American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1913-01-09
Il ENZM3N

uil5 d puIulHS anu IN every WINDOW. Inc
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 boarC
one for each guest-under which are placed
objects bearing significant meanings. Each per
son in turn raises a saucer. May be it has GOV
cred a piece OF red ribbon-that presages
wound or SOM bodily injury; or a coin. riches
or a key, for a girl the token of her direction
within a twelve-month of some household. for
boy the entrance on a commercial career: or
piece of fuel. which fortells death: or a ring TO
matrimony, and so forth.
The Christmas Buck" visits every home II
Finland. He is an old man with long white hal
and beard and heavily clad in fur. He drives
his team of reindeer over mountains and frozer
lakes and enters unannounced each doorway. HI
makes a circuit OF the family and inquire!
whether the children have been good or bad
Before leaving he throws down klapps for all
At Twelfth Night the Star Boys make theii
appearance. They are five young men in fancy
dress. Three represent the Three Holy Kings o.
the Epiphany, one is King Herod. and the las
a goat with hoofs and horns. They enact
Legendary play which has for it's finale the deati
of Herod. whilst the goat is thrust outside thu
door. Wherever they go they collect ans FOL
poor people who have no Christmas cheer.
After the gayeties of Christmas two month,
elapse during which one is able to restore one.
digestive organs, and then comes Lent. A dis
tinctive Lenten diet is blines and caviar: tn.
former the large thick pancakes which are eater
with butter, sour cream and fruit Juice. At mid
Lent a fresh water fish is much esteemed-lak
it is called 1t is caught in nets sunk through
holes in the ice OF rivers and lakes. II 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 hy students and
youths. They meet in the p1blic parks of Hell.
SiOpfOrS the caDiral- and n cOunfry marker
places. and there sing old folk-songs to the spiri,
of spring. Then they drink deeply of sweet
mead and consume vast quantities Of struvor-
rich puff paste tarts-and then they dance and
firt 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 flame"
Rye harvest is a very important season. On
the first day the laborer-farmers. with their
wives and families. foregather at the mansion OF
the landowner. They are divided into squads
one man. two women and three children. To
each SQUAD is assigned q 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.
owner and his family serve. After supper all
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 90 rieJ q
the rias. or barns. and laid on racks and rafters.
Fires are kindled in each corner and the smoke
rermeates the crop. imparting a much-loved and
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 ha ID and
in great round. thin cakes. with holes In
the center. from the ceilings of the houses, Their
beverage is coffee, which they brew to
Corn-rye brandy is a liquor much
by all classes and sometimes INDUCED
In TO excess
The greatest refreshment OF the Firms is the
bath; every homestead has a bath house. 1t is
their unfailing remedy in sickness. "If bath
and brandy fail" they say. then comes death"
In the lighthouses are stone ovens wherein wood
fires are kindied and every oriice is closed
After the fire has burnt itself out buckets OF
water or shovelfuls of snow are dashed upon the |
.mbers and red hot stones. Dense clouds OF
arise and into them the bathers plunge. |
he whole body Is switched with birch rods. and
hen follow thorough massage and rubbing down
With soap AS the bather quits the bath house
ousings Of cold water or snow are administered. |
a header into deep snow is preferred.
hen for a while to cool they all sit on benches
the open air. and then they resume their
lothes. During harvest time such baths in com.
non are taken every evening after work is done: ]
a winter the Saturday night tub %suf1ces. Few
pectacles can be more weird and astounding
Or the traveller than. when driving to night quar-.
ers. he suddenly comes upon the family at bath.