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Christmas Section THE PORCUPINE ADVANCE, TIMMINS, ONTARIO In Italy, on the day of Epiphany, a figure generally representâ€" ing an old woman, is exhibited by children and in stores patronâ€" ized by children. It symbolizes the old woman of Palestine, "Befâ€" ana," who, legend has it, would not leave her housework to see the Three Wise Kings pass to visit the Child Christ. Befana said that she couldn‘t be botheredâ€"she would see them on their reâ€" turn journey. However, the Three Kings returned by a different route and the oid lady did not see them. Befana, says the legend, still waits. Befana‘s influence watches over little children, who, on the eve of Epiphany, hang their stockings before the hearth fire and go to bed early to await the cry "Ecco la Befana," when they jump up and run to find their stockings filled with presents as an award for good behavior. Bad children find their‘s filled with ashes. It is obvious that the parallel in Great Britain, the United States, Germany and other countries is the custom of hanging stockings up to await the visit of Santa Claus. There are Christmas Islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are uider British rule and are located south of Honolulu. Their popâ€" ulation is about 1,600. Canada has its own Christmas Island howâ€" ever. It is located in the Little Bras G‘Or Lake, Cape Breton county, Nova Scotia, three miles from the Grand Narrows. ‘The name is believed to be derived from that of a Miaqamac Indian chief named Noel. The population of the island is about 250 persons. Boxing Day, or the day after Christmas, is derived from the English custom of giving> presents or boxes on the day after Clhiristmas. The day was made a bank holiday in England by an act in 1871 but later the legislation was recalled. In this country it is a matter for local administrative bodies to consider and Cecide. In 1497 the Portugese explorer, Vasco da Gama, rounded the Cape of Good Hope after a stormy, perilous journey. It was the first voyage made by an European to India. When da Gama saw land on December 25 he named it in honour of the natal day of Christ, "Terra Natalis," since shortened to Natal. In the first centuries of the Christian Church Christmas was rot celebrated. Then it was Christian usage to celebrate the death rather than the birth of remarkable personalities. It was in the Third Century that the day was made a feast. There is much doubt yet that December 25 was the day of the birth of Christ. However, since it was made a feast day it has been celeâ€" brated as the Nativity. Long before the advent of Christianity to Britain December 25 was a festive date. The Venerable Bede relates in his writings: "The ancient peoples of the Angi began the year on December 25 when we now celebrate the birthday of the Lord; and the very night which is now so holy to us they called in their tongue ‘modâ€" ra necht,‘ that is the :mother‘s night, by reason, we suspect, of the ceremonies, which, in that nightâ€"long vigil, they performed." The use of holly and mistletoe, the Yule log and wassail bowl are believed to be relics of the Druidical celebration of December 25. The observance of Christmas was forbidden in England by an act of parliament in 1644. King Charles II revived the feast but many of the Scottish people adhered to the Puritan view. Even today, in Scotland, Christmas is not generally observed. Festiâ€" vities are often held on New Year‘s eve and New Year‘s Day instead. There are few applications of the word Christmas other than the name of the Day of the Nativity. One, however, is the Christâ€" mas Rose, a white or pink flowered rose which blooms in midâ€" winter. Another is, of course, the Christmas Oratorio, composed hy Sebastion Bach and one of the earliest of Christmas oratorios. The colour, lustre and power of resisting oxidation which gold possesses have caused it to be valued from the earliest ages. But what are frankincense and myrrh? (From The National Revenue Review) From botanical notes prepared at the Experimental Farm, Ottawa, the Editor selects the following timely paragraphs:â€"â€" Behold there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem. . . And entering into the house, they found the child with Mary, his mother. .. And opening their treasures, they offered him gifts; gold, frankincense and myrrh. It is said that the Hebrew word for frankincense is quite disâ€" tinct from those used in the Bible for incense, of which frankinâ€" cense was a constituent. It is a fragrant gum distilled from several species of Boswellia, the frankincense tree; somewhat like a mountainâ€"ash, with long glossy serrated leaves and green starâ€"like flowers, tipped with red, emitting a lemon fragrance. They grow mainly in Arabia and in the Somali country. Franinâ€" cense was formerly supposed to have been the product of a coniâ€" ferous tree. Myrrh is frequently mentioned in the Old and New Testaments. It was an ingredient in the holy oil; a domestic perfume; with aloes, cassis and cinnamon; used for the purification of women and for embalming. Both Scripture and classical writers give Arabia as its source it is a gum resin obtained by incisions in the bark of a small thorny tree with scanty foliage. The three wise men from the Eastâ€"the Kings Caspar, Melchoir and Balthasar â€" made this oblation of precious things as do British sovereigns today. Our King, on January 6, (the Feast of Epiphany) or twelve days after Christmas, humbly offers gold, frakincense and myrrh at the altar of the Chapel Royal, London. Both frankincense and myrhh belong to the family "Burseraâ€" ceae." They are tropical woody plants. There are not any native Canadian representatives of this family. The myrhh or sweet cicely of Europe and its Canadian relation, sweet cicely, belong the parsley family. They are not related to the myrrh of the Scriptures. Much legend and many ancient customs are quite naturally associated with the twelfth day after Christmas. Twelfth Night mas for ages been a time of much merryâ€"making and revelry, in connection with which a cake was prepared containing a bean or a coin. The person receiving the slice containing the bean beâ€" came the King or Queen of the evening. As a fitting conclusion to the Twelfth Night party of today it is the custom with many people to remove the Christmas tree together with other festal fioral decorations and to decently burn them, instead of just fiinging them inte the backyard to remain until mercifully reâ€" moved from sight with the spring garbage. What an ignominous end to the short but glorious reign of the poor Christmas tree! Straw is said to be used for decoration in Greek homes on Christmas day in memory of the stable of Bethlehem. Some Facts About Christmas The Gifts of the Wise Men At Christmas play and make good cheer For Christmas comes but once a year. â€"Thomas Tusser, "The Farmer‘s Daily Diet," (16th century). (By H. M.) da Gama, rounded the Christmas Section