Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1908-12-17
YULET|DE FEAST|NC,
Phases of Christmas Cheer as
Observed In Denmark.
PASTRY BY THE MILE EATEN
Whole Family In an Old Town Helpe
to Make Cakes. Says Jacob A. Riis.
Continuous Eating Performance For
Two Weeks.

One of the Christmas seasons Gus
toms as observed in an old Danish
town is described as follows by Jacob
A. Riis in his article entitled "Yuletide
In the Old Town" in the Christmas
Century:
When we were not dancing or play
Ing games we literally ate our way
through the two holiday weeks. Pas
try by the mile did we eat. and gen
eral indigestion brooded over the town
when it emerged into the white light
Of the new year. At any rate. 1t ought
to have done So 1t is prime article
Of faith with the Danes to this day
that for any one to go out of friends
house or of anybodys house In the
Christmas season without partaking Of
its cheer is to bear away their Yule,"
which no one must do on any account.
Every house was bakery from the
middle of December until Christmas
eve. and. oh. the quantities OF cake we
ate, and such cakes! We were sixteen
normally in our home, and mother
mixed the dough for her cakes in a
veritable horse trough kept for that
exclusive purpose. AS much as sack
of -four went in, l guess. and gallons
Of molasses and whatever else went
to the mixing. For weeks there had
been long and anxious speculations as
to what father would do" and gloomy
conferences between him and mother
over the state of the family pocket
book. which was never plethoric. but
at last the joyful message ran through
the house from attic to kitchen that
the appropriation had been made.
seven for citron," which meant throw
ing all care to the winds. The thrill Of
1t when we children stood by and saw
the generous avalanche going into the
trough. What would not come Of 1t.
The whole family turned to and
helped make the cakes and cut the
pepper nuts" which were little
squares of cake dough we played cards
for and stuffed our pockets with.
crashing them necessarily. Talk
about eating between meals. Ours was
continuous performance for two sol.
Id weeks. The pepper nuts were the
real staple Of Christmas to US children
We rolled the dough in long strings
like slender cells and then cut it lit
tie on the bias. They were good, those
nuts. when baked brown. l wish l
had some now.
1t all stood for the universal desire
that in the joyous season every body
be made glad. l know that in the old
town no one went hungry or cold dur
ing the holidays. If indeed any one
ever did. Every one gave Of what he
had, and no one was afraid Of pauper-
izing anybody by his gifts, for they
were given gladly and in love. and
that makes all the difference-did then
and does now. At Christmas it is per-
fectly safe to let our scientific princi-
pies go and just remember the Lords
command that we love one another
/ subscribe to all the scientific princi-
pies of giving with perfect loyalty
and try to practice them till Christ
mas week comes in with It's holly and
the smell of balsam and fir and the
memories Of childhood in the old town;
then-well. anyway. it's only a little
while. New Years and the long cold
winter come soon enough.