The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-24

and the flesh picked apart into fragments
scarcely larger than bean. The dressing
Is something like an ordinary salad dress
ing with the addition of warm Spices
The best salad of them all is made from
raw fish. Another favorite dish is the
awabi, or great clan. 1t is exported from
Japan in various forms-canned, smoked,
sailed and dried.
YULE LOG SPARKS.
About $3.50, 900, 600 is spent on Christ
mas gifts yearly in this country.
The custom of making gifts is widest
spread among the Germans.
To feed Greater New York on Christ
mas day it is estimated that 1t will take.
among other things, 1 700 head of cattle,
1000 tons of poultry, 1,7Oo barrels Of
oranberries and three carloads of celery.
Chickens and turkeys attain the ages of
ten years. The duration Of goose's life
is fifty years.
The time required by the stomach to
digest turkey is two hours and thirty
minutes. Chicken requires four hours
and duck four hours and half.
Billiards is one OF the best games for
1t is optional with the host and hostess
whether wine shall be served with the
Christmas dinner or not.
Nearly three thousand actors will eat
their Christmas dinner alone and away
from kindred, home and friends.
The custom of giving the turkey the
first place on the bill of fare at Christmas
is gradually giving way to the old Eng
fish plan of providing huge round of
beef.
A pretty conoeit for trimming Christmas
trees is a paper star with a candle in she
center. They are made after the manner
of the "pin Wheel and commemorate the
appearance of the Star of Bethlehem.
6napdragon, at one time favorite game
at Christmas. is again coming into favor
Ehe diversionEconsisted in setting fire to
q. dish of brandy, from which the players
endeavored to pick out the raisins which
were afterward thrown into 1t.
More venison Is in the holiday markets
thanfhas been the case in many years.
Skating over the frozen marshes was
favorite. holiday pastime among the
Knickerbockers.
Even the immovable fChinaman puts
out his flag Christmas day.
During the winter of the siege Of Paris
zebras, buffalo and reindeer were sold to
the butcherssby the Geological Gardsns
and converted into food.
Among the converts to the Christian
religion on the eastern coast of Asia the
custom prevails of telegraphing or cabling
their Christmas congratulations to each
other.
The Chinese Noah's ark usually con-
tains unicorn, a dragon, a hippogrif,
griffin and number of curious mytho-
logical creatures.
Roasted pig is the chef d'ouvre at
Christmas dinners in China
When Peary was in the Arctics his party
had hurdle races for Christmas games
and ice cream made from condensed milk
for the dinner dessert. Their menu for
that occasion included broiled salmon
trout with tomato sauce, potato patties.
olives, kroastssaddle of ventson (reindeer)
with cranberry sauce, cheese, candy. nuts
raisins, champagne, cigarettes and coffee.
A curious old minute in the Temple
indicates that English lawyers did not
always curb their speech in Christmas
time; 1t orders:
"That no gentleman of this society ,Enor
any Their, by appointment, choice or as
sent, of any gentleman of this house,
should in time of Christmas, or any
other time, take upon him or use the
name, place or commandment OF the Lord
or any such like; or break open any
chamber, or disorderly modest or abuse
any fellow or officer of this house, within
the precincts. of the same, upon pain % be
expulsed for the abuse or disorder