Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-05-31
QUEER RUSSIAN WAYS
KISSING PLAYS A PROMINENT PART IN
EVERYDAY LIFE.

!: Is Especially Practiced at Easter
Time, the Greatest Holiday In the
NeRr-The Annual Graveyard Feast
In Honor OF the Dead.
1t is Interesting to see how prominent
part kissing plays in Russian life.
After every meal in Il strangers house
the guest, il he be n man, approaches
his hostess as she rises from the table
and while thanking her for her hos
pitality bends over her hand to kiss it.
Simultaneously she leans forw ard and
touches the top OF his head with her
lips
y court beauty confessed to me,
however, that she Invariably made
mere pretense of doing this, as she very
much objected to the various brands
of hair oil with which her lips would
come in contact. My own experience
is, though, that the custom Is conscien-
tiously carried out.
And then, again, II a lady gives her
servant, whether man or woman, a
present of any kind her hand is at once
seized and covered with fervent kisses.
You will see children kissing their
mothers hand most devotetlly on many
occasions in course of the day.
But it is ut Easter time that one
sees plethora of kissing. The mo-
ment the sound of the twelve stokes of
midnight on Easter eve has died away
sounds nj 1-iSci,,y fol. ,,ln u
these continue all the following day.
Every acquaintance met, be it man or
woman, is saluted with the words,
Christ is risen," and receives three
kisses, while he or she returns the an
swer, HE Is risen, indeed!"
The English governess (of whom
there arc many in Russian has hard
time Of it at Easter, for the male rela-
tives of pupils take care to assure her
that it would be insulting to refuse to
allow them punctiliously to carry out
this religious" ceremony. One young
woman whose acquaintance l made at
the house of IL high official had to run
the gantlet of half n dozen aids.de-
camp who We're waiting for her us
she left the private chapel after ut
tending the midnight service with her
pupils. AS one might suppose, the or
deal varies much according to circum-
stanccs-and persons.
Easter is the greatest holiday of the
year in Russia, and for three days all
shops are closed and all business is at
standstill. The days are spent in
feasting, drinking and visiting.
Most elaborate refreshments are pro-
rided for the numerous callers. One
may behold OH the sideboard whole
roast sucking pigs, huge hams deco
rated with pink and white designs, va
rious tall "pakas," some of them rich
and made of cream and nuts, others
simpler with pink. blue and yellow
sugar roses and white lambs perched
on the top.
Fresh caviare is matter of course,
rs well as smoked salmon, sturgeon
mayonnaise and dozen other cold
dishes, besides many kinds of wines
and liqueurs, which stand ready on a
long side table, so that each visitor
may help himself as lie comes.
Every year on the Monday after
Easter Russian cemeteries present an
almost riotous appearance. All the
families Of the lower classes repair to
the graves of their departed and feast
in honor of the dead. The graves with
in the little Enclosure are often provid-
ed with wooden benches and tables.
and here the relatives feed ON brightly
colored eggs, chunks of "paska" and
copious libations of vodka.
Gay songs are heard OH all sides, and
sometimes dancing may be seen. Of
tentimes by evening general drunken
ness prevails. resulting in much fra
ternal hugging and kissing-for Rus
slams become .affectionate when drunk
and not quarrelsome. The amiable
rioters are helped by the extremely
lenient police on their homeward Jour-
neys.
New Years day is one of the innu-
merable Russian official holidays, and all
the banks, shops and business houses
are then closed, and it Is the custom
to devote the entire day to making an
annual round Of visits.
Every woman stays ut home to re-
ceive visitors, while every man of her
acquaintance is supposed to call or
send his card. The official who is
obliged to, the society man who de.
sires to and the business man for whom
it is eXpedient conscientiously to go
through his list of acquaintances-all
have to begin early or late, 1t being
customary for women to receive dur
ing the whole day. Poor caller! The
amount of spirits and liqueurs he has
to consume frequently causes very
bud head.
1t is required that man wear full
uniform or evening dress to pay these
calls, and absurd it looks to see him
emerge from sleigh. throw off his fur
"shuba' and appear at II o'clock in
the morning sunshine as though he
were going to ball.
The accepted form for leaving card
If man be disinclined or unable to
pay the necessary numerous visits is
TO send it by post in an envelope stamp
ed with red cross. These envelopes
are sold expressly for this purpose, and
the proceeds of such sales go to the
Red Cross. A card sent in this man
ner Is accepted as a personal visit. The
Red Cross must reap goodly harvest,
for thousands upon thousands of cards
are sent in this way every New Years
day.
Russian manners at table are not al
ways to be recommended from our
point of view. Before using the finger
bowls after dinner it Is the custom to
take a mouthful of the water and
rinse ones mouth. This is most con-
scientiously and even audibly carried
out, the water then being returned to
the bowl on the table.
have also seen noble old Cossack
general in gorgeous uniform, with his
breast covered with medals, talking
to Petersburg belle at dinner while
he audibly sucked the last fragments
of a leg of chicken that hung out of his
mouth before letting 1t drop OH his
plate. Another time was dining with
two sturdy milllonaires in the central
provinces of Russia. One of them