CONTENTS

PAGE
Is there a Santa Claus? v
An Editorial by the late Frank P. Church in the New York Sun.
Christmas Greens 1
Adapted from Some Curiosities of Popular Customs by William S. Walsh.
I Saw Three Ships come Sailing in 2
A Kentish Version of an old English Christmas Carol.
The Angels and the Shepherds 4
The Gospel Story as in the Children’s Series of the Modern Reader’s Bible, edited by R. G. Moulton.
While Shepherds Watched 6
The famous Christmas hymn written in about 1700 and attributed to Nahum Tate.
The Wise Men from the East 7
The Gospel Story as in the Children’s Series of the Modern Reader’s Bible, edited by R. G. Moulton.
Strooiavond in Holland 9
Adapted from Holland by Beatrix Jungman in the Peeps at Many Lands Series, with one paragraph simplified from Servia and the Servians by Chedo Mijatovich.
How St. Nicholas came To Volendam 12
From the volume on Holland by Beatrix Jungman in the Peeps at Many Lands Series.
Keeping Christmas in the Old Way 16
From an entertaining old pamphlet published in 1740 entitled “Round about Our Coal Fire, or Christmas Entertainments,” quoted in Christmas: Its Origin and Associations by W. F. Dawson.
As Joseph was A-walking 20
An Old English Christmas Carol known as The Cherry-tree Carol. In many versions another stanza said to be of later origin is added.
The “Jule-Nissen” and Blowing in the Yule 21
From The Old Town by Jacob A. Riis, copyright by The Macmillan Company, 1909.
Christmas Eve in Merry England 23
From Marmion by Sir Walter Scott.
When Christmas was not Merry 25
Compiled from Christmas: Its Origin and Associations by W. F. Dawson, and from general sources.
Going Home for Christmas 28
From Old Christmas at Bracebridge Hall by Washington Irving.
God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen 31
An Old English Carol.
The Date of Russia’s Christmastide 33
Compiled from general sources, and in part from Russia by L. Edna Walter in the Peeps at Many Lands Series.
St. Barbara’s Grain 37
Adapted from an unsigned article in Macmillan’s Magazine and from creole folk-lore.
Before the Paling of the Stars 38
By Christina Rossetti.
A Midnight Mass in France 39
Adapted from an article in Macmillan’s Magazine with added details drawn from an article in The Century by Mme. Th. Bentzon.
The Christchild and the Pine Tree 42
A weaving together of bits of folk-lore drawn chiefly from The Child and Childhood in Folk-thought by Alexander F. Chamberlain.
A Birthday Gift 44
Part of a hymn for children by Christina Rossetti.
The Christmas Fire in Servia 45
Adapted from Servia and the Servians by Chedo Mijatovich.
The Day of the Little God 47
From Servia and the Servians by Chedo Mijatovich.
Nature Folk-lore of Christmastide 50
Compiled from several sources, including The Old Town by Jacob A. Riis and magazine articles.
Good King Wenceslas 53
An Old English Carol in the version by John Mason Neale.
A Mexican “Mystery” seen by Bayard Taylor 54
From Eldorado by Bayard Taylor.
Breaking the Piñate 57
Collated from Mexico, the Wonderland of the South by W. E. Carson, copyright by The Macmillan Company, 1909.
Christmas upon a Greenland Iceberg 59
Collated from Christmas: Its Origin and Associations by W. F. Dawson, and The Great White North by Helen S. Wright.
Luther’s Christmas Carol for Children 61
Translator unknown.
The Good Night in Spain 63
Adapted from the account by Ferdinand Caballero, translated by Katharine Lee Bates.
A Christmas Tree in Japan 66
From Letters from Japan by Mary Crawford Fraser, copyright by The Macmillan Company, 1899.
From Far Away 72
A Christmas Carol by William Morris.
Lordings, Listen to our Lay 73
A fragment of the earliest existing carol; sung in the thirteenth century.
Where the Christmas Toys come From 74
Compiled from general sources, including In Toyland, an article in The Royal Magazine, copyright by C. Arthur Pearson, Ltd.
The Making of a Christmas Doll 76
The material of this article also has been drawn from The Royal Magazine by permission of its publishers, C. Arthur Pearson, Ltd.
Irina’s Day on the Estates 79
Adapted from Russia by L. Edna Walter in the Peeps at Many Lands Series.
A Visit from St. Nicholas 83
By Clement C. Moore.
The Cratchits’ Christmas Dinner 85
From A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
After the Christmas Dinner 88
From The Old Town by Jacob A. Riis, copyright by The Macmillan Company, 1909.
Hang up the Baby’s Stocking 89
Author unknown.
A German Christmas 90
Collated from Home Life in Germany by Mrs. Alfred Sidgwick, Music Study in Germany by Amy Fay, and Elizabeth and Her German Garden.
Crowded Out 95
By Rosalie M. Jonas.
An English “Adoration” 96
Adapted from The Children’s Book of Art by Miss A. E. Conway and Sir Martin Conway.
The Children’s Own Saint 99
Based on legends chiefly drawn from Curiosities of Popular Customs by W. S. Walsh.
The Befana Fair in Rome 102
From Ave Roma Immortalis by F. Marion Crawford, copyright by The Macmillan Company, 1898.
The Golden Carol 104
An Old English Epiphany Carol.
Babouscka 105
By Carolyn S. Bailey. Copyright by the Milton Bradley Company. Reprinted by permission from For the Children’s Hour.
The Three Kings 107
Adapted by permission from The Memoirs of Mistral, copyright by the Baker and Taylor Company, 1907.
Christmas Peace 110
From The Little City of Hope by F. Marion Crawford, copyright by The Macmillan Company, 1907.