arly in the morning,
the chancel is lighted up with many candles, and the celebrant is vested
in a white chasuble with golden orphreys.{23}

A Midnight Mass is now celebrated in many Anglican churches, but this is
purely a modern revival. The most distinct British _survival_ is to be
found in Wales in the early service known as _Plygain_ (dawn), sometimes
a celebration of the Communion. At Tenby at four o'clock on Christmas
morning it was customary for the young men of the town to escort the
rector with lighted torches from his house to the church. Extinguishing
their torches in the porch, they went in to the early service, and when
it was ended the torches were relighted and the procession returned to
the rectory. At St. Peter's Church, Carmarthen, an early service was
held, to the light of coloured candles brought by the congregation. At
St. Asaph, Caerwys, at 4 or 5 a.m., _Plygain_, consisting of carols sung
round the church in procession, was held.{24} The _Plygain_ continued in
Welsh churches until about the eighteen-fifties, and, curiously enough,
when the Established Church abandoned it, it was celebrated in
Nonconformist chapels.{25}

In the Isle of Man on Christmas Eve, or _Oiel Verry_ (Mary's Eve), "a
number of persons used to assemble in each parish church and proceed to
shout carols or 'Carvals.' There was no unison or concert about the
chanting, but a single person would stand up with a lighted candle in his
or her hand, and chant in a dismal monotone verse after verse of some old
Manx 'Carval,' until the candle was burnt out. Then another person would
start up and go through a similar performance. No fresh candles might be
lighted after the clock had chimed midnight."{26}

One may conjecture that the common English practice of ringing bells
until midnight on Christmas Eve has also some connection with the
old-time Midnight Mass.

* * * * *

For the Greek Church Christmas is a comparatively unimportant festival by
the side of the Epiphany, the celebration of |100| Christ's Baptism;
the Christmas offices are, however, full of fine poetry. There is far
less restraint, far less adherence to the words of Scripture, far greater
richness of original composition, in the Greek than in the Roman
service-books, and while there is less poignancy there is more amplitude
and splendour. Christmas Day, with the Greeks, is a commemoration of the
coming of the Magi as well as of the Nativ