The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-01-12
FAMILY
FESTIVALS.

FESTIVALS.
When Christmas and New Year
celebrations are over there comes a
time, for most families, of huindrum
dulIness.
We moderns seem to have lost,
somewhat. the ability to make much
of small feasts and festivals. We go
to one of two extremes-we either
neglect to celebrate at all and let our
birthday and wedding anniversaries
pass without notice or we indulge in
such luxury and layishness that We
bankrupt ourselves and make I'M
reasonable demands upon our friends
for the gifts with which they are ex-
pected to honor us.
The happy medium may be found
by making such events family affairs,
with the inclusion of few intimate
friends, and by giving them a certain
formality which will set them apart
from every day matters. For example
the child who boards his cherished
pennies until he can put twenty-five
of them with those of other grand
children to buy grandmother the sixty
carnations which go to her on her
birthday, and who is chosen for the
her, has a memory which cannot be
matched by any perfunctory gift Civ
ing; and the little folks, whose birth
day means big cake and candles,
brought in. all glittering, with the
dining room lights turned out, will
know a joy greater than the children
to whom the birthday is merely a
matter Of lot of new toys.
To illustrate what I mean i will
tell you the story of Buster. On his
sixth birthday he was far away from
daddy with mother in a little sea-
shore cottage. Beside mother there
was auntie and little sister. Money
was scarce and the shops were far
away. The question arose as to an
adequate celebration. Mother said she
would make a cake, and that a tallow
candle, cut into six pieces. would be
perfectly satisfactory to Busters I'M
critical eyes. Auntie insisted that
there should be more than this There
was much secret planning, and on the
morning of the great day Buster was
led into the transformed dining room.
Two rows of pink crepe paper made
it a bower of beauty, for festoons of
the rosy, ruffIed stuff stretched from
ceiling to table. In the center of the
table was cake, and when Buster cut
it he found in his slice shining dime.
Auntie's present was wonderful cart,
made out of an old shoe box, with
figures cut out of the sides. behind
which had been pasted color tissue
paper, and with bit of candle inside
the little lighted wagon was a thing
of beauty Mothers present was a
small wheelbarrow, strong and useful.
and designed to make Busters sand
house building a matter of ease.
Little sister bestowed upon him a
box of home made candy. That was
ALI Yet I am sure that in Busters
mind there will always remain the
vision of that rose pink room, lighted
by the candles in that birthday dawn.
Wedding anniversaries which on the
husbands part are remembered by a
gift of her favorite flowers to his wife
and on her part by little feast in the
place of the ordinary dinner will mean
more in days of struggle and neces-
sary economy than where an expensive
present is expected.
In all such festivals it is the senti-
ment which counts. and for the pres
ervation of this sentiment much effort
should be made, but to make such
events merely an excuse for osten-
tation is not only a mistake but must
result ultimately in lack of interest
and enthusiasm.