The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1911-12-21
EVERY GERMAN HAS
A CHRISTMAS TREE
one Vulssids Custom That ssili Fleur-
ishss In the FashsrIand.

conJure up clear, frosty almo1pucs'
and re-echo the song OF the skates Oh
the frozen lakes. for the Anglo-Saxo
notion OF the German Christmas 4
drawn from those childhood hours spenl
over Hans Andersen and Grimm. and
the sight OF a Christmas tree brings d
mind the woodeutter tramping hons
through the snow laden forests. trailing
behind him the DIR tree for bis family
Christmas celebration. while IN the
towns the black quadrangle OF the ven
cradle market place is picked out in
lights blazing on the trees In the win
iOws OF the gabled houses.
Fifty years ago. before the young
German giant bad awakened from the
sleep Of centuries. says a writer In the
New York Evening Post. this idea OF
the peaceful German Christmas was
correct. but II one OF the burghers OF
old Berlin. returning from making his
Christmas purchases on Christmas eve.
were to be transplanted into the roar
ing hub Of empire which his Haupstadt
has become In the year OF grace 1911
the good man would probably expire on
the spot.
Fifty years ago. when Berlin was a
dirty. unpretentious. provincial town.
with m lighted. m paved streets and
with the iron hand OF militarlsm IN
checked over Il all. the Christmas fes-
tival was the tranquil celebration Of
which one has read. In the Lustsar-
ten. before the castle. Christmas fair
was annually established which the
king and royal family used to visit to
buy jumping jacks and gingerbread for
the palace Christmas trees. Ike any
other German family. The Lustgarten
fair has passed away, the king OF Prus-
STA has become German emperor, Ber-
In has developed Into a fair and beau
tiful city, and all that remains OF the
Christmas Of once upon a time Il the
spirit-indeed, precious inheritance
that still holds supreme sway and rests
concealed In the branches Of the myri-
ads OF Christmas trees which rich and
poor alike set up in their houses on the
eve OF the feast
Otherwise the old German simplicity
kas vanished. In the house OF the rich
merchant electric lights take the place
Of the Christ candles" and the motor
car or the steam yacht which he gives
bis son as a Christmas present can find
no place under the Christmas tree. as
did the wooden comforter. the handful
OF gingerbread or the new skates in
the day Of his father. Carus0 or Des-
tim on the gramOphOne takes the place
Of the Christmas hymns which used
10 be sung as an act Of pious reverence
70 the 'Tannenbaum," or perhaps even,
horrible dictu. the tree win be fas-
tened to a clockwerk eOntrf~aaee
which. on being wound up. reyolves to
tune tangled out by a musical box
The bulging one storied shops with
gingerbread and gilt angels stuck in
their diamond paned window fronts
have vanished, and their places are
taken by stores built on the same style
OF palatial magnihcence as across the
Atlantic.
From the beginning Of December till
the feast they devote a considerable
portion Of their space to Christmas ba-
zaars. where one imagines oneself
transported to tOyland. There are ire
mendous set pieces with electric trans,
airshlps and railway trains careering
shout amid wonderful papier maehe
mountain scenery; ravishing visions OF
fair doll women and army corps on
armp corps Of the most gallant tin
soldiers that ever manned a fort The
lir Is rent with an ear splitting cacoph-
ony Of noise emitted By mechanical
iOys, and the atmosphere reeks with
he smell Of shavings and glue, that
peculiar pungent odor Of the toyshop
which brings back to the old fogies
he mysterious delights Of the birthday
able.
On Christmas eve every German
must have bis Christmas tree. When
ne passes through the streets on a
ret Christmas eve-the sparkling frost
nd snowy mantle Of the feuilletonfst
arely put in an appearance before
anuary-one has the curious feeling
Z being in the midst Of 0OOOO,OOO
eople all engaged In doing the same
hing. One can imagine the traveller ,
'oking on the thousands Of Moham- O
iedans laboriously threading their way
cross the desert to Mecca to win the =
tie Of Hadji regarding the scene with i,
mflar emotions. For when say ev-
y German It Is literally true. The
reefs Of Berlin are deserted save for
Re cars and the omnibuses and cabs
nd an occasional policeman, and from
shind the blinds Of the windows Of n
ie great blocks Of fats twinkle the
indies on the Christmas trees, throw
g out their little beams into the DARK
IS Of the night as did the star to the y
epherds nearly 1000 years ago.