CHRISTMAS, 1912.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1632, 26 December 1912, Page 5

CHRISTMAS, 1912.

SCENES AND NOTES. STREETS ON CHRISTMAS EVE. \ TO-DAY'S EVENTS, ..'] OUTINGS & WHERE TO MAKE THEM. I : A Happy Christmas! j Christmas came, and Christmas has gone. Let us hope it was a happy one. . ] At least it was a sunny one. For days we thought out suitable pre- j seats for others. For hours wo shopped. ''! By Monday there ivas no one we had ' not thought of, nothing left undone, and I nothing more to get. And, after all, on ■'! Tuesday;night, which was Christmas Eve, . j we camo out and shopped, and purchased, 'i and went homo parcel-laden and tired. • That is what almost every one of us ! has doneou every Christmas Eve we have • -v lived, and that is what most of us will ', , ':''■ do on almost every Christmas of ours to ' ■■' i come. ■''.)

Tuesday night's street scenes were signs of a great event,. but many must have noticed that some of-tho signs which were met on the Christmas Eves of. bygone years were absent. Not many years ago the thoroughfares of Wellington were robed in nativo greens, bedecked in a thousand flags, and, sometimes lit with many-coloured paper lanterns. Every! verandah post was hidden by a nikau palm, and every shop doorway was a verdant arch.

To-day tho nikau is rare and other greens are not to bo got in large quantities near the city. To-day, also,, we are less inclined -to make elaborate preparations for'the great festival than we were some years ago.' Perhaps this evolution is as wide as the Empire, or maybe Now Zealand is evolving a Christmas stvie of its own, New Zealand's early Christmasea were modelled on the Christmases of England; but while the steaming pudding and the sizzling goose were cheering friends in the snow-falls of the Homeland, they were burdensome unnecessaries in this land, whose calendar points the hottest season of the year just when Christmas makes its welcome call. And so we are changing in our manner of keeping up the birthday of the Founder of Christianity. We commenced on the lines which best suit the people in England; we may . yet follow the lines which best suit our» selves. ' •' But whatever, the', changes ..in the form.V of celebration, Christmas is still kept up as no other season in the year is. It. is honoured above all others, and probably ever will be. Extravagant preparations for the day are still made, and expressions and evidences o? goodwill and good wishes flow in rivers of kind words and rush in. avalanches of well-meant gifts. It was to buy these gifts, to speak these : words, or to make some final preparation, ' that the thousands of people thronged the principal streets of 'Wellington on. .-, Tuesday night. The crowds were jolly, - and quiet.' There were some , who "we're, plainly enough, celebrating, the night 1 lie-,;! fore the morning, after. But, on ' the whole; though 1 the crowd was somewhat greater and livelier, the scene, was not ■ so very different to a Saturday. night. scene. . That much has Christmas- changed,' ■. already. TO-DAY'S ATTRACTIONS. WHERE TO GO AND WHAT TO SEE. To-day is Boxing Day—perhaps the greatest pleasure-seeking day of tho vear. The sporting community who are ' ! keeri on the norses' will have no difficulty In. finding ways and means, of putting in the day. There are'race meetings at Palmerston North and Clajeville(Wairarapa), while the Hutt Valley Trotting Club's meeting will attract, those w'ho do liot care to venture so far from town.

Followers of cricket will, of course, assemble ill force at-the Basin Reserve to witness the match' between the South Melbourne Club's excellent team (under that veteran champion Harry'Trott) and 1 the Wellington representatives. The visitors have; made pie";pf the provincial teams which they have met so far, but do not anticipate winning so easily, in Wellington. 1 Roman Catholic picnics are to'be held at Day's Bay • and nt Father.. Lane's grounds at Lower Huttj'tfie Mararoa'is to make an excursion run to Picton, aiid there is to be. a local tennis tournament for. all weilders of the racquet , who cannot ret away to Hastings,'where the English Davis Cup team is to scintillate. Excursions Will be run to Day's Bay throughout the day by the Harbour Ferries Company's boats, which are also to call (at stated times) to pick up passengers at.Petone. In" the'evening there will be plenty of amusement for all. At the Town Hall, the' big tug-of-war carnival and picture show; promoted by Hayward's Enter- . prises, Ltd., will commence ,at 8 p.m., arid it is fairly safe to conclude that the athletically inclined, as well as those fond of good pictures, will surge into the big hall. GeKßick-Quick Walliugford,"...a.,. smart American comedy, will be produced by a new J. C. ■WiHiainson..Company: at tlie Opera House., : 'Barton's..Circus will 'give performances.'afteriibori and evening; and at 8 p.m. . pictures wi11... .be shown at the new His Majesty's Theatre,'! King's Theatre,: and : continuously .-' at tie .Empress-.-Theatre, New Theatre, Shortts' Theatre, and. the People's Picture Palace. A good vaudeville programme will be submitted at the Theatre Royal. LYALL BAY. LOOKING'QUITE ITS BEST. Tempted by" the' beautiful-weather • which, prevailed yesterday, a' large crowd of people visited "Wellington's Manly'-.' —Lyall Bay. Throughout the' day,' but more particularly- in' the : afternoon; the' beach presented a very, pretty sight. The beautiful clear sky and the' hot sunshine prompted- a brave ■ display of *6ummer «-. wear, and what with the;ladies in their » summer dresses, and tlieir escorts. with light-coloured 'suits.'and straw: hats;' and the pretty, natural setting ' of 1 the "bay, a very .pretty picture .was presented. ; The , genial sunshine" "filled the bill for the sun-batlier, while t.lie -water itself hadits charm for hundreds of others. Day's Bay—Wellington's picturesque cross-harbour resort,, also .received good. patronage; TJie nativ© bush, with tho * blue bay for a foreground, and the.crowd,, of holiday-makers, looked as pretty as "a,... theatre drop scene. ' y OHIRO HOME. PLEASANT , DAT . FOE INMATES: 7'T. Inmates of tho'Olriro Homo'spent i really pleasant-Christinas,'not the' least •' enjoyable period of the festival being the dinner hour, when right good cheer'was : dispensed. During;the day those in the home took the opportunity of showing tlieir appreciation of the work, done by. Mr. and Mrs. 'Truebridge by presenting ithem with an' address.' Visitors to * tho" home included the -Mayor (Mr.- D., • M'Larcn) and the Mayoress, the chairman of the Hospital Board (Mr. Jas. Trevor), tho chairman of the Charitable Aid Com- - mitteo (Mr. J. M'Ewan), and the Rev. W. A. Evans. A concert was held in tho even- . ing, when, items wero contributed by the Mayor, by Mr. M'Ewan, and:by:inmates and members of the staff., PASSENGER TRAFFIC. ; A FALLING-OFF IN SEA TRIPPERS. Tho passenger traffic leaving Wellington by sea for various ports' on Christmas.',' Eve was not up to the average. - Tho Union Company had throe boats advertised to leavo for I.yUclton, but it, was. . found necessary to dispatch the Mokoin"" and Mararoa only. Tho former tool; away about Soft passengers, and the latter about SGO. Tho Navua, which acted as a military transport vessel, took away about 500 Territorials and cadets, ami these, it is anticipated, will return to Wellington next Sunday. The Te Anati, which ran a trip from Wolliturton to. Piolnn . niul '>ack, and theneo to Pieton and Nelson, affair. at ni#ht had a fair complement of passengers on each voyage. IN OTHER CITIES. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.! Auckland, December 25. Delightful weather prevailed for Clirist- ; mas Eve, and shopkeepers reaped n harvest; especially in the cvoniiu;, wlip;i„ there were record crowds iu.tiw plrsc.'Jifr. -