Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-02-26
Description Of n ChrIstmas.tree in Den


Description Of Christmas, tree in Den
mark.
On Cbristmas-day was one of happy
party met to keep the anniversary in true
Danish fashion. II was a delightful family
reunion, the guests, with few exceptions.
being more or less akin. There was nothing
deserving especial notice in the dinner itself,
which nightly resembled an English one.
down to the huge boiled plum-puddinp,
which, let me whisper in your hearing, was
capitally concocted by an elderly English
lady. Atouching national trait came under my
observation at the cocnlusion of the dinner.
The two little children of the host ran to him,
and said, "Thank you for my dinner" This
is the constant custom of Danish children
every day. On the company rising stimuli
taneously from table, another national custom
was strictly followed. The guests of both
sexes shook hands all round, saying, ut the
same time, Bel bekome dem," which means
literally, "Good may it do you" But those
guests, who were previously unacquainted,
merely bowed to each other. This is q Gus.
tom observed at all dinner-parties throughout
the year. We adjourned en- masse to the
drawiDg-room, and certain whispers and
movements intimated to me that something
was in preparation likely to give me a
pleasant surprise. Nor was long kept in
suspense, for the word came to "follow our
leader" and away the entire feet of US gaily
scudded, pell nell, toward another room !;
and on sailing in, the secret was revealed at
a single glance.
The Danish Christmas tree Yes there it
lowered in all its glory-with its countless
sparkling lights and its dangling tickets.
Beautiful, exceedingly, was the novel eff
feet. A buzz of admiration burst from all
lips, and bright eyes grew brighter and
smiling chetks grew more radiant, and
prat,lers prattled faster, and little feet
danced around with irrepressible joyous ex-
citement.
Let me soberly describe the Christmas
tree. 1t was beautiful living species of an
evergreen pine, growing in a tub placed in
the center of the room. 1t was nine or ten
feet in hight, and its horizontal branches
numerically stretched around, shooting
out widely at the base, and gradually lessen
ing until the apex was formed by the straight
single stem. In the branches were fastened
scores of various colored ax.lights, placed
in wire holders, and from root to top were
suspended pasteboard tickets, each inscribed
with a certain number.
Interspersed were gilded apples, punches
of raislDs and grapes, nuts, figs, &c, to be
plucktd by the company at pleasure. The
host armed himself with a pair of scissors
and calling upon us to aid him in finding the
successively numbered tickets, as the latter
were purpose'y mingled in pleasing con-
fusion, he commenced operations Dy clipping
off number one. This he delivered to the
guest whose name it bore, and he, in turn,
presented it to the hostess, who was presid-
ing Good Genius at large and long table,
completely covered with articles of all sizes,
mysteriously muffled in paper so that it was
impossible to see them.
These were prizes, each having a number
answerable TO some particular ticket, to indi-
cate to whose share the corresponding prize
was 10 fall. Having found the article bear
ing the duplicate number, the Office of the
Good Genius was smilingly to deliver the
parcel to him or her, as the case might be.
The fortunate party would then forthwith
eagerly tear off the wrappers, and exultingly
exhibit the prize to the company. The prizes
consisted OF every convenient variety of
articles, and, by what | esteemed marked
| good taste, were in most cases not merely
| ornamental, but useful; not few of them
were elegant and expensive light articles OF
| dress. Neither host nor hostess knew what
all the prizes were, nor what would fall to
their own personal share; for those which
they designed for each other were privately
deposited among the collection, aud ticketed
at the last moments. Number after number
was found and called, prize after prize de-
liveIed, and such a gleeful, busy, rafting
chsttering, happy set as we all were never
was seen since the world began to make
merry, will take my afidavit.-Pictures Of
Scandinavia