The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-23
Art and
Honesty


other legend gives very different read
ing concerning the more modern signif-
icance attached to the English mistletoe.
The stealing of a kiss under the mistle-
toe is a custom indicative of the plant
itself, the fact being that the word in
it's original meaning is stealing from
some one greater Although for a
verify it is the weaker party who usual
ly pays toll when caught under the
mistletoe Dough.
THESPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS ROLIC
AND JOLLITY.
The festive spirit of the Christmas
celebrations seem to have originated in
the middle ages when the lesson of
Christmas was taught by miracle plays
to the unlettered masses. These plays
being a strange medley of divine mar
rative and episode clownish pranks,
jests and games. Between two series of
dramatic scenes gathered from the old
and the new testament came the inter
lude of the Shepherds Play" This
presented the Incompatible story of
Christmas, and in spite of burIesque,
groteSQue and drOn representations,
they succeeded in giving the people a
very vivid realization of the marvellous
story
When the Reformation placed the BIZ
Bile in every mans hand and caused it
to besread in every church in the IA
miliar tongue the unlettered no longer
NEEDED the Miracle Play and other dra-
matte literature came to take it's place.
Still the custom of merry making was
continued, leading to the short but
strenuous reign of the Lord of Mis-
rule
All gaiety and frolic was frowned
down in the days of the Puritans- To
these men of iron spirit, nerve and will,
life presented too serious a problem for
making merry and religion meant a con-
tinual wrestling with the spirit Grim
and earnest, they must work, fight and
pray, not spend their days in social
shine throughout the land and even into
the lives of the poor. Still in "Merrie
Old England and some few ancestral
homes this side we may find some well
preserved ancient customs of the
Christmas festival. The yule-log burnt
in the great hearth-the Christmas
candles, the cake, the supper and
dance.
For the Christmas tree with it's
freshness and glamour of fairyland, we
must thank that simple and regal soul,
Hans Anderson. who brought to our
prosaic age the idol of the childish
heart.
THE CHRISTMAS DISHES.
Every Christian land has many dishes
dedicated to the Christmas holiday sea-
son. Most Of these may be traced back
to the middle ages. although they have
gone through such notifications and
change they have lost original form and
name In We olden time when merrie
England began the yule-tide festivities
on Christmas eve, it was the custom for
old and young, rich and poor, to par
take of a dish called "freimenty''-
wheat cakes boiled in milk and highly
spiced.
The great CONNECTION of the Christmas
dinner and one so closely resembling
our twentieth century plum pudding as
to leave little doubt of the relationship,
was a dainty called Hhackin.' The
mince pie was also of English origin.
OF the meats, the Oldest fowl of which
lxva record iS the goose This is
still favorite on the Christmas table
of old as well as our own New Eng
land. The boar's head and the Baron
of beef were invariably found on
Queen Victoria's sideboard on Christ
mas day. We substitute the boar's
beef being too common commodity
is relegated to our ordinary dinner Ia
bles.
ssDindon de Noel' is the fowl of the
French Christmas table
Both French and German revel in all
sorts of cakes and ''pasties," many of
these baked in curious figures, some
! symbolical, some grotesque, but all de-
lightful in childish estimation. While
your Christmas dishes must be beyond
repFoach in quality and cooking and
the dinner is generally expected to be
the most elaborate meal of the year.
keep 1t within your means and avoid
post-festival regrets which mar the re-
membrance of the feast
COOKING THE CHRISTMAS GOOSE.
Geese should be at their best at
Christmas time, and when in fine con-
dition and cooked Just right" there is
no more toothsome meat grown.
Choose goose with yellow bill and
feet if you desire a young bird. If they
are red the fowl is old. The young
goose may also be told by its white
skin, brittle wind pipe and plump