Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-04-15
NO. 49,.
Mistellaneous.
EASTER GAMES IN GERMANY

Easter Monday is looked upon as a
grand holiday by the peasantry in many
parts of Germany. Weddings are often
deferred to this day, and many village
games are reserved for this season. The
lads and lasses all appear in their gala
costumes; the girls with short, dark
skirts. braided with gold or silver, snowy
aprons and fnll white sleeves, bright
coored bodices and odd little caps the
boys with knee-breeches, white stock
ings, low shoes, and scarlet or yellow
vests, the solid gold or silver buttons on
which are often their whole inheritance.
But when they are dancing gavly to-
gether on the green, they look great
deal happier than if they were little kings
and queens. Games vary in different vii
lagos throughout the county, but one ex-
ample will give some idea of what they
are like. Two of the leading young men
OF the place take entire charge of the
days amusements, selecting Tor the pur-
pose as the scene of festivities some inn
or UirhSchdtt. to which is attached a
large garden or meadow. For several
preceding evenings, when work is over,
they 20 about from house to house, dress
ed in their best. and carrying large bask-
cts on their arms. Everywhere they are
kindly received, and bread with wine or
cider is placed before them. While they
eat and drink, the baskets are quietly
slipped away by some member Of the
family, generous donation of eggs is
placed within them, and they are secretly
| returned to their places. The eggs are
not asked for, neither are they alluded to
in any way; but the object of the visit is
well understood and prepared for long
beforehand. When Monday morning
dawns, the inn is found to have been
gayly decorated with garlands of green
and flowers, and Auttering ribbons OF
many colors. The tree nearest the house
is ornamented in like manner, and on 1t
the prize to be contended for conspicu-
| ously hangs. On the smooth grass hard
by, a strip. a few feet wide, and perhaps
100 long, has been roped in. and at either
| end of this narrow plot "A large, shallow,
round bottomed basket, called a Canae,
is placed. one filled with chaff aud the
other with eggs. dozens upon dozens.
| cooked and raw, white and colored.
The plan Of the peculiar game which fol-
lows is that player is pitted to run Civ
| en- distance, while another safely throws
the eggs from one basket to the other, he
who first completes his task being. OF
course, The winner Accordingly, when
the young men and maidens have arriv-
ed. two leaders draw lots to determine
| who shall run and who shall throw. That
decided. the contestants are galy decked
with ribbons, II band strikes up a lively
air, n capeiing clown clears the way, and
the game begins. He who throws takes
the eggs, and one after another swiftly
whrls them the length of the course,
| and into the chaff filled basket, which Is
held in The hand of an assistant. Occa-
sionally he makes diversion by pitching
Il hard one to be scrambled for by the
crowds of children who have assembled
| to see the sport. Meantime (while wa
gers are laid rs to who will likely VIM
the other contestant speeds the distance
of mile or two to an appointed goal,
marks il, as a proof of his having touch
| ed it, and if he succeeds in returning be-
| fore all the eggs are thrown the victory
and the prize are his; otherwise they be-
long to his opponent. The game finished.
| the prize Is presented to the victor with
due ceremony and amid the cheers of the
crowd. The hard eggs are distributed
| among the company, aud the raw ones
carried uproariously into the neighboring
inn, there to be cooked in various ways
| and eaten. The remainder of the day is
spent in dancing and merry making, and
il wedding can possibly be arranged to
take place on that afternoon the tun Is
wilder than eVer.-.St Nicholas