New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1911-12-27

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the church bells. The farm animals
were fed an extra quantity OF the very
best fare the barn could afford, for the
holiday spirit was extended even to
the dumb brutes. The birds were not
forgotten. A couple of sheaves of
unthreshed grain were hung on tall
poles out in the yard as Christmas
feast for them.
Before sitting down to the supper
table, the members of the family, all
dressed in their very best attire, went
out into the open to listen to the
churchbells Ginning out the glad
tidings. The ringing continued for
about an hour. After returning to the
house the Christmas greeting was pro.
nounced by all and the family sat
down to the most festive meal of the
whole holiday season. In the middle
of the table stood large candle
spreading out at the top into as many
branches as there we're persons in the
household. All the branches we're
lighted. Sometimes there was q
Christmas tree: but Christmas trees
were not as commonly used then as
now.
On Christmas morning the children
would wake up early to watch the
birds alight on the Christmas sheaves.
Very soon sparrow would perch on
one of the sheaves and chirp out the
news and presently others would come
until the sheaves were entirely covered
with birds: sparrows, snow-bunting
and some others of the varieties that
brave the northern winters.
The first day of Christmas was a
day of devotion. If the weather per-
mitted, everybody attended church.
The little chunky. horse was hitched to
the family sleigh and he started off
in a merry trot while the sleighbells
rang out the merriment over the
glistening snow.
Other sleighs soon joined them and
there was almost an endless procession
before they reached the church. If it
was pleasant day, this was, indeed,
an enjoyable ride. The jingle of the
countless sleighbells mingled with the
of the churchbells, while the
mountain sides sent their echoes and
re.echoes back till the air was literally
filled with music. On such occasions
there certainly was Emusic in the air"
The preacher read the beautiful
story of the birth of Christ and before
he asked the congregatio
to sing three times the wellknown
stanza familiar to every church
member in Norway, los er dag en-
frelser f6dt" which literally translated
means Unto US this day Saviour
is born" No matter how lifeless, in
different or discordant the singing
might beat other times, for this once
it was creditable. And such volume
- was produced! All sang 1t with =
spirit az If It were each ono innernost
desire to express his jov over the
heavenly gift. @
On the second day the merry-making
began. Various sports we're INDUCED
in, such a. skating, cossting and
skiing. '..
ia young man took girl out for
at Christmas, custom gave
him the peculiar privilege of trying to
drive in such way that she would be
tipped out into the snow. This was
not easily done for she knew what was
and would be on the alert.
In order to make her forget he would
get her into spirited conversation,
and then at an unsuspecting moment
would make a quick turn and there
she was sitting 10 the snow. BY this
maneuver he had earned pair of
mittens as his Christmas gift. She
probably anticipated such an event
and in order to be equal to the
emergency, she would have the mittens
already knit and would hand them to
him right there. If, on the other hand,
he failed to get her out, he was in duty
bound to present her with hand
somely carved wooden spoon.
Often in the evening a party of
young people would dress up in the
most grotesque and fantastic fashion,
mask and 60 to visit their neighbors.
The object was to disguise themselves
so we'll tina they would not be recog- |
nized.
The same customs still prevail in
some parts of Norway, altho in
general many, things have changed;
but we often hear older people say
that the modern Christmas festival
does not come up to those spent in
their old homes beyond the sea.
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