The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-12-31
CHRISTMAS IN SCANDINAVIA.
The Holiday Festivities of the Wintry
NorthIand.

Northland.
Christmas eve is unquestionably the
greatest festival Of the year with the
Scandinavians. Two or three months
previous, the female part of the inhabi-
tants are busily engaged in the execu-
ton of nice needlework for their male
friends and relations, expecting in re-
turn to receive beautiful and ~long-covet-
ed keepsakes from their lovers, and the
more substantial gifts of things apper-
tanning TO female dress and ineries from
their nearest male relatives.
At the beginning of dusk, which in
those northern parts generally comes at
three o'clock in the afternoon, the vari-
Gus Christmas boxes, brought by some
person unknown to the family, are
handed over to the superintendent Of
the kitchen domain, to be kept till the
Christmas tree has been lighted.
Then the parcels, one at a time, with
the address of the person for whom
their contents are intended, and IN q
strange handwriting, are thrown into
the parlor by the servant.
In houses blest with children the little
folks are locked up in some chamber till
the Christmas tree has been duly fitted
out with apples, nuts and sweetmeats,
as well as such parts OF the gifts as may
serve for the adornment of the illuml-
mated tree. At last the eagerly longed-
for moment comes. From the compare
lively dark and gloomy room to which
the little host of expecting children
have been confined for some hours, they
issue forth into the brilliant light and
glorious view of the fascinating "Jule
tree" with its treasures. Now a ring
is formed by the whole a~ssemblage, the
servants of the house included, and a
dance round the tree begins to the bur
den, "Now is Christmas come, and
Christmas-time will last till Easter
Christmas-time is particularly the sea
son for games, and certain w~ell-known
household plays have taken the title OF
christmas games" Most of them
have forfeits attached. Many of them
are calculated to develop the thinking
faculties of the younger members OF
the family, and what is even more essen
tial, theystrengtheu the mutual ties of
affection between parents and children
and all the members of family. Among
them is the apothecary's game.
In this highly entertaining Scandi-
navian play two of the older persons in
the company are selected, one for the
apothecary and one for the doctor. The
chosen doctor then retires to a neigh
boring room, and the remaining players
each choose the name of some drug o.
medicine necessary to the fitting out of
an apothecary's shop, upon which the
company sit down in a ring with the e1-
ception of the apothecary. The point
of this game is to remember well the
chosen name at the proper time, and to
rise up and turn around whenever it is
pronounced if not, a forfeit must be
paid. The doctor now makes his appear
ance. After some mutual compliments
between the apothecary and the doctor,
during which the respectful titles are
often repeated, each repetition being
followed by q low bow and the turning
round of the complimented party, the
doctor proceeds to the visitation of the
druggists store, and to question the
~apothecary regarding the contents of his
hall, exclaiming-
"I dare say, Mr.. Apothecary" chow
and turning round on the part OF the
druggistl, "you have plenty of such
a drug"
Now in the quick pronunciation of
the different drugs and medicines, it is
very frequently the case that the party
representing the medicine forgets to rise
from his seat and make his bow, as we'll
as his roundabout. For this failure he
must pay the forfeit, and after having
undergone the atonement required for
his forgetfulness, he can return to his
seat. Another game is that of the stand
ing blind-man's buff.
In this game n OF the company, hay
ing been blindfolded, is placed in the
center of the ring of children with a
stick in his hand.
The ring, after moving round once or
twice with Joined hands to the melody
of a song, is brought to q stand by the
blind mans knocking his stick against
the floor.
He next points his stick to a certain
place in the ring, and tho nearest boy or
girl then raises it to his or her mouth,
Initiating the sound of some animal or
bird.
The blind man now is to find out
which of the company made the sound,
and if successful in his guessing, he is
relieved by the unlucky imitator. If
not successful, he must try till he finds
out the right one.