=IN ALASKA=

“Going around with the star” is a popular Christmas custom among some of the natives of Alaska who belong to the Greek Church.  A large figure of a star, covered with brightly colored paper, is carried about at night by a procession of men and women and children.  They call at the homes of 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.

Before the missionaries and the American settlers went to Hawaii, the natives knew nothing about Christmas, but now they all celebrate the day, and do it, of course, in the same way as the Americans who live there.  The main difference between Christmas in Honolulu and Christmas in New York is that in Honolulu in December the weather is like June in New York.  Birds are warbling in the leafy trees; gardens are overflowing with roses and carnations; fields and mountain slopes are ablaze with color; and a sunny sky smiles dreamily upon the glories of a summer day.  In the morning people go to church, and during the day there are sports and games and merry-making of all sorts.  The Christmas dinner is eaten out of doors in the shade of the veranda, and everybody is happy and contented.

=IN THE PHILIPPINES=

“BUENAS PASQUAS!” This is the hearty greeting that comes to the dweller in the Philippines on Christmas morning, and with it, perhaps, an offering of flowers.

[Illustration:  CHRISTMAS IN THE PHILIPPINES]