Middletown transcript., 1897-12-25
THE ISLAND KINGDOM.

=
1t may seem TO us Americans with
our preconcsived notions that it is
hardly worth while to cslsbrata a
Christmas without the blazing Yale
log, or the Christmas trsa, or mis-
tletoe and holly, or ons and all Of the
accompaniments of that season that
have become part and parcel OF our
bringing up. Yet the msj)riiy Of the
$1,000 Christianized natives Of the Is
land Kingdom, in their s'artl less, JAP
anese way. find pleasure enough iu OBJ
serving the day in manner that
would make us think that the season
had been turned topsy turvy, and our
civilization along with them.
The Japs work all day Christmas be-
cause that is their busiest time of
year. 1t is the season when trade is
the most active and the export traffic
at its height. Church going and holi-
day making are therefore deferred until
evening. In the meantime the churches
are trimmed by the women and made
veritable bowers of flowers, for Decem-
Der in the greater portion of Japan is a
genial month. and flowers are so cheap
that enough wagon loads of blossoms
and greenery to trim Barnum's circus
tent can BE bought for $40.
All Japanese seem to possess the ar
tistic instinct in high degree, and the
women are no exception. OF course
they chat and gossip in lively fashion,
just as our own women do, while their
nimble fingers are at work tying and
punching together the camellias, chrys-
anthemums and roses that are lying
around them in huge piles. Their
ideas of color effects in church decora-
tions are different from ours, and per-
haps more correct. Instinctive;y 'ii3y
seem to realize that white is this am-
blem of purity and green the cDl ( f
nature; so white and yellow do8 are
imposed against backgrounds of solid
green LEAKAGE, into which are inter-
woven branches of dwarf orange trees
with the ripe, yellow fruit upon them.
After church comes the Christmas
dinner, though it is unlike our own
feasts as one can we'll imagine. Tur-
keys have been introduced into Japan
from this country, AVID the goose they
have had with them always. But
chicken and duck are the poultry deli
cacies held in highest esteem though
fish in various forms is the principal
feature Of the meal. The fowls are
boiled and served cut up in small pieces
mixed with rice, lily ulbs,mushrooms,
cabbage root, onions or other vegeta-
bles in the form of salmis or stews.
The fish are also boiled aud served
whole.
Roasting and frying are unknown to
Japanese cookery, for all food among
the rank and file of the nation is eaten
with chopsticks. They are an improve
ment on the Chinese articles and d.
not require so much dsft juggling to
produce satisfactory results. Each
guest has his individual small and low
table and seats himself on the thick
mating with which the floor of the
dining room is carpeted. The soup
served as the first course is drunk flom
handsomely lacquered bowls, and the
rice wine that is drank with all of the
courses loses nothing of its flavor from
being served in dainty porcelain cups.
The japanese family concludes its
observance OF Christmas day by giving
the children frolic, while their elders
look on sedately. If tho Japanese
Christians crowd their msrry making
and religious ceremonies into shorter
space of time than we do, they never
theless appear to enjoy themselves
quite as much, and it may be that we
can take leaf out of their book wish
both pleasure and profit.