The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-03

hibits q burning candle In every window; the
peasants dwellings are Uttered with clean straw
and the cattle in their stalls have extra sup
plies OF food. A popular observance Is to ar
range inverted saucers around the festive board
one for each guest-under which are placed
objects bearing significant meanings. Each per
son In turn raises q saucer. May be II has Gov
cred a piece Of red ribbon-that presages q
wound or some bodily injury; or a coin, richest
or a key, for a girl the token of her direction
within a twelve-month of some household, for a
boy the entrance on a commercial career; or q
piece of fuel, which fortells death; or a ring for
matrimony. and so forth.
The Christmas Buck visits every home In
Finland. He is an old man with long white hair
and beard and heavily clad In fur. He drives
his team Of reindeer over mountains and frozen
lakes and enters unannounced each doorway. He
makes a circuit Of the family and inquiries
whether the children have been good or bad
Before leaving he throws down klapps for all
At Twelfth Night the Star Boys" make their
appearance. They are five young men in fancy
dress. Three represent the Three Holy Kings OF
the Epiphany, one is King Herod, and the last
a goat with hoofs and horns. They enact a
legendary play which has for Its finale the death
of Herod, whilst the goat is thrust outside the
door. Wherever they go they collect aims for
poor people who have no Christmas cheer.
After the ~gayeties Of Christmas two months
elapse during which one Is able to restore ones
digestive organs, and then comes Lent. A dis
tinctiye Ienten diet is blines and caviar; this
former the large thick pancakes which are eaten
with butter, sour cream and fruit Juice. At mid
Lent a fresh water ash is much esteemed-lake
II Ia called. 1t is caught in nets sunk through
holes in the ice of rivers and lakes. 1t Is boiled
in milk. On Easter Eve everybody eats hard
boiled eggs.
The first OF May is an ancient festival of gen
eral observance, especially by students and
youths. They meet IN the public parks of Hell
singfors, the capital. and In country market
places, and there sing old folk-songs to the spirit
OF spring. Then they drink deeply Of sweet
mead and consume vast quantities OF struvor-
rich puff paste tarts-and then they dance and
hirt with buxom maidens to their hearts con.
tent. Midsummer day is Of universal observance
in Finland. Birch trees are planted at all the
house doors and twigs OF birch are stuck all
over every room. The sun sets In the eve at
eleven o'clock, and rises In the day at two. Dur.
ing those three brief hours the young people kin.
die big fires. All are bent on dancing around and
above the blazing embers. They call the fires
kokko, loves fame"
Rye harvest is a very important season. On
the first day the laborerfarmers, with their
wives and families. foregather at the mansion of
Ine IhnuOWHbT. lIty II UlFlucu llIb buuduB~
one man, two women and three children. To
each squad Is assigned a certain area wherein
the man cuts the crop, the women shock and
the children CLEAN. They work from four In the
morning until eight at night, with intervals for
breakfast and dinner. These meals, together
. with the supper at the end Of toll, are substan'
tial in every sense. They are provided gratis
by the landowner and are eaten at long tables
placed in front OF the mansion, whereat the land
L. F---IIr Ra1 ~ ali
join In singing the plaintive national song, kale.
wala, and then a happy time is passed with
games and dances.
The rye crop, which provides the Firms with
their staff OF life, does not dry in ordinary sea.
sons in the fields. II is consequently carried to
the rias, or barns, and laid on racks and rafters,
Fires are kindled in each corner and the smoke
permeates the crop, imparting a muchloyed and
peculiar flavor. The country peoples diet con.
sists chiefly Of talkumma. a sort OF ~porridge
made of rye. This is carried, when well set, in
birch bark knapsacks. It is also baked hard and
hung In great round, thin cakes, with holes In
the center, from the ceilings OF the houses. Their
favorite beverage is coffee, which they brew to
perfection. Corn-rye brandy is a liquor much
esteemed by all classes and sometimes INDUCED
in to excess.
The greatest refreshment Of the Firms Is the
bath; every homestead has a bath.house. It ia
their unfailing remedy in sickness. III bath
and brandy fail" they cay, then comes death"
In the lighthouses are stone ovens wherein wood
fires are kindled and every orifce is closed
After the fire has burnt itself out buckets OF
water or shovelfuls Of snow are dashed upon the
embers and red hot stones. Dense clouds OF
steam arise Ind into them the bathers plunge,
The whole body Is switched with birch rods, and
then follow thorough massage and rubbing down
with soap. As the bather quits the bath-house
sousings of cold water or snow are administered;
sometimes a header into deep snow is preferred!
Then for a while to cool they all sit on benches
in the open air, and then they resume their
clothes. During harvest time such baths in com.
mon are taken every evening after work Is done;
In winter the Saturday night tub sunless. Few
spectacles can be moro weirc and astounding
for the traveller than, when driving to night quar-
tiers. he suddenly comes upon the family at bath.