The Sun.
London, England, 1841-12-24 00:00:00

CHRISTMAS IN GERMANY.

At Ratzeberg, in the North of Germany, there
is a most pleasing custom observed, common
also to many other parts of the country. The
children make little presents to their parents,
and to each other, and the parents to their chil-
dren. For three or four months before Christ-
mas the girls are all busy, and the boys save up
their pocket-money
.to buy these presents. What
the present is to be is cautiously kept secret; and
the girls have a world of contrivances to conceal
it—such as working when they are out on visits,
and the others are not with them—getting up in
the morning before daylight, &c. Then, on the
evening before Christmas-day, one of the par-
lours is lighted up by the children, into which the
parents must not go: a great yew bough is fastened
on the table at a little distance from the wall, a
multitude of little tapers are fixed in the bough,
but not so as to burn it till they are nearly con-
sumed, and coloured paper, &c., hangs and flut-
ters from the twigs. Under this bough the chil-
dren lay out in great order the presents they
mean for their parents, still concealing in their
pockets what they mean for each other. Then
the parents are introduced, and each presents his
little gift; then they bring out the remainder
one by one, from their pockets,. and present them
with kisses and embraces. The eldest daughter
and the mother, upon such occasions, have been
known to weep aloud for joy and tenderness; and
the tears to run down the face of the father, as he
clasped his children tight to his breast, as if he
endeavoured to stifle the sob that was rising
in him. The shadow of the bough and the
appendages on the wall, and arching on
the ceiling makes a pretty picture, and
the rapture of the very little ones when at
last the twigs and their needles take fire and
snap, is excessive. On the next day (Christmas-
day) in the great parlour, the parents lay out
on the table the presents for the children ; a
scene of more sober joy succeeds, as on this day,
after an old custom, the mother says privately to
each of her daughters, and the father to his sons,
that which he has observed most praiseworthy,
and that which was most faulty in their conduct.
Formerly, and still in all the smaller towns and
villages throughout North Germany, these pre-
sents were sent by all the parents to some one
fellow who in high buskins, a white robe, a mask,
and an enormous flax-wig, personates Knecht
Rupert, is e., the servant Rupert. On Christ-
mas-night he goes round to every house, and
says, that Jesus Christ, his Master, sent him
thither. The parents and elder children receive
bin' with great pomp and reverence, while the
little ones are most terribly frightened. He then
inquires for the children, and according to the
character which lie hears from the parents, he
gives them the intended present, as if
or theyifctaioymie
out Christ.
of Heaven from Jesus
should have been bad children, he gives the
Master,
About
parentsreoomm aeurdosd,thaenmd
toin utsi ei ti farienqeuoe fn
t his.
the secret, and it is curious how they
seven or eight years old the children are let into
faithfully
keep it.
CHRISTMAS CUSTOMS IN THE ISLE

OF MAN•

On Christmas-eve7accordino• to Waldron, all
the servants in general have :holiday. They do
not go to bed all night, but ramble about till the
bells ring in all the churches, which is at twelve
o'clock. Prayers being over they go to hunt the
wren, and after having found out one of these
poor birds they kill her, and lay her on a bier
with the utmost solemnity, bringing her to the
parish church, and burying her with a whimsical
kind of solemnity, singing dirges over her in the
Manx language, which they call her knell, after
which Christmas begins.