Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-29
Holiday House Decorations
and Christmas Dinner Table Trimmings

Mlstletoe sprays. green wreaths and
yards of holly and red ribbon always
conjure a mental picture Of that first
Christmas celebration at Bethlehem.
where the shepherds kneeling before the
Infant Saviour, offered gifts of myrrh
and frankincense, with only their guiding
star to illumine the solemn scene. For
nearly 1000 years the happiness and the
thankfulness of those pilgrims has annual
ly found an echo in millions of hearts
throughout Christendom. What wonder,
then, that the days preceding the ami
versary of the wondrous miracle should
be happy ones, for not only are there
gifts to be selected for kinsfok, friends
and those wards of Christ. "the poor,
whom we have always with u.s." but there
are more or less elaborate preparations
for the week of festivities, beginning
with that most important Of feasts. the
Christmas dinner.
Heads of households which include sew
eral young children naturally give most
attention to the rooms frequented by
them, and especially those to be used for
the Christmas Eve party. 1t is wisest to
decorate such rooms chiefly with green
garlands, wreaths and red ribbons, placed
too high to be interfered with by curious
small fingers. All of the pictures and mir
ror frames may be decorated with
wreaths tied with large red satin bows,
while the chandeliers and doorways
should display sprays of mstletoe. 1t is
best not to place plants where there is
any chance of their being overturned,
for children are liable to get tri1e too
hilarious when the time approaches for
the doors of the room containing the
gifts to be thrown open. In the largest
room In the house, where the Christmas
trees, looking like lovely ladies In
sparkling petticoats, holding up their
skirts with glittering fingers" are usually
placed, few decorations are necessary, be-
yond wreaths in each window and above
each door, for the huge, ceiling -scraping
pine is going out of date, as hostesses
find 1t much easier to get several medium
sized trees into house. There are SO
many charming ornaments to be used as
tree decorations that selection Is some
what difficult, especially as electric con-
trivances make 1t quite safe to use paper
novelties, like cotillion favors. Most
hostesses no longer place any gifts upon
much labor to the oficiating Santa Claus
Instead of the FIR branches bearing salts
factory fruit in the form of toys for the
minors, jewels and furs for the elders
and checks and bonds for the mature,
each person Is awarded small separate
table decorated with a miniature central
tree.
Because fir branches so quickly dry in
steam-heated houses many people prefer
huge palms In massive green Jars, placing
one In each corner, and making charm
ing background for floral and ribbon trim
mings Foliage plants are frequently
used without flowers, as delightful color
effects may be gained by grouping them
in their vase-shaped baskets OF wood
green, brown or holly red.
The possibilities Of electric lighting in
connection with decoration scheme are
endless. One hostess will reproduce
Fausts garden by placing masses OF red
roses in every available spot and con-
ceaiing amongst them electric lights to
be turned up the instant after the can
dies, which will at first dimly light the
room, have been suddenly extinguished.
1t will, OF course, be necessary to re-
serve this novelty until all the dinner
guests have assembled. Such long-stem-
med roses as American Beauties look es-
pecially well in tall vases standing upon
the floor They may be grouped about
the bow windows. at door arches or near
the fireplace, and any amount Of green
wreathing and rope work may be used in
connection with them.
Lilies-of- -the-valley in crystal nower
holders are most effective. Like any
white hower they are especially adapted
for Christmas bridal trimmings, and as
the most recent bride is always the hon.
ored guest at Christmas party lilies
are In great demand.
For rooms decorated in pompadour col
ors, where deep red and green shades
do not harmonic. the begonia is much
sought for. Such plants. about two feet