The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-02-03
~ l9a For the Telegraph.
3 toL9b .i3Id1a 1E'ssl5
European Correspondence.
.i as..R is -A bus sm7a I3d
Social Life i'm. Germany.
FRANKFORT ON THE MAIN,
.l0T JANUARY 5th, 1870 E

The holidays, both for old and young,
in 4, this, country, as they annually come
around, are the great epochs that mark
the mile stones III their lives. There is
no palace 50 high nor no hut so low but
what has its Christmas tree. On the for
mer may shine gifts of rare and transcend
ant beauty, glistening with costly jewels,
worth hundreds of thousands Of forms
on the latter the trifing toys made by the
ingenious Nuremberger workman, worth
only few Kreutzers, yet they all dazzle
alike TO those to whom they are given
Christmas I'M Germany is agreat day i.
one of peculiar family Social interest,
The young and the old enjoy it--they all
meet together and presents are iexchangz
edss7' Should any of the members Of the
family be absent he is still, RENE nabered
and his present forw9rded3to Ihinssie19q !
About d week before Christmas every
year, booths or small shops are erected in
the old part fsthe city, ON the small mar
lket squares and open spaces where three
or four narrow streets meet, and these are
filled with all sorts ofrtoys ever dreamed
of,bythe fertile mind of this toy loving
and making people Here the peasants
and and, poorer classes, as. well as many of the
welkto do people, may be seen night and
day. making their purchases. These
booths resemble balzaars, and sometimes
from fifty to hundred may be found
grouped togethersow For the wealthy
classes, there are some large, extensive
'jewelry shops and numerous stores in the
show windows of which are displayed
costly and tempting goods for the holt
day presents. Therei is one feature of this
traffic very much like 1t is a custom
among some Of these large establishments
to have a long room in which are long
tables covered with various kinds of
goods appropriate fer gifts. These are
divided off into eight departments, aud
over each is separately marked the price
of the goods in each department. Here
one can select just such presents as his
own taste and length of purse may die
tate.u Over the entrances to these rooms
may be seen the words Weihnachten
Geschenken." Among the children there
is similar unknown and mysterious, yet
benevolent parsonage to our Santa Claus
1t is called !" Cbritskindchen," and no
doubt is the same as Girls Crinb1e, probably
a contraction of the above German word.
and is the same god who presides over the
children'so toys and presents during the
long night before christmas dawn. a q
q There are some local customs here, and
I think it extends all through Germany,
among the older children, that gives some
annoyance, particularly to foreigners who
are not acquainted with it, There are
three great festivals here-one the Christ
mas holidays, and the other two called
the mess. The first does not essentially
differ from the customs in our country,
but the two latter are very novel. They
are mostly for the beneftrand enjoyment
of the middling and lower classes. Onall
the public squares and parks in the old
part of the city, the same small booths
before described, are erected and filled
with every variety of small goods that
can be found anywhere. These goods are
mostly toys of every description, curious
and grotesque, together with every variety
of fancy articles. There are also great
many kinds of the solid and useful fabrics
These booths are brought on large, pom
derous wagons, and come from all parts
of Germany. They are made with fas-
Jennings, so that they can be taken down
and put up again without injury. Some
of them look as old asthe ark Of Noah,
had some enterprislng Yankee found it
while whiting his way over Mt Ararat,
visiting the country beyond.
These little buildings are either grouped
together or in parallel rows, with narrow
streets between Above the door of each
is sign informing the public the name
Of the place where the owner, resides,
and where his goods are manufactured.
Here, for instance, is weaver from
Silesia-a distant province of Prussia,
joining Poland, where the best linen in
in the world is manufactured. They
have no machinery, but all the work Isl
done by the women and children, in their
poor huts. These linens are not only
the best, but the cheapest in the world.
These poor linen weavers were the special
object Of Frederick the Great who col
nniza1 L.