The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-12-24
CHRISTMAS IN THE noRTHLANp.
BY W. W. THOMAS. JR.
[Cosmopolltan for peeember.l

next Christmas itself then Second Day Christ
mas, then Third-Day Christmas. When /
first visited Sweden, ali four were legal holi-
days, and on all four days are the Christmas
festivities celebrated.
For month everybody has been at work
buying and preparing presents, and planning
and deliberating; all carried on with the
greatest secrecy, and in profoundly myster-
ious manner, for no one must know or even
guess what is in store for him at Christmas.
But perhaps Yule is enjoyed most heartily
in the country. After an early dinner on the
oath Of December, the Christmas tree is
dressed by the older members Of the family.
Presents are not hung upon it as with us, but
| 1t is decorated with bonbons, ribbons, and
little bright glass globes. From the end Of
every branch and twig rise little wax tapers,
and when they are lighted you may well be-
lieye the tree grew In some fairy bower.
Sometimes cottonwood Is laid on the
branches, but very thin and white must it
be, so that IL shall look just like the snow out
| doors.
When it begins to grow dark, which is very
early in Sweden, the tapers are lit, and the
tree stands pyramid Of light and color.
Il
room. They press forward with wondering
| eyes, and eager expressions Of delight. Join
ing hands they dance about the tree, a jolly
Christmas dance full of mirth and motion
while the old folks sit at a distance and quiet
ly enjoy the brilliant light of the tapers, the
woodsy freshness Of the tree, and, most Of all,
| the innocent joy of the children.
When the tapers have all burnt down, the
| chandeliers and lamps are lit and fruit, con-
| fections, nuts and goodies are passed around
Soon the family gather about great round
table IN the middle Of the room; whereupon
the father draws forth from capacious baskets
/ the Christmas pres ents, one by one, and reads
| the names inscribed thereon.
All the presents are done up in papers, and
| many OF them accompanied by verses Of
/ poetry. These rhymes are always read aloud
| and excite much merriment. Then what a
| wondering, and guessing, and peeping In, and
beholding goes on round the board How
happy are the faces of the children, and how
their bright blue eyes gleaml Whole hours
are passed in distributing and opening the
presents, and 1t is late In the evening when
the happy family troop down to Christmas
| supper
| AT six o'clock on Christmas morn are mathis
| in the parish church. Out doors 1t Is dark as
midnight; but the stars sparkle brightly as
i you drive swiftly along In your cutter. Every
| tree by the roadside Is loaded down with a
wealth Of snow. In every peasants cot along
II
The great church Is full of light, which
i streams forth through the tall alched win
| d0ws to meet you, while the BELLS from the
lofty tower chime merry peal that vibrates
far and wide through the clear frosty north
i ern air.
| have said that the Christmas festivities
| last for four days. Yes, In the country the
merry-making goes on for fortnight.
Friends and neighbors pay and return visits.
often stopping for days at each other houses
| and throughout this season the time-honored
| dishes Of Yuletide are eaten.
| shall never forget the first Christmas |
passed in Sweden. l was residing then in
| the city Of Gothenburg. When / awoke on
| the morning Of December "a and looked out
Of my windows, the market-pace was
| changed to forest of spruces, so thickly
| was II filed with Christmas trees. But the
| forest was a dissolving one: all day 1t kept
| disappearing in every direction, borne of.
tree by tree, In the arms Of stalwart Swedish
h0usemaids.
was invited to spend the evening at the
hospitable home Of Herr Hawkes. Lyon, a
prominent and respected merchant Of Goth
enburg. On my way thither In the early
| dusk, / found the streets full of masked fig
ures. These were all house servants, but
| they were disguised as kings and queens,
trooped along in little companies, with laugh
and shout and song, bearing big baskets OF
| their masters presents to his friends.
Each masked party salutes every other
| they not, Christmas law would award them
| pair of soundly-cuffed ears The whole
scene seemed like Protestant carnival.
At my hosts were assembled a pretty
family party. A large Christmas tree was
ablaze with tapers at the further end Of the
room.
Soon five masked figures stalked ina king
queen, two sailors, and lady. The sailors
were evidently girls in disguise.
The masqueraders walked to the middle
OF the room, under the chandelier. One by
one they took out the Julkldppdr-Christ-
mas presents-from their capaciOus baskets
and knapsacks, read the name Of the lucky
recipient, who stepped forward out Of the
circle Of friends standing around. and re-
ceived his gift with bow, and Tackdr sa
naycket-thank you so much.
The distribution over, the maskers were
invited to side table and treated to cake
and wine. They were pumped also with all |
sorts OF questions; but they were very cum
ming in their answers, and gave no clew to
the sender Of the gifts. l noticed also that
the knowing ones carried straws, through |
which they sucked the wine without remov- |
lag their masks. Then the host gave each |
one drickspenaing- small piece Of money, |
and they departed.
But hardly were they gone, when In came
another masked party, loaded with presents,
and then another, and another; and so they
came trooping in the whole evening.
The Christmas gifts were All disguised in
nondescript bundles and multifarious wrap
pers. A large box, the size Of a seaman's
chest, after being opehed, with great diff
Guilty, was found TO contain something that
looked like leg Of beef, and this In turn
held the real present,-a handsome dress all
ready to put on.
One young lady. after laboriously undoing
thousand and one papers, found as a kerr
mel. pair Of shoe heels; but half an hour
after untying another bundle, she discovered
she was the recipient Of pair Of beautiful
satin slippers, to which the heels fitted per
fectly.
Another lady who had been engaged to be
married for seven long years, and whose be-
trothed was standing at her side, received a
wedding trunk, filed with useful but signi
hcant articles. such as single person would
hardly need. A merry laugh burst forth at
this broad hint, in which the procrastinating
pair joined as heartily as any.
The presents were OF all sorts, from jump
ing-iacks and match-b0xes to silver sets, oil
paintings, silks and satins. Their number,
too, was something prodigiops 70 my New
the house, Froken Hannah, received over
fifty. She sat unwrapping them, and nearly
covered up with loose paper, which two SER
wants bore away In huge armfnls, until
forced to stop from sheer exhaustion; and
that too. when great pile OF presents was
still unopened.
Supper was served at ten o'clock. The
sugar bowl made lasting impression on
me. 1t was a square box of embossed silver.
The lid was closed and locked, and / shall
never forget the maternal dignity with
which our good hostess, Fru Lyon, drew
from her girdle bunch Of keys, badge OF her
housewifery authority, deliberately unlocked
the sugar bowl and lifted the silver lid. No
servant or child, however sweet tooth they
had, could pilfer sugar IN that house.
This one little act pleased me greatly. IL
| was a brilliant illustration of the care and
| watchfuness with which the Swedish moth
| er superintends all her household duties. IL
reminded me Of our good New England
grandmothers, and how carefully and con
| scientiOusly and grandly they presided in
| their households. l sometimes wonder II the
| girls of the present day will ever make such
| grandmothers as we have had.
But to return to our Swedish supper. The
| first course was lut.ftsk. This is cod or a
| ling prepared for Chris tnas delicaey by be-
ing buried for days In wood ashes. A piece
| of lLt fish placed on your plate Immediately
| falls apart into flakes; each fake is translu-
cent and trembles like jelly. When eaten
| alone II Is tasteless; but when seasoned with
| salt, much pepper, and plenty OF butter sauce
| Of two kinds, and well mixed with a mealy