the well-to-do families of the village, marching about from house to
house, headed by the star-bearer and two men or boys carrying lanterns
on long poles. They are warmly welcomed at each place, and are invited
to come in and have some refreshments. After enjoying the cakes and
other good things, and singing one or two carols, they take up the star
and move on to the next house.

These processions take place each night during Christmas week; but after
the second night the star-bearers are followed by men and boys dressed
in fantastic clothes, who try to catch the star-men and destroy their
stars. This part of the game is supposed to be an imitation of the
soldiers of Herod trying to destroy the children of Bethlehem; but these
happy folks of Alaska evidently don't think much about its meaning, for
they make a great frolic of it. Everybody is full of fun, and the frosty
air of the dark winter nights is filled with laughter as men and boys
and romping girls chase one another here and there in merry excitement.


=IN HAWAII=

The natives of Hawaii say that Santa Claus comes over to the islands in
a boat. Perhaps he does; it would be a tedious journey for his reindeer
to make without stopping from San Francisco to Honolulu. At all events,
he gets there by some means or other, for he would not neglect the
little folks of those islands away out in the Pacific.

They look for him as eagerly as do the boys and girls in the lands of
snow and ice, and although it must almost melt him to get around in that
warm climate with his furs on, he never misses a Christmas.