Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1883-12-20
CHRISTMAS IN GERMANY.

CHRISTMAS IN GERMANY.
The ideal Christmas is in Germany.
All classes, the old and young, en-
peror and peasant alike, enjoy the fes-
tival. Yet it is distinctively the day OF
the children, and as such has been cele-
bIatcd by Germany's greatest bards,
from Klopstock to Otto Rognette; and
Goethe, Schiller, and even such grim
cynic as Heine have enshrined the day
in undying verse. The German idea Of
the day, too, is one of sacred senti-
ment. The lesson taught to the young
is, that the offerings of the Christmas
tree are from he Saviour, testifying His
love for little children. The WeihndchtS
mann Christmas maD), is supposed to
distribute his favOrs to the good
children; but so impartial is he in ap-
portioniue his gifts that all children
are good. Thus the religious instinct
is cultivated in most beautiful and
telling way, and the anniversary is, in
deed, a happy one for the children of
Germany, where tho Christmas-tree
had It's birth, and where all tho delight
full festivities Of Christmas, as known
in England and the United States, first
took root.
A it is q boast OF the Jews that they
founded the family, so it may be
proud one, too, Of tho Germans, that
they have given to children day in
the year, the approach of which they
always eagerly await. Many tender
and touching stories OF this Saxon out
growth are told in many forms OF Ger
man and Morse literature, TO the de-
light Of the young; but, perhaps, Hans
Anderson has done more to hit the
child's fancy in this regard than any
author of our time. There is also
beautiful poem of Hebel, "Christ-
Boum," which celebrates tho cere-
monies on Christmas Eve, and which
gives an adequate idea Of that senti-
mental side Of the German nature,
which shines so Tesplendently in the
poetry, painting and music OF the
Fathcrland. The manner, too, in which
the Christmas Evo festivities are con-
Quoted, reflects tho sober side of the
German mind in very striking way.
A large yGw bough is erected in one of
the parlors, lighted with tapers, and
hung with numerous gifts, sweet
meats, candies and ornaments, the
whole producing n very decorative eff
feet calculated to strike the juvenile
eye. Every object is marked with the
name of the intepded recipient, and
when the distribution takes place, the
scene is one of great happiness, not
alone to the children, but to the adults
as well. The mother takes her
daughters aside, and the father his
sons, and the parents then tell the
children what has been most praise
worthy or otherwise, in their conduct
during the preceding year.
There still exists IN Germany the
veritablc Santa Claus, known there as
"Knech Rupert who, dressed in high
Il flowing white robe, witha
mask and enormous ilaXcn wig, goes
from hou.e to house, being received
with great reverence by the parents;
aud, amer inquiriRg carefully about the
behavior of the children, distributes the
presents with APPARENT justice. 1t will
thus be seen that Christmas in Ger
mauy is almost entirely children's
festival, that the effort has been to
make it high moral institution by
giving rewards to the most deserving,
lAd AIGdling in tie mind OF the child
IN aspiration to deserve reCompgnSe
or obedience TO the parental authority
Is such, tie natal day of Christianity
$ certainly moro POLITICALLY understood
n Germany than in any other civil
zed nation.
Aside from the mere juvenile aspect
# Christmas, the Germans, indeed,
make this q feastng day. All the
members of the family who can reach
he homestead gather about the great
re which is sure TO be burning on
very German hearth. 1t makes little
iilarence the distance Every Ger
IAN will be at bis ancestral seat ii it
c within the range of possibility; and
l this is the maternal triumph. The
lother is sure to see her children once
year, and thus the anniversity il to
ir Il moment Of supreme satisfaction.
ven the students al the universities
'avel hundreds of miles to 20 to their
ONES on this day, and no expense is
pared to be present ut the family re-
nion. No good German ever fails in
lis duty, which to him is sacred.
rom the throne to the hovel the same
,irit pervados, Indeed, it is the
ltional feeling that
A Christmas gambol oft would cheer
A poJr mans heart through half the year"
The Germans in the United States, as
rule, keep up their reverence for the
", and Christmas, as Americans OBJ
rye it, is largely the result of German
intact. While our Christmas notions
'me from England in the first instance
should not be forgotten that Eogland
1t hers from Germany.