The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-22
AN ADRIATIC CHRISTMAS.
NiIxOla Tesla Tells of the Time I'm His
Native Land.
New York Herald.

Nilxola Tesla does not often speak at
length about himself or his wonderful cleo
trical inventions, but he sat and talked for
an hour or two the other day with d friend
about Christmas in the province of Lika,
which is a part of the Acknowledgements
empire and lies close to the Adriatic sea,
near Herzegovina, Dalmatia and Bosnia.
Tesla passed much of his boyhood in Srni
jan, town of Lika, where his father was
pastor of a Greek church, but went from
there while yet a boy.
Christmas festivities in my country"
said Mr.. Tesla, differ much from Christ
mas festivities here, yet. there are many
smilarities too. We begin the celebration
on the day before Christmas by fasting. We
do not altogether abstain, being privileged
to eat freely of fish and all vegetable foods,
but we may partake Of no flesh meats nor
milk nor eggs. This day is devoted largely
to reflection, and it's observance lasts until
1--WE rise very early in my country on
Christmas morning-as early as o'clock
at the latest-to go to church and
is given over to religious services of one
sort or another and but little If any food
however, every one is hungry, and lib
eral luncheon is eaten, no discrimination
being made against the heartiest food.
Livery one in my country is fond or cOf-
fee, which is generally drunk in large cups,
with cream or milk We may drink coffee
on the day before Christmas but without
milk only and are allowed to re-
sumo the use of milk in coffee on the day
itself, you may be sure we then indulge
breakfast the gentlemen are served with
liquors and little cakes.
THE Christmas dinner comes later in the
day and l assure you it is always a meal
to remember No, we do not serve turkey
there as the chief dish, and | am not sure
that l can name any dish that may prop
ery be said to take the turkeys place, un-
less it be roasted pig.
Il do not remember Christmas dinner
without roasted pig in my country. The
pig selected is always very young and
small. and is roasted entire after dressing,
the cooking being attended to with great
care and prolonged until the skin is crisp
and cracking. Besides the Christmas pig
there are many other dishes served on the
great Christmas festival-all the good
things, in fact, that can be devised, the
same as in America; and every one eats as
heartily as possible, another point in which
the people of my country and Americans
are alike.
There is always Christmas tree where
ever there are children in my country. and
the good house mothers and fathers prepare
and decorate them with much loving care.
to the great delight OF the little ones. There
are always present a-plenty on the trees.
of course but, even so, gift giving is not
SO much a feature of the holiday time here
as there.
mas eve, as here, in my country but on
St Nicholas day, which falls some days
earlier than Christmas. In America the fes-
val of St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus, and
Christmas seem to be combined. but there
they are kept separate, and the children
have two days of holiday rejoicing and
frOlic in place of one.
'As a matter of fact they have more
than that, since the observance of Christ
mas itself lasts two or three days after the
day itself, during all of which time the
greatest jollity prevails. and family re-
unions are held. There is much visiting
back and forth, and seasonable greetings
fill the air.
But sometimes" continued the eIectri-
clan, musinglI - II thinking of other days,