According to the late Lawrence Hutton, "Our Christmas carols appear to
have come from the Holy Land itself; our Christmas trees from the East
by way of Germany; our Santa Claus from Holland; our stockings hung in
the chimney, from France or Belgium; and our Christmas cards and
verbal Christmas greetings, our Yule-logs, our boars' heads, our plum
puddings and our mince pies from England. Our turkey is, seemingly,
our only contribution." Let us add the squash-pie!

[Illustration: CHILDREN OF MANY NATIONALITIES AT CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION
IN A NEW YORK SCHOOL.

Chinese, Italians, Swedes, Irish, English, German, French, Russian,
Austrian.]

These customs which have become general throughout the United States,
varying of course in different localities, are being rapidly
introduced into the new possessions where they are engrafted on some
of the prettiest customs observed by the people in former years. In
Porto Rico on Christmas Day they have a church procession of
children in beautiful costumes, which is a very attractive feature.
The people feast, dance, attend midnight mass on Christmas Eve, then
dance and feast until Christmas morning. In fact they dance and feast
most of the time from December twenty-fourth until January seventh,
when not at church services. On Twelfth Night gifts are exchanged, for
as yet Santa Claus has not ventured to visit such a warm climate, so
the children continue to receive their gifts from the Holy Kings.
However, under the shelter of the American Flag, the Christmas tree is
growing in favor. In Hawaii, so far as possible, the so-called New
England customs prevail.