RECALLS HAMAN'S DOWNFALL.
Jews Have Celebrated Their Salva-
tion in Persia Many Hundred Years.
Gentiles call it the Jewish Christmas, but of course that is a paradox. It was celebrated by the Jews of Kansas City last Saturday, December 19. In many homes the celebration partook of the character of the Gentile Christmas. The children were the principal beneficiaries. One hundred and fifty of them from the Jewish Sabbath schools went to the Orpheum theater in the afternoon and there were gifts and merrymakers in the homes at night.
The real name of the feast is Chanika. It is celebrated in honor of the preservation of the Jewish people from the fury of a Persian king. Haman, a hater of the Jewish race, was prime minister for the king, according to the Old Testament story. He prevailed upon the monarch to believe that the Jews were plotting against him and to send out a general order for the extermination of the race.
Mordecai, the Jewish prophet, had a sister, the beautiful Ester, who was the favorite wife of the king. He told her of the plight of her people and prayed her to use all of her influence with her consort to have the order of extermination revoked. She went to her husband and under the influence of her charms and blandishments he yielded to her entreaties and the Jewish people were saved. The feast of Chanika has been kept from that day, and is many hundreds of years older than Christmas.
