The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1909-12-24

which ne now preSlQeS over are gam
ing, music, conjuring, dipping Of nuts
and apples, dancing and "fool plough"
hot cookies, bling mans buff, etc. In
England the favorite dish for dinner
at this season of the year is the
boar's head with an apple or orange in
his mouth and set off with rosemary,
plum pudding and mince pie. The
houses and churches r decked with
evergreens. especially with mistletoe,
to which the English have attached a
singular ~sacredness since the days Of
the Druids.
The English children look forward
even more eagerly to the Christmas
season than the American children.
1t is their Thanksgiving and Christ
mas combined. They have all the
good things to eat that grace the home
of the American children at Thanks
giving, and besides receive their pres
ents at the same time. Many Of the
American games for the Christmas
season were originated in England
hundreds of years ago, such as blind
mans buff and dipping for apples in
a tub of water. These games at first
were only for the Christmas festivities.
The English Christmas season lasts
from the night before December rs un-
til the first day of the New Year, and
everything is merry during that time.
The season. long years ago, was cele-
brated to a greater extent in England
than it is to-day on account Of the
fact that the heads Of many Of the
churches complained that the season
should be more sacred and not so
much given over to the joyous pro-
grams. This called a halt on the fes-
t~ivities, as the churches were then the
ruling powers of the country. Since
that time the change has been felt
right along. The Santa Claus of the
English children is an all-powerful
being and they are stern believers in
the NEUROLOGICAL gift giver until quite
up in years. Many of the English
Christmas customs date back hundreds
of years.
There is another side Of Christmas
in England that is by nc means as
cheerful, though it speaks we'll for the
Christmas spirit Of its principle city,
London. Annually, many, many thou
sands of dollars are spent in provid-
ing Christmas cheer for the poor.
Any number of public dinners are
given by various charitable societies
and wealthy individuals. The poor
men, women and children are gath
cred in from the city's highways and
byways and provided with warm
clothing, household supplies and a real
Christmas dinner. At the famous
Guildhall, on Christmas Day, a sump-
tuous dinner is served to nearly 1000
children, the city's Aldermen them
selves acting as walters and doing
their best to instill a bit Of real Christ
mas cheer into the lives Of the poor,
half-starved little waits who come to
be fed.
Christmas means much to the juve-
nile poor of London-in fact, 1t Is the
biggest day of the entire year in their
lives. Most of them belong to what
nave Oul6 W NC huOWu do IuS ldS
ged-schools," and each school is given
a delectable feast with a few mex
pensive presents on the side. The
churches throw wide their doors and
provide Christmas goodies. These
dinners are, naturally, the talk Of the
children for months beforehand. And
they crowd the various halls where
they are held in droves. Everyone is
served. In thousands Of instances,
Christmas baskets, containing food
and supplies, are sent to the homes
of crippled children or invalids I'M
able to attend the big feasts.
Everybody is remembered. The in
mates Of the warehouses are given
good, wholesome dinners and provided
with other practical gifts. The
widows are given purses" containing
from one to two dollars, by the Mayor
and Aldermen who provide the nee