Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-24
Copyright, 1908, by Curtis Brown)
british Rights Reserved)
LONDON, December IA, 1865


LONDON, December H. 1865
TN spite of cynical writer's, who never
fail to assert that the English Christ
mas is not what it used to be, there
u is little fault to be found with the way
in which the YuIettde Is observed in
this country It's true-mores the pity
that the yule log Is a thing of the past
and that IN few households in this coun-
try, except the kings, does the ''boar's
head" play it's ancient part but, aside from
these things, Christmas IN England is kept
much as it was in Dickens time. In all
| the great country houses there are Christ
mas gatherings. Still 1.-The stockings are
hung by the chimney with care" still the
Christmas tree bears it's mysterious fruit
and still the pudding flames at the end of
the days great repast. Even the carol
keeps its place All over the country-with-
in few days of Chrstmas-you may hear
the waits" as they are called-children
who sing God Bless You Merry Gentle
men,, and II Saw Three Ships" under vour
windows in the evening in the hope of pen-
MES. Why call them waits nobody seems
to know-except that they do wait-for the
coppers.
Yes, England gives itself up to Christmas
in quite~the old way--all except London
Throughout the provinces there is snow to
help out the picture, but London, with its
DAMP chilly and soot-laden fogs, does
not lend itself to a 'Merrie Christmas"
The streets wear gloomy aspect All
places of amusement are +. rsed. There are
no public festivities or demonstrations.
What mirth there Is is always within doors
But on the next day, Boxing Day-which
is also holiday-everything is different
The streets are full again, the theaters re-
open, the pantomimes dear to the heart
of the pOntnpv haoip
reyel, afresh In the old stories of Dick
Wilmington and His Cat" "Cinderella''
and ...Bluebeard." Boxing day, by the way,
is believed to take its name from the uni
versal custom of giving Christmas boxes"
or tips to all servants and other facto-
tumss on that day-~anyhow. 1t is Londons
great day of the whole year.
Meanwhile at Sandringham the king and
queen do their beststo preserve the ira
ditions of the old-fashioned Christmas in
their celebration. Their majesties are al
ways served with a boar head, a baron of
beef and gigantic plum pudding. The
boars head is usually present from the
kaiser and laid upon a silver dish with its
tusks highly polished; 1t is carried shoulder
high-into% The dining hall, what time the
carol is sung beginning with the words:
The kings boar-head In hand bring
Bedecked with bays and rosemary.
And pray you good people be merry
In the remoter rural districts many quaint
old Christmas customs still survive In
Yorkshire bands -ofsechildren go wassaiI-
ing, carrying with them rude travesty of
the~snatiYity@s in&~the~form of huge doll
decked with mistletoe, and sing the old
song. Here Welcomed Wassailing" which
like the carol of the waits" may be liter
ally~sinterpreted as request for pennies
And. of course, the Christmas box is al
ways Forthcoming.
But, after all, to find Christmas cele-
brated with all of the ancient zest we must
go to Germany. For Germans the day is
still period of sentimentality, a time for
family reunions In the old home, an oc-
casion for giving and receiving a multitude
ing friendly greetings with the whole circle
OF ones relatives and friends. The Christ
mas tree, too, originated In Germany, and
| during the week preceding Christmas the
market places and squares of every town
in the fatheriand are stacked with heaps of
fir trees of all sizes, which in due course are
to be used for Christmas. AS the Yuletide
approaches these heaps of fir trees grow
smaller and smaller, until on the 24th of
December there are very few or none at
all left.
-
1t Is "a point of honor In every German
family to have a Christmas tree for the
children, and many households continue to
bers of the family have become adults.
Wealthy Germans have Christmas tree
which extends from the floor to the ceiling
of lofty chamber and Ais with Its huge
branches the greater part Of a large room,
anu the size of the tree decreases in each
| household In proportion to- the decreasing
| worldly prosperity OF the respective fami-