Show Anti od Propaganda Fails to ito Stop Names Day Celebrations By EUGENE LYONS Ul United Press Staff starr Correspondent MOSCOW Nov 27 UP One UP-One One old social custom in Russia does not yield to o the revolution the revolution the cel celebration of names name's day Originally a religious function unction it has lost its religious religions character character char- char acter almost completely and is ob- ob ser d by atheists no less than by be- be lievers levers The vast God anti propaganda da has scarcely touched It One day it itis is all the Gregories who arc are felicitated dined and wined another another anther an an- other ther day dy it is the Alexanders and The days correspond with the day of ot the Saint of of the name but the saintly aspect of the custom has been almost forgotten The great day above e all others inthis In Inthis this his connection remains as It has b been een n for centuries in Russia September Sep Sep- 30 That is names name's day for every very Vera Nadezhda Liubov and Sophia Sophia Falth Faith Hope Love and Wisdom Wis Wis- dom dom all all of which are popular women's women's women's wo wo- wo- wo mens men's names here The number of parties dedicated to the occasion doubtless run into tens of thousands The names name's day is 15 always more festively fes- fes ely I observed than ordinary birth birth- days CUSTOM 1 REMAINS Th The last September 30 demonstrated ed how deeply seated the custom re remains re- re mains Because of the greater supplies supplies supplies sup sup- plies of food available at higher prIces It was possible this year year- to celebrate more openly than any time since Ince the beginning of the life Year Five plan Every food and wine shop in Moscow was crowded to capacity despite despite de- de spite pite the exorbitant prices on goods bought sought above the rationed norms The trolley trolle cars always crowded were a bedlam or 01 oi people and pack pack- ages The whole city seemed to be preparing for a holiday Most striking of all the indications were the queues In Moscow beauty parlors parlors- where hundreds of women waited for manicures facials and other mysteries Determined to solve c once for all th problem of the or homeless children the thc Moscow so soviet soviet soviet so- so viet has created a special commission commission commission commis commis- sion with the authority to acl achieve eve this object in one month There is little hope however that any commission can entirely eliminate eliminate eliminate nate tl this s remnant of civil war and famine periods These ragged boys and girls now roaming Moscow I streets streets perhaps perhaps several se hundred In in all can all can be rounded up and placed In childrens children's homes But new contingents contingents contin contin- gents will be drifting into the capital capital capital cap cap- ital from other sections Homeless youngsters are no longer the national problem which they were some years ago when hundreds of thousands swarmed through the theland land But enough of them remain to defy the efforts of the government to civilize them They can be met with everywhere crusted everywhere crusted with dirt in fantastic rags often showing their diseased condition begging stealing withal friendly and sometimes even happy in their r like animal freedom I |