Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-25

\ uleu may nave Lne happiness OF
Christmas tree. If for some reason
there Is no tree at home for the chill
dren there is certain to be one at the
school or association. The favorite
decorations seen in the humber homes
are bright paper flowers, rainbow-hued
glass beads, and goodies.
In Russia the pleasure Of the Christ
mas tree is not limited to one or two
evenings. The glowing tree shines
out brilliantly every night during the
two weeks, and each night there Is a
party for old or young. In the city
the Respondent trees give great en-
joyment to the eager Russian children.
But the most wonderful sight is seen
in the country on the large estates,
when q tree is decorated and lighted
just as it stands in the center of bit
of woods. The scene is very impress
sive. The village children who are in
vited guests. gather about wild with
delight, to get the presents and dain-
ties from the wonderful, sparkling,
ontstretched branches of the tree.
In Germany, too, there is no hol-
iday on the calendar so great as Christ
mas. And it Is the children's festival,
also. Christmas in Germany Is very
much like Christmas In America.
Many Of our Christmas customs came
from there. Germany gave us the
Christmas tree, and 1t is the center of
all the Christmas doings for the Ger
man children.
1t is the chief pleasure of the Ger
man fathers and mothers to prepare
the Christmas tree. This is usually
done in room closed to the children.
There is great mystery about 1t ALL
Everyone in the house has his secrets
for weeks before Christmas Eve. The
days pass slowly, but finally Christmas
Eve arrives. At o'clock the climax
of excitement is reached. The father
rings the bell, the doors Of the
long-ssaled-up Christmas room fly open
and there stands the enhancing tree
in all it's majesty The children are
admitted into what seems to them like
Paradise. They find not only the won
derful tree, Respondent with tinsel
lights. candles and gifts, but also ia
BILE spread for each of them and they
hurry to see whether their hopes and
wishes have been realized
In aome parts of Germany, Scandin-
avia and Holland, the custom obtains
for all the children to say prayer
to Kriss Kringle at the chimney cor
ner on Christmas Eve, asking him to
fill their stockings for Christmas morn
ing. They confide in him as to what
they would like. Kris Kringle (Christ
Kind.ein) is the German Santa Claus,
who is supposed to come down the
chimney for all good children.
The American boy would probably
feel very much at home in either Rus
STA, Holland, Denmark, Norway, Swed-
en- at Christmastide. In these north
countries the customs are very like
those of the homeland. But in the
southern European nations, where
Christmas is more religious than a
home festival, he would find the holt
day very different from ours.
This Is especially true of Italy. Ital-
ian children do not hang IN their
stockings at Christmas, or have a
Christmas tree. On Christmas morn
ing they ere taken by their mothers to
the churches. There they are called
on to recite hymns of praise to the
Madonna and Child In the "Presepio,'
which is q representation of the stable
Of Bethlehem, where the Christ was
born. Within the rocky cavern are
wax images often as large as life of
the Madonna and Child, of Joseph, the
shepherds, and the wise men, and i'm
ages Of animals.
The children Of the Sunday schools
of the evangelical churches in Italy
sometimes have trees, however, though
there are not many of them as yet.
The branches are laden with yellow
oranges, with silvered balls, and with
re rr;1 II,
candles are usually Of the three ma
tional colors of Italy: red. white and
green. The family festival of Christ
mas Eve is the chief delight of the
children. There are fish, cells, nuts,
cakes, fruit or vegetables for old and
young. On the next day the Christmas
dinner is enjoyed, the chief dishes be-
ing capon and pangallo, a sort of nut
and fruit cake.
Very few American boys and girls
would care to spend the Christmas
holidays in France, where no one pays
much attention to Christmas and
where no presents are exchanged. The
children who have no "home withea
little m" In France and who are be-
ing reared in the converts. often have
some beautiful Christmas ceremonies
the spirit of which might well be intro
duced into other lands. For weeks be-
fore Christmas, the convent children
begin to prepare for the convent cele-
bration The Grip with the Christ
Child is the chief center of attraction,
and the reward for good behavior is
the privilege of helping to make the
crib. A gold straw is laid for each
kind act and for each day well spent.
The highest reward of merit is the
privilege of laying the wax figure in
the crib. The children of the poor are
always kept in mind by the convent
child. 1t is the custom to get ready
presents of fruit, necessaries, clothing,
ETC.. for these unfortunate children OF
God" When the children receive their
Christmas boxes on Christmas eve, the
first gift taken from these, is placed in
the basket for the poor After the sol
emn midnight mass on Christmas Eve,
which all the children attend, they are
sometimes given something to eat; and
then they all return to bed to sleep