The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-17
Christmas With Heads
Of Various Nations

keep tho timo as ono for jolltlcat ton AS
with their own households. They
mako tho occasion ono for tho reunion
OF their relatlvcs and for those of the
nobility who associate most intimately
with them and their royal families.
The servants In the royal households
roeneat most of all by the coming OF
the day, for 1t is for them that num-
erous presents are provided and many
| special privileges arc given. The good
| wishes Of royalty as we'll as the sea-
sons greetings and substantial re-
membranes OF tho day are extended to &
| many charities. for in Europe charity
| Is associated very closely with the
| keeping of Christmas. Those who re-
ceive help year after year consider tho
day well spent IL their wants arc sup
| piled by some person of higher social
| rank. Another factor OF Keeping tho
| holiday in foreign countries Is In OBJ
| serving somo national custom: on such
| occasions tho European conforms his
| own life 70 that which Is traditional
| In his country.
| The Kaiser, who has always spent
the day surrounded by his children at
| his palace in Potsdam, will probably
not spend such a happy Christmas this
| year. AS usual. the Emperor has IN;
! vlted thcso members of his family, hut
tho crownprinco Is said TO have des
| c1ined the invitation for himself and
| family. The reply was made. of course,
in resentment of the Kaisor's recent
action in sending the Crownprincc VIII.
| liam to Danzig as punishment for his
conduct during tho recent Moroccan
I affair. In declining the invitation the
| prince made 1t clear that he had de-
cidcd to celebrate the holiday with his
regiment, the Deaths Head FIuzzars:i
| whore he had been sent to dcvote his
.asf- = A. 2
vided, II Is quito likely that a.sloonI
Will settle over the gathering which
meets to observe Christmas at the
Kalscrs palace. The Empress. docs
not conceal her sorrow at being parted!
from tho little grandchildren OH: a day.
which lis looked upon as the greatest
OF all days for German children. Even
her tears, though. fail to conquer the
I proud spirit of her eoIl. Should tho
dove Of peace descend upon the kaisSl
crs household before December "a. this
year will DO one of the merrcst OF all
Christmases and the royal youngsters
will probably tyranpizo more than
usual over their grandfather 10y
Often there are as many as thirteen
Christmas trees set UP In tho ilaiscr'a
palace. as that household is a largo
ono. 1t is on Christmas Eve that the
big family celebration IS held and the
gifts distributed At the great feast
dinner, which closes tho day. u carp
from Bohemia is always served. Tho
children are always most eager to see
the STOLE. cake representing tho
Holy Babe of Bethlehem. wrapped In
swaddling cloths. and they enjoy the
"pfeffcr kuchen." or ginger broad.
which all German families have at
Christmas time The Hall OF Shells
will be the ncrriest part OF all the
palace at Potsdarn. There several
Christmas trees will DO loaded With
presents for tho servants AS many OF
them have been employed in the pal-
ACC for years. succeeding their fathers,
who In turn followed previous genera
lions of servants, the celebration In the
great hall is Anticipated from year to
year with much sladness.
No servant receives a duplicate OF
his last years gift, nor will any one
fail to receive j present selected with
out thought rs to his length of SER
vice or his worth as worker. With
such host to provide for. no ono
could be expected to remember what
had been given to the domestics in
prior years but that task Is, unncces-
sary. AS with everything else In tho
Old World. SO with the giving Of glftsi
1t is systema TIED Il is said that for
years records have been kept BY sev-
eral nations to show what every meni-
Der OF the royal household, either nobls
or sertan,, h..s received from the
Kings and. Queens. The noble mems
bers of the Kaiseras household, rcceiye
| guns, saddlery outfits or gold mounted
or jcweled crops. Frequently the Ems
pcror gives his autograph portrait,
framed artistically in porcelain or he
has made such presents as jewel hoSes
TO those OF whom he has been most
fond Stg,s
AS the demands upon royalty at the
gift season SO tremendous. tho
presents which they give arc not in
tercsting SO much on account of their
elegance as upon their great nuns
bcrs. The Emperor Of Germany begins
his Christmas day with luncheon. az
ter which he usually wulks about tho
grand park, Sans Souci. First how
| ever. he and those whom he chooses
to accompany him provide themselves
with hulsinS pockets 'nf marks fresh
from the mint These coins are to bio
bestowed upon the poor whom the Ems
! peror happens TO meet. but as 1t Isl
never known which path tho Kaiser
will follow, there are many who awais
his coming every year who arc dis-
appointed. Each OF those fortunate
enough to be met BY tho Kaiser is
given flrc. ten or twenty marks.
Since Queen Christine first set up hor
Christmas tree in her palace at Madrid
every year has seen lighted fir tree
In Spain's royal household. Although
this form OF celebration is planned for
tho children and younger members OF
} tho royal family, the older members
find much pleasure In the lighted
} evergreen. The traditional sacred
play OF the Nativity usually takes tho
Spanish King and Queen. as we'll az
tho nobility and dignitaries. to tho
theatre on Christmas Eve. In this re-
ligious performance the birth OF the,
Saviour Is depicted just as tho Span
iards interpreted the play when 1t
, was written hundreds Of years ago.
They pictured tho shepherds as jour
: neying from their own Guadarrama
hills. The pnrents of tho Infnnt