at have just disappeared; but many national
peculiarities still remain. At Christmas, for instance, every peasant
goes to the woods, and cuts down a young oak; as soon as he returns
home, which is in the twilight; he says to the assembled family, "A
happy Christmas eve to the house;" on which a male of the family
scatters a little grain on the ground and answers, "God be gracious to
you, our happy and honoured father." The housewife then lays the young
oak on the fire, to which are thrown a few nuts and a little straw,
and the evening ends in merriment.

Next day, after divine service, the family assemble around the dinner
table, each bearing a lighted candle; and they say aloud, "Christ is
born: let us honour Christ and his birth." The usual Christmas drink
is hot wine mixed with honey. They have also the custom of First Foot.
This personage is selected beforehand, under the idea that he will
bring luck with him for the ensuing year. On entering the First Foot
says, "Christ is born!" and receives for answer, "Yes, he is born!"
while the First Foot scatters a few grains of corn on the floor. He
then advances and stirs up the wood on the fire, so that it crackles
and emits sparks; on which the First Foot says, "As many sparks so
many cattle, so many horses, so many goats, so many sheep, so many
boars, so many bee hives, and so much luck and prosperity.'" He then
throws a little money into the ashes, or hangs some hemp on the door;
and Christmas ends with presents and festivities.

At Easter, they amuse themselves with the game of breaking hard-boiled
eggs, having first examined those of an opponent to see that they are
not filled with wax. From this time until Ascension day the common
formula of greeting is "Christ has arisen!" to which answer is made,
"Yes; he has truly arisen or ascended!" And on the second Monday after
Easter the graves of dead relations are visited.

One of the most extraordinary customs of Servia is that of the Dodola.
When a long drought has taken place, a handsome young woman is
stripped, and so dressed up with grass, flowers, cabbage and other
leaves, that her face is scarcely visible; she then, in company with
several girls of twelve or fifteen years of age, goes from house to
house singing a song, the burden of which is a wish for rain. It is
then the custom of the mistress of the house at which the Dodola is
stopped to throw a little water on her. This custom used also to be
kept up in the