Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-12-23
Christmas Proverbs.

Hearth and Home.
Christmas Proverbs.
Christmas comes but once year.
This is glorious, hearty old proverb,
full of generosity and permission to go
to the full lengths enjoyment. If the
children scream more loudly than usual
with delight-if boys and girls dance
and frolic more wildly-if Jack takes an
extra glass, or oater .fanailas purchases
a present which is little too extrava-
gant-never mind it, for once: :" Christ
mas comes but once year - Forget
and forgive, good folks, and we will
forget and forgive in turn: ,--..
$50 tap the vino and draw the beer
Christmas comes but once a year"
"Christmas is talked of so long that
it comes at last
This is an old Norman French prov
erb On q ta,at erie Noel que e,efaa IL
est ve,au." It is another cheerful prov
erb, full Of the spirit of the season,
meaning that whatever trouble or dark
ness may intervene, light and Joy will
come at last. 1t is the same as ss It's
long lane that has no turning" or GA
fast day is the eve Of feast day." Per-
haps it may have the suspicion of an old
superstition, that if we only hammer
and weary away at anything long enough,
we bring it to pass. So then -
'sTalk of it ere Summers past ~
Christmas is sure to come at last
" After Christmas comes Lent"
This is German. 'tNoch weiKn0ch-
ten honaa7ai tastes." This is a warning
and solemn proverb, something like,
!" It is dark under the lamp" How
ever, as the Danes say, "Anabolet er
like rad for en- good torhonanaer, the
anvil does not fear a good sledgeham-
mer, and he who has held glorious
feast-tide finds so much rational pleas
ure in aseason of aobriety and quiet Joy.
1.-The bow can not always be bent
Past Christmas comes the sober Lent"
GA green Christmas makes a fat
church-yard. eH .laE lfG-ei r
A Danish proverb: g En- gran Jasas
give,a ct fed Kmkegaorae. This is
merely the old sanitary and weather
theory, that unreasonable weather is un-
healthy. When it is warm in winter,
imprudent people expose themselves to
the damp, unhealthy air, Or become I'M
patient of too much warm covering,
and are caught in ''a cold snap to their
SORROW" In the old times, when most
people dwelt in badly warmed, badly
constructed houses, such changes in
the weather were of much greater sig
nifcance than at present.
"An old bit of truthful rule
Christmes green church-yard full"
Closely allied to this, but without its
terrible warning, we have the German
proverb:
g Is des acetter UNI Wsihaaaeht geli,ad,
SO freut a5ch Mann, Nelb, and Kind"
Which in English means:
g Is the weather at Christmas mild
tits JOY to man, and wife, and child
=" Christmas is good time to bleed horses in."
This was an old superstition, and was
closely followed The horses were run
up and down until in sweat, and then
bled. AS Truser sings:
Ere Christmas be passed, let horses to be let
blood;
For many a purpose it doth them much good"
A green Christmas, a White Easter"
g Gruene Weihnacht, weisse Ostern."
German, of course. The same has
another form:
"Weihnacht in klee,
Ostern i'm schnee."
"If Christmas be in clover.
Easter with snow'n be heaped over"
And the same people say: "Ist dat
wetter UNI Weilnecht gerlind, SO wsehrt
die Kselte gewohnlich lange bis Eruh-
iahr hinein."
When the weather is mild at Christ
mas, cold weather lasts into spring.
All of which proverb receives importan
when applied to this
North American climate.
Among other saws and proverbs.
which may be cited in brief, are:
"Me1ry Christmas, happy New Year.
Your pockets full of money and your barrels
full of beer"
GA Christmas box with FIVE nails in it,
Herrick' s little poems and rhymes on
Christmas have become proverbial.
They may be found In his 'sCharms
and Ceremonies. So, too, is Tus-
ser's hearty exhortation, with which 1
conclude:
sat Christmas be merry and thankful withal,
And feast thy poor neighbors, the great with
the small"
A MAN ran away from PeeksklH sew
al years ago, owing one citizen S2O. he
has recently died in Europe, and the
last words he uttered before the sad
event was request that the debt should
be paid. 1t was, and Mr.. Mason, of
Peekskill, has new overcoat.