The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-03-15
OBSERVING HOLIDAYS.
How They Can Be Made an Educa-

tional Factor in a Childs Life.
There is a growing desire" said Mrs.
Franklin Hooper at a recent meeting Of
the Child Study Department of the
Brooklyn Institute, "to have all holi
days on the Monday nearest the actual
date of the holidays. This, with the
growing custom of closing business on
Saturday afternoons, enables business
men and their employees to get two
full days or more of vacation. This is
a happy indication that we are getting
beyond the idea that we live in order to
work. This was the atmosphere of old
New England The early New Eng
landers had no time for holidays, and,
besides that they had revolted against
any of the Eglish holidays.
Holidays can he made a very useful
part of the child's education. Anything
that encourages the spirit of pure play,
without Interior motives, is good. l
think something unusual should al
ways be planned for a holiday, some
thing in which the whole family could
join. Holidays are an excellent time
for fathers to get acquainted with their
children. Unfortunately, the only
American idea associated with a Holt
day seems to be an extra big dinner
at home, This instead of a holiday
means an extra hard days work for
the servants.
1T should be an invariable custom
in the home to plan the holidays in
such a way that the servants can have
as much leisure as any one else. Such
an example would do more to teach
children respect for the rights of
others than all the abstract teachings
on that point. The dinner could be so
prepared the day before that it could
all be warmed up ready to serve in If
teen minutes In doing this, in prepar-
ing the table, serving and clearing
away afterward, the young people of
| the household and their guests should
help. If it is approached in the right
spirit by the mother the work will be a
lark for the young folk. TGds applies
to Sunday night tea also. believe
servants should never be kept in for
Sunday night tea. had four big boys,
friends of my son, washing and Wiping
and putting away dishes after tea on
recent Sunday, and they seemed TO re-
gard the whole thing as a lark, me
chatting dish comes in beautifully here.
| 7 know one family In which there are
several boys. They have become 50 in
terested in chatting dish cookery that
| each has bought himself a chaflhg dish
and become an expert in preparing
certain favorite dishes. Every sun
day night there is a happy time in baat
house over the very simple and inno~
cent performance of a chating dish sup
per. They invite a crowd OF thelr
Young friends. and each boy strives TO
nroduce the most appetizing and sue
cessful dish, and afterward the guests
help clear up When boys and girls do
tfgis sort of thing themselves they learn
that it is not always possible TO nave
housekeeping arrangements perfect
Thev get much less critical, both OF
their mother and the servants, ana
they acquire a solid respect for good
cook. They learn that good cooking is
as difficult an accomplishment as any
skilled trade and, once they have
learned that, they conceive an AMBITION
to excel in it.
'.To learn how to play, and how 70
play not at the expense Of the others
IRE two Of the evolution of holidays,
Their third influence in the evolution OF
the child should be in recalling the MS
torical significance of tine day, Always
trv TO do something suited to the
special day. Let children write orig
inal, poetic valentines to their FRIENDS
I: is a pretty and kindly custom. why
shouldn't the school custom of speak
ing pieces he adopted in the home and
the children learn to recite patriouc
noems or read compositions in lieu OF
toasts after the family dinner on
washington Birthday, Lincoln's Birth
day and the other patriotic holidays?