(_For the Mirror_.)
Many singular customs are observed in the Netherlands at Christmas, and
as they materially differ from those known in England, a brief notice of
_one_ of them may probably prove acceptable to the readers of the
MIRROR.
In almost every Dutch town, and in every considerable village, the
following custom prevails:--At a little after two o'clock in the morning
of Christmas-day, a number of young men assemble in the market-place,
and sing some verses suited to the occasion. One of the young men bears
an _artificial star,_ which is fixed to a pole, and elevated above the
heads of the people; it is very large, and is rendered beautifully
transparent when a light is placed in the inside. This artificial
luminary is intended to represent the star of the east, which directed
the wise men to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ. At a little
distance, the appearance is exceedingly brilliant, for there is no other
light among the populace to diminish its lustre, and the whole scene
is singularly picturesque. The resplendent light issuing from the star
strikes powerfully upon the countenances of the principal actors, while
those more remote receive only a faint and subdued gleam. The silvery
effulgence of the moon, the sombre and deserted look of the buildings
around, and the general stillness that pervades every object, save the
scene of action, might inspire the mind of a Rembrandt, or introduce
to the mere casual beholder feelings at once new and poetical.
After parading through the town, the youths repair in a body to the
residence of some opulent inhabitant, where their arrival is welcomed
with shouts and clapping of hands, and where they are entertained with
a plentiful repast.