Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-12-10
CHRISTMAS DAY.
How:Itis Celebratedsby Me People Of Many
Lands.

Perhaps the Germans celebrate Christ
| mas season with more zeal than any eie-
| ment in our foreign population. Christ
mas eve holds with them almost as large
place as the day following. and in typi-
cal Teutonic families il 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. \. nere the Germans have mar
and Christmas day are celebrated. This
involves an amount of labor of eating and
drinking worthy of the old Vikings
ADJUSTMENTS give the keynote to the
| French observance of the day The be-
| slowing of presents among the people is
not extensive, that custom being re-
served for New Years day. If a French
theatre company is playing it is sure TO
have a large Gallo element in it's audi
ence. Church attendance in the morning
IS quite general, but the. remainder of
a dozen halls it is common to have dane
ing. There is plenty OF music, chiefly of
the variety provided by itinerant Italians,
ana any amount of good cheer. The
things Of life. and eat nothing but what
bears the mark of the Partisan chef In
their drinking they, are cosmopolitan.
and take with equal grace the beer OF
Germany, the light wines of their native
land, the whiskey of America or the NAL
eiicent absinthe and water of the French
capital. Those who stay at home eX-
change visits, give dinner parties. or pat :
roniZe some little table d'hote and close
the evening with dances and merry-mak-
ing. 20 ',tf
Christmas is a great day for the Italian
organ grinders, and wealthy parts of the
city. that see little of them at other sea-
sons, are invaded by the ,SWarthy must
clans. In the Italian quarter the sound of
melody is heard everywhere. guitars, vio-
Inns, mandolins, harps, banios and flutes
| contributing to the chorus. The military
| companies give drills and dress parades
and the day ends with balls or dancing
parties The numerous little restaurants
do rushing trade from early morning
until midnight. Thousands of yards OF
spaghetti and macaroni are consumed by
customers. who wash it down with
Everybody dissipates madly in Italian
coffee, at three cents cup, Or in Neapol-
1tan coffee. which adds caraway seed and
anise seed to the fragrant berry, and
sells the aromatic compound at two cents
cup.
The colored people go into the merry
making of the day with all the abandon
with which they welcome every holiday
Like the Italians their settlement over
flows with music, the banjo adding new
note to the holiday anthem. Sometimes
coon or 'possum finds its way upon the
Christmas table. and the possession of
cItHeT Is accounted an event worthy TO be
celebrated Noble food these animals are
to those who like them. They would
have been bonnie bouche to Lucullus in
the palmy days nf Roman gastronomy,
and with them are sweet potatoes cooked
as only a Southern NANNY can cook
them. so dry and mealyt that thew almost
! far out of their skins the moment these
are broken; good hoe cake, more crisp
and delicious tnan the best French bread
and corn pone, palatable, as the finest
cake You may run across "a shrimp
gombo or gonbo filet, dishes which
were evolved in old plantation days down
in Louisiana. sn.~~--
ThF Cinnamon wear their best Clothes.
are carefully shaved and barbered, and
where 1t Is possible, respect the. day by
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.
! q In every house the guest will be offered
ktea, Chinese wines, cigarettes, cigars and
a pipe of opium. In the evening, when
the police are not in sight firecrackers
will be ignited and a general jollification
meeting will be held. At least fifty OF
the, people of the district are married to
white, women, generally Irish or Irish
Americans. These keep open houses all
day and evening, and extend hospitality
to all corners. The poorest keep "a pitcher
beer, whiskey and gin, the whiskey being
| for their own race and the gin for Chi
nese friends and neighbors
Among the Japanese a Japanese dinner
| is the most conspicuous element of ceie-
| bration. They are bound to have some
especial delicacy, of which there are
| thousands at command. One is fish,
two OF. three pounds in weight carefully
! roasted or baked in deep dish with a
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. The
| hnnnS & af,rJlx r
| and the flesh picked apart into fragments
| scarcely larger than a bean. The dress
! ing IL something like an ordinary salad
! dressing. 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 ex-
| ported from Japan In various forms
| canned, smoked. salted and dried. gs5