the streets today and to-night. BRISK TRADE. In New Plymouth. Devon Street and the other shopping thoroughfares will be en fete, the carnival spirit of Christmas rising to its merriest height as evening draws nigh. Then will the streets be a moving mass of humanity, and the air will be full of joyous sounds. Although the festive season has been ushered in by tempestuous weather conditions, Devon Street has presented a busy scene during the last dew days, and shop-keepers, with growing satisfaction, have noticed their trade gaining momentum as Christmas Eve draws nearer. Day by day the crowds of happy, hurrying shoppers have become denser as they made their purchases for the week, hastened from shop to shop selecting suitmole gifts for the Christmas stocking, and ordered the goods necessary to give the ■finishing touches to an already heavily burdened festive tjoard. The shops with their artistically decorated windows and brilliant lighting arrangements are this Christmas even more attractive than in the past, and the range of articles displayed seems wider too. To add further to the brilliancy of the scene f rings of various coloured lights have been strung above the streets along the whole length of the business section ot Devon Street. IN OTHER TOWNS. In the other large towns of Taranaki business people individually, as well as collectively, are rivalling each other to make their particular town the brightest and most attractive centre to-night. In Hawera a comprehensive scheme of novelty attractions has been arranged. "Yesterday afternoon the children were given a treat, when Father Christmas entered the town and distributed gifts. The business area of the town ha s been gaily decorated, and music will be provided tonight and on New Year’s Eve. The majority of the shop windows have been artistically dressed, and special lighting effects have been arranged. n Stratford, Broadway has every day this week been thronged with eager shoppers, and a co-operative effort ha s been p.it forth by business people to make the town attractive. Greenery, streamers and bunting have been lavishly utilised, and many effective designs have been devised • by shop-keepers.

Special arrangements have been made to gather a big crowd in Stratford to-day. elaborate transport facilities being provided. The carnival spirit will be strikingly in evidence—bands will play, hundreds of balloons will be liberated, a mask parade will be held, the crowds will compete in a search for “the missing man,” ■and countless other attractions have been planned. Stratford has never had such provision made for its amusement and delight before.

Trade in Eltham i s brisk again this year, and both the business people and the shoppers have entered whole-heartedly into the spirit of Christmas. The business portions of Eltham will present a gay acene to-day, and the children of the tbwn have again been provided a treat by the Progress League. As in past years Father Christmas will to-day pay a visit to the town with his sleigh load of gifts, which will be distributed among the children. Inglewood and Waitara have also entered into the friendly competition to make Christmas Ev e bright and attractive. Taranaki to-night will be a land of twinkling lights and happy crowds.