Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-12-23

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with presents arranged around. There
ars two gigantic trees tor the Kaiser
and kaiserin, u for each Ut their
six ons and an equally brilliant one
for the young princess. This year
still another n Is to be placed In the
great hall In honor OF the Crown Prin-
cess. who, with her youthful husband,
IL spending the Christmas holidays Ut
Potsdam.
The trees CLEAN and scintillate with
myriad tapers reflected In the tinse'
ornaments which cover their branches
and make the Hall OF Shells look like
Q room from fairyland. Presents are
admired. games played. and there Is q
banquet at which the imperial family
partake Of the carp. q standard Christ
mas dish, and the time.h0nored CAKES
STOLEN. and the other varieties OF con-
fectionery peculiar To the fatherland.
The evening closes with the singing OF
"stelle Nacht, hellege' Nacht," the
old Christmas song Of Germany. 30
ends the festivity at the imperiaI
court. Christmas day itself IL merely
one Of recreation. and has NO disttn'
gushing rites.
Vienna, Dec. 23.-FOrgetting for the
time being the strife OF politics. race
and creed. the comglomerate peoples
that 60 To make up the Austrian en-
Wire have begun the celebration OF the
Christmas season. Yuletide az kept ny
the non.German population OF Austria
10 very picturesque. Tn Christmas
day the Poles In Galicia first attend
mass then sit down TO family supper.
| The chief dish on the table contains
concentrated eggs. which the father
distributes. After eating. all eyes are
closed and all heads bowed down to
the table In the belief that Jacobs
ladder 10 then descending from heaven
! to earth and down the ladder angels
are coming to bless the worsnippers
and carry away their earthly troubles
to heaven.
Among the Csechs the legend runs
that he who mdst strictly fasts on
Christmas eve will see the Holy Christ
In his dreams that night. In the even
ing the real celebration begins. All
lights ere them extinguished In the
house. The children crowd together
In fear and remain perfectly silent. q
otherwise they will receive none o
the presents brought BY the Christ
Child and laid 1t the entrance 20 tn
house. The older females Amuse them
selves by throwing heated lead int
water and gathering from the forms
assumes some hint a. to the appear
ance oftheir future husbands.
Copenhagen, Disc. 23.-ln no part Q
Europe is Christmas more general!
observed than in Denmark. KIM
Christian will keep the day at the Am
aMenburg palace, In patriarchial style
with all his children and grandchildrel
resident In Copenhagen gathere'
about him. The festivities will begil
on Christmas eve. when the aged kine
accompanied BY bis descendants, eac'
In due order Of precedence, will repai
to the knights Hall, ct n end Q
which an enormous Christmas trek
\ cut In the woods Of Bernstorff. will b
set up. The tree will Pc decorate
with silver chains and .sht cones IN
studded with innumerabie stars IN
lights. Presents for everybody will b
arranged on tables down either side I
the hall. and when these have bee
duly admired and good wishes @
changed the little princes and princes
ses viii Join hMds end dance aroun
the s~littertns tree. while "grandpapa
smiles benignly on the merry circl
A pretty custom In Denmark has I
do with the Christmas box or JUL
lapp," which IL enclosed in many wral
pers and inscribed with the recipient
name. This 10 suddenly thrown int
the room by . messenger. strangel
and grotesquely disguised. who N
first knocked loudly and boldly at tn
door. !.
Stockholm, Dec. 13.--Christmas
cclebrated IN sweden u m extent ii
known In most countries. The eel
bration begins today and Is not owe
until January 10, or twentieth da
Yule." One Of the most pleasing an
distinctive Christmas customs Is tn
erection at every farmers house
Of a pole, to the top Of which is boua
a large, full sheath Of grain. 1t
safe to say that not q peasant In Sw'
den will sit down to a Christmrs iii
ner Monday until he has first raise
aloft a Christmas dinner for the bird
In the cold and snow without.
A quiet but very happy Christine
! festival will take place at the roy'
palace, wnere King Oscar has Assem-
bled his family around him. The gatl
ering usually takes place In the pr
vate apartment Of Queen Sophia, VIII
Is an invalid. The grandchildren Q
ten brings gifts OF their own maxim
and there Is a great giving Of pre-
ents among the members Of the roy
family. The Queen, who Is very plot
La ha.i4ahI. aonda ChriSfmQQ Vif