The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1882-12-23

speaks of having seen it for the first
time during his student days in Leipsic,
at the house of Korners grandmother,
Minna Stock, when he received plate
of ginger nuts and conIfitures much TO
his satisfaction.
That 1t is German we may readily as
sumo for nothing similar to it ever ex-
listed in any other country, and we know
that it was introduced into England by
Prince Albert and into France by Helena,
Duchess of Orleans. In certain localities
in France, it is the Christmas log which
plays the conspicuous part at the festive
season. The log is brought from the
woods amidst songs and rejoicings. Its
charred remains are carefully preserved
from year to year. because Of the life
giving properties they are supposed to
possess, while handful Of the ashes
scattered broadcast is thought to insure
fruitful fields.
In Lorraine, salt and water is poured |
over the log, which is then believed to be
an infallible pTeservatiYe against diseases,
both of man and beast, and against dam
age by fire and flood. Belgian super
stitioRs regarding the Christmas log are
similar to those existing in France, while
in Scandinavian countries festivities
connected with the Yule log and the
Yule cake are almost identical with those
of old England. In Savonia, the head
shepherd of each village goes into the
woods early Christmas morning, where
he breaks off numbers of long, smooth
birch rods. These he carries through 4
the village under his arm, when the
women run after him pulling them A
away from him. The rods thus captured
are stuck into the-stored up grain and
used on the following 18th of March, to
drive the cattle to the pasture for the
first time in the season.
In Dalmatia, oaken twigs are used, and
these the girls and women Irvine with
red ribbons and gilt threads. Every
object they touch when being borne into II
he house Is fancied to be supernaturally
blessed. The oak stump denuded of its
branches is thrown into the Christmas
ire. The charred bits are carefully
,laCed among the branches Of young pt
rees in order to promote their growth. La
But, interesting as these quaint Gus
omi are, they bear no relation to our -
christmas tree. Though we use it in a ~
eLglous and Christian sense, yet it is Gu
as much relic Of old heath so
nish customs as the superstitions which wI
re have above narrated, all being de- G.
lyed from one common source, the wor- W., W.
hip of the great Teuton god, Wodan. 4
The day set apart by the Christian da
nrprah 10 ha aalal,rofDl ag l1 II,
our Lord was high day among Ger G.
lanic tribes, being the time of the win III
n solstice, when the Sun god began
new his reign Of life and light, Every pc
ne gave himself up for the time to feast at
e and merry-making. The Nule-tre Ill
as lighted, tine Yule-cakes baked, and al
le wild boar sacrificed to the newborn po
In. Ne
Many superstlhOns were current with
gard 10 the GuIe feasts. Water drawn +aG
lat night possessed remarkable cosmetic ",
being inlalhble against the LII
nnkles which accompany old age fad tai
flowers could be made to bloom in hal
cir original freshness and beauty bv o,,l
them with this water; animals
uld speak and weather prophecies WI
ere unerring, for the weather OF the deg
'elve days between Nule. night and inu
yeltth-night could be taken a. sample fro,
r the succeeding twelve months
In Brunswick at the present time the N'Ll
llmneireIter rider the white horse ing
d representative OF the Sun god, forms win
figure il the Christmas wifi
tlyals, group Of three DOys, covered
tn white sheet, enacts the part the o.
euost boy bear in his right hand war
II winch holds sieve, one Of Wodan's lore
al,7le Il H. J, . 7.,4-
de Of 4 pumpkin, through whose =,
How eyes and open mouth the light WIN
4 candle shines with ghastlv effect. ate
1t Nangeroge the father Of the family a he
IS before day, and goes about the house 800
Ching like horse. He teen retire.
his couch but the children find in at o.
morning their nocturnal visit0r has to Il
them their Christmas presents l
Anecht Ruprecht, who is equally at ing
ne in Belgium as in Germany. is an repo
er representative Of the ancient deitv. !
sssed in a fur coat, hung with bells. ems;
airing mask, whose long beard is TINS
de OF moss or wood shavings, and cam
rying in his hand bunch of rods, he Iect
its each household day or two before posi-
Holy Night" difusing both joy and ~
ror in young hearts, according to the artll
Of their cOnsciences. i
sui from ne1ght to height sank the ndtS
is, until their glory was dimmed and tnel
ir affairs destroyed by the teaching of DAY
ssionaries. But among the things tile,
ich still lived in the minds of the and
ople were these fancifnl customs and chic
use Of the Yule or Christmas trees. hou
r fir-trees had been used to trim the slsts
mes Of the primeYal folk in Germany Aft,
zen a visit was looked for from the and
Is, just as in the days Of David and det'
omon the same fragrant wood was t il
zen to "beautify and make glad" the tni'
Irts of the Lord. pun pun
The fir-tree was held in special vene- gre gre
ion in remote ages Tacitus wrote of AN rat.
e Templum Tanfana, and countless To- TO-
,ries Of medieval ages point to it as a leS7
hosen" tree. A legend states that e tL9
1en Adam was banished from Eden he WI vi
ok with him fir-twig, which he plant AZ !.
j., and which grew into that tree which I.
As to bear for our sakes the heaviest 49,
ad Of sin and agony ever borne by ia "a.
pod of earthly growth. This beautiful pel
ut fanciful legend we may credit Or not, oot
our temperaments incline. .... NJ
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