The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-24
New York Mail and Express.)

mas season with more zeal than any ele-
ment in our foreign population. Christ
mas eve holds with them almost as large
a place as-the day following, and in typi-
cal Teutonio families it is observed with
a sumptuous cold supper and the lighting
and exploitation of the gift tree. Christ.
mas morning the,typical German usually
rises late and displays but little interest
in the breakfast. He devotes the day to
calling and amusement, and in the even
ing closes the festival with music and
dancing Where the Germans have mar
ried with Americans both Christmas eve
and Christmas day are celebrated. Thi
involves an amount Of labor of eating and
drinking worthy of the old Vikings.
Amusements give the keynote to the
French observance of the day. The be-
slowing of presents among the people is
not extensive, that custom being reserved
for New Years day. II a French theatre
company is playing it is sure to have a
large Gallo element in it's audience.
Church attendance in the morning Is
quite general, but the remainder Eof the
day is devoted to festivities. At half q
dozen halls it is common to have dancing.
There is plenty Of music, chiefly of the
variety provided by itinerant Italians,
and any amount of good cheer. The
French are insular in regard to the good
things of life, and eat nothing but what
bears the m ark of the Partisan chef. In
their drinking they are cosmopolitan,
anu take with equal grace the beer of Ger
many, the light wines of their native
land, the whiskey of America or the
maleficent absinthe and water of the
French capital. Those who stay at home
exchange visits, give. dinner parties, or
patronize some little table d'hote, and
close the evening with dances and merry
making.
Christmas is a great day for the Italian
organ grinders, and wealthy parts of the
city, that see little of them at other
seasons, are invaded:by the swarthy masi-
clans. In the Italian quarter the sound of
melody is heard everywhere, guitars, vio-
Inns, mandolins, harps, banjos and flutes
contributing to the chorus. The military
eompanies give drills and dress parades,
and the day ends with balls or dancing
parties. The numerous little restaurants
do a rushing trade from early morning
until midnight. Thousands of yards of
customers, who wash it down with
Chianti, Barolo and Laohrymae Christi
Every body dissipates madly in Italian
coffee, at three cents cup, or in Neapoli-
tan coffee, which adds caraway seed and
anise seed to the fragrant berry, and
sells the aromatic compound at two cents
cup. M
The colored people go into the merry
making of the dayswith all the abandon
with which they welcome every holiday.
Like the Italians their settlement over
fowsSwith music, the banjo adding new
note to the holiday anthem. Sometimes,
a coon or 'possum finds it's way upon the
Christmas table, and the possession of
either is accounted an event worthy to be
celebrated. Noble food these animals are
to those. who like them. They would
have been a bonnie bouche to Lucullus in
the palmy days of Roman gastronomy,
and with them are sweet potatoes, cooked
as only Southern nanny can cook
them, so dry and mealy that they almost
fall out of their skins the moment these
are broken; good hoe cake. more crisp
and delicious than the best French bread
and corn pone, palatable as the finest
cake. You may run across o shrimp
gombo or gombo f1let, dishes which
were evolved in old plantation days down
in Louisiana.
The Cinnamon wear their best clothes
are carefully shaved and abarbered, and,
where it is possible, respect the day by
donning shoes whose soles are white and
often an inch and one half in thickness.
The clubs are crowded all day by the
members, who indulge in short cards.
dice, chess, checkers and dominoes Most
of the games are for very small stakes.
In every house the guest will be offered
tea, Chinese wines, cigarettes, cigars and
q pipe of opium. In the evening, when
the police are not in sight, fireorackers
will be ignited and a general jollifioation
IueetiuS Will Do Nelu. Ab IeaSG LIUy OF
the people of the district are married to
white women, generally Irish or Irish
Americans. These keep open houses oil
day and evening, and extend hospitality
to all corners. The poorest keep pitcher
of beer, while those better to do provide
beer, whiskey and gin, the whiskey being
for their own race and the gin for Chinese
friends and neighbors.
Among the Japanese japanese dinner
is the most conspicuous element of cele.
bration They are bound to have some
especial delicaoy, of which there are
thousands at command. One is d fish,
two or three pounds in weight, carefully
roasted or baked in deep dish with q
little water, salt, pepper, spices and
chopped onions. Another favorite is a
fish salad which may be made out Of
raw, canned, sailed, smoked or dried fish.