One of their favourite songs begins:
"Blyden nacht,
O blyden nacht! Messias is geboren!"
That is Flemish, their language, and it means: "Happy night, oh, happy
night! The Messiah is born." Another song begins: "Een Kindeken is
ons geboren," which is the same as "Unto us a Child is born."
Good children, who have said their prayers every night, expect to find
under their pillows on Christmas morning a cake, or rather a bun,
which is called an _engelskoek_, or angel's cake, which the Archangel
Gabriel is supposed to have brought during the night to reward them.
Naughty children find nothing. In some places the children are told
that it is the _petit Jesus_ (the little child Jesus), who puts the
bun under their pillows.
In many churches, but by no means in all, there is a midnight service,
at which there is a manger surrounded by wax candles, with an image of
the Holy Child in it. But this late service was so often made an
excuse for going to public-houses, and drinking too much, that the
hour has been changed, in most places, to five in the morning. The
custom of having shrines, with a manger and candles, known as
"Bethlehems," is, however, common, even in private houses.
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