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Show Christmas in the land of Christ's birth unlike that in this country Americans who dream of a white Christmas with Santa Claus popping down the chimney chim-ney to the tune of "Jingle Bells" can thank assorted writers writ-ers and poets and the northern climate. Christmas inthe land of Christ's birth, however, is another matter. What is Christmas like in Eethlehem ? There's generally no snow, for one thing, for winters are mild in the Judean Hills around Bethelehem. No Santa Claus listens to children's pleas, for he's an American invention based on a European saint. And there's probably no decorated dec-orated Christmas tree in the village square; that custom originated or-iginated in Germany. Instead, the focal point of Christmas in Bethelehem is the Church of St. Mary of the Nativity, Na-tivity, supposedly built over the spot where Jesus was born Here pilgrims from all over the world gather on Christmas Eve. First there is carol-singing in thesquare facing the ! church. Then all enter for the solemn midnight mass. After the service, an image of Christ is carried in a procession down iinto a grotto, and is placed in a manger where it lies unti' January 6, the Feast of Epiphany. Epiph-any. After this ceremony, some may wander into the fields outside out-side the town, where perhaps shepherds long ago heard the news of the birth of Christ. All this ' takes place, of course, on the eve of December Decem-ber 25. But that's not the end of Christmas in Bethlehem For the Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate the holiday on January 6, and the Armenians Armen-ians observe it on January 18. which is January 6 according to the old style, or Julian calendar, cal-endar, according to World Book of Encyclopedia. Unusual Federal agencies are not noted no-ted for living within their budgetary bud-getary allotments. Thus the report re-port by the General Accounting Office that the United States Study Commission, Southwest River Basins had completed its mission without asking for a single penny in extra funds should briing hearty congratulations congratu-lations from taxpayers. |