, 1900-02-14
GERMAN CHRISTMAS
OBSERVATIONS OF AN AMERICAN
GIRL WHO Is SOJOURN-
ING IN STLESIA.
Miss Alice Maudo Moudy Writes of Gus
toms Old, Yet Half Familiar, Which
Are Carried Out in a Land Whose
People Have Strange Ideas Re
garding the Americans.



1t is difficult to realize at times that
we are in n strange cnuntrv paonIa
are people the world over after all is
said. Breslau, however, being some,
what out of the line of tourists, Amer,
leans are not So often met and | con-
fess to a sort Of Barnum's museum
ieeiAhs, 0eins on AhiOlt as II were,
especlai'y "heh ilttfe especially "hef
d niue deuIsche haucheh exclaimed on
Seeing me Is that the American
lau! wen thousnt they had Drown
Iaces anu wore leatheFs III thelr mar
one Is Just IKE lis. n little maiden
was not oi the educated Glass; u even
'hey ASK very iuhhy questlons' FOR IN
s'ahee' nave you sho" ana Ice IN
America! 10 you skate there! Does
'he o"h gro" tnere! ana perhaps oo
people nave asheu me- DO you nav
Ihlis'ihas Ill america! ana again
giving me d pi'Elhg slahce While busy
aiiansihs i"I sumo ohrIstmas iestlV-
n.y. iou doh understand this. for of
course americans DO not nave Christ
HAS
oh, yes we do | exclaimed. Il
never knew that" answer several in
surprise and then add, but we have
a Christmas tree and give presents.
and that is very different"
" ct,
but perhaps it NAV interest Won to
know of Christmas in Silosia becausp
it is so like and vet unlike our own
The first of December finds the stores
putting on holiday attire for the "kin-
der will tell YOU in six DAYS ST. Mich
olas will visit them He will hiring
nuts. candy, apples and sweets. and
will take from each child the "wish
list" which must be ready. and every
little child is noting down their MANY
wants. The papas and mammas are
the agents of the good St. Nick. and
the wish lists" will be taken to the
stores by the rich. The poor people
will make their purchases in the kin
del market'-which, according to an
old custom. is held every year in a
large, vacant place. situated in the
center OF the city. where about $50
booths are arranged. Such a multi
tude crowd here! Boys and men, hold
ing long peacock feathers with which
they tickle the faces of the women, are
conspicuous everywhere. No II must
be offended by being so familiarity
treated, but Just remember that 1t Is
another OF those old customs that has
its late long, long ago. and belongs to
the market like the people that yearly
vend their wares. They are a race OF
MARKET iolh ny plrth. lhelr ancestors
lor centuries nave sat IN the hihdel-
market ana passed away leaving their
to NIL the vacant places.
In another large square was the
Christmas tree market which was so
c'"p'elels covered WIN e'erereehS
anu pines 'hat 1t looked ike u iItie
Forest Inc majority Oh these had Deen
drought lohs Instances many having
come from Sicily and were STOOD here
10 ne SOFA.
At about half past seven O'Clock
Christmas eve, the doors leading into
the room OF Christmas surprises and
which, perhaps, have been locked for
a week, are opened, n what a pretty
sight greets us. The pine tree spark
les with lighted candles and silver tin
sci, a glistening ornament hung here
and there or small ginger cookies cut
in fancy shapes, but no presents, no
strings Of snowy popcorn or red cram
berries.
These trees vary in size, OF course,
and in number, too, for often each
member of the family has one for him
SELL winch II small Is placed upon a
tabie while the larger ones stand upon
the MOOR
A transparency p%ortraying the scene
of the birth of Christ, or a miniature
stable about which are tiny figures rep
.resenting the Holy Family, the Wise
Men, their camels, ETC., is always
placed near the tree. Then, on all
sides of the room are tables, usually