The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-12-23
CHRISTMAS DINNER
IS EVENT OF YEAR
Housewives Makes Special
Effort to Please-Value
of Color Scheme.

In every home the Christmas din.
ner table will be the center of in
terest on Christmas Day, at least it
will share the honors with the Christ
mas tree. Whether the table is laid
Tor . large company or guests. or
only the members of the family are to
be gathered about the board, whether
the home be rich or poor, the house
wife IL sure to expend her best effort
to make the meal the most attractive
OF all the year
The Christmas dinner in Richmond
IL usually served early in the after
noon. The menu generally conceded
as particularly appropriate to the great
feast day OF the year. Is far too heavy
to serve late in the evening, especial
~ v 1t be family dinner, when the
children will of course be at the ia.
BILE.
The usual Christmas program for
the American family is church in the
morning with dinner at 2 O'Clock and
the remainder of the day given over
haps a Christmas tree in the evening,
or visit OF few intimate friends
Whether the dinner be formal or in.
formal the best linen cloth will grace
the board. If the dinner Is an elabor-
ate function and there are guests. the
hostess. If she is fortunate to possess
1t, will use a cloth Of fine old lace
over cloth Of gold. a new paper fabric
which. cleaning through the meshes
NJ M Ia CIT IL, Ill
tables will probably have a covering
OF holly crepe paper with crepe paper
napkins. but nothing Is quite so re.
fined or elegant as handsome linen
cloth with napkins to match.
A table 80 spread and decorated
with red and green will fairly radiate
the Christmas spirit and Christmas
cheer. For simple informal dinner.
an effective decoration would be a
large bunch OF holly placed in the CEN
ter OF the table in a low vase or fern
dish and tied with flowing bunch Of
scarlet ribbon. A spray of holly at
each cover would complete pretty
decorative scheme or the ends of the
sprays might be Joined to form a COM
plete circle of green about the table.
A blooming poinsetta plant in a pot,
the pot conceared with red crepe pa.
per, would make an attractive center
piece for a simple home dinner.
Many housewives will probably use
nothing more pretentious than a little
fern. in the decoration of the table.
II fern dish happens to be among
the Christmas gifts 1t will of course
occupy the place of honor at the feast.
An effective and inexpensive decora-
ton for the table would be a low
mound OF holly and mistletoe used as
q centerpiece with sprays of either
at the covers.
For an elaborate formal dinner, a |
snowy cloth patterned in mistletoe or
holly, q centerpiece of glossy holly
leaves and brilliant red berrier, silver
candelabra and silver bon bon dishes,
would be appropriate and dignified.
The centerpiece might be flat
wreathe OF holly tied with bows Of rib
bon. A similar wreath should encircle
each candelabrum.
A silver or cut glass bowl of holly
and meteor roses, or holly and mistle-
toe. may be set within the wreath to
complete the centerpiece. The outline
Of the Christmas star may be used in
stead of the wreath and the bows of
ribbon omitted.
The place cards in such a scheme
might be either bells, stars, holly or
ivy leaves cut out and ornamented
with Christmas verse or greetings.
Appropriate favors would be little
silk stockings Of bon bons at each COW
er. Even IL the dinner is only for the
members OF the family there will be
some pretty Christmas favors to
brighten the table. A simple plan
would be to use holiday cards with ap.
propriate sentiments.
More elaborate would be crepe pa
per baskets filled with candy for the
women. and crepe paper canes for the
men. Other pretty favors that may be
obtained in the shops are tiny candy
boxes with a SNOWFALL and a spray Of
holly on the top, red sleds with holly,