The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-04-20
Easter Games in GERMANY.

Easter Monday is looked upon as 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
lassies all appearin their gala costumes; the
/ girls with short, dark skirts, braided with
| gold or silver, snowy aprons and full white
sleeves, bright colored bodices and odd
little caps; the boys with knee-breeches.
white stockings, low shoes and scarlet or
yellow vests, the solid gold or silver but
tons on which are often their whole inner
itance. But when they are dancing gayly
together on the green, they look a good
deal happier than if they were little kings
and queens
Games vary in different villages through
out the country, but one example will give
some idea of what they are like.
Two of the leading young men of the
place take entire charge of the davis
amusements, selecting for the purpose as
the scene of festivities some inn or IPiyths-
chGtt,, to which is attached large garden
or meadow.
For several preceding evenings, when
work is over, they go about frsm house to
house, dressed in their best and carving
large baskets on their arms. Everywhef1
they are kindly received, and bread with
wine or cider is placed before them. While
they cat and drink, the baskets are quietly
slipped away by some member of the fam
lily, a generous donation of eggs is placed
within them, and they are secretly re-
turned 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 before
hand.
When Monday morning dawns the inn
IS found to have been gaily decorated with
garlands of green and flowers and fiutter
ing ribbons of many colors. The tree near
est the house is ornamented in like man.
ner, and on it the prize to be contended
for eonspicuously hangs. On the smooth
grass hard BY strip, few feet wide and
perhaps hundred long, has been roped
in, and at either end of this narrow blot
a large, shallow, round-bottomed basket.
called a lOanne, is placed, one filed with
chatf and the other with eggs, dozens upon
dozens, cooked and raw, white and colored.
The plan of the peculiar game which
follows is that one player is pitted to run
given distance, while another safely
throws the eggs from one basket to the
other, he who first completes his task be-
ing, Of course, the winner Accordingly,
when the young men and maidens have
arrived, two leaders draw lots to determine
who shall run and who shall throw. That
decided, the contestants, are gaily decked
with ribbons, a band strikes up a lively
air, capering clown clears the way, and
the game begins. He who throws takes
the eggs, and one after another swiftly
whirls them the length of the course and
into the chaff-filled basket, which is held
in the hands of an assistant. Occasionally
he makes a diversion by pitching hard
one to be scrambled for by the crowds of
children who have assembled to see the
sport. Meantime (while wagers are laid
as to who will likely VIM the other con-
testant speeds the distance of a mile or
two to an appointed goal, marks it as a
proof of his having touched it, and il he
succeeds in returning before all the eggs
are thrown, the victory and the prize are
his, otherwise they belong 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, and 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, aud if we'd
ding can possibly be arranged to tax c
place on that afternoon the fun is wilder
than ever.-&. Nicholas for april.