The Arvada enterprise., 1913-01-02

hibits burning candle in every window; the
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 a saucer. May be it has Gov
cred piece of red ribbon-that presages
wound or some bodily injury; or coin, riches;
or a key. for girl the token of her dlrectloh
within a twelve-month of some household. Tor a
boy the entrance on commercial career; or
piece of fuel which fortels death; or ring lor
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. lie
makes 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
tinctive I.enten diet is blnes and caviar; the
former the large thick pancakes which are eaten
with butter, sour cream and fruit juice. At mid
Lent a fresh water fish is much esteemed-lake
it is called II 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 gem
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 folksongs to the spirit
of spring Then they drink deeply of sweet
mead and consume vast quantities OF struvor-
rich puffpaste tarts-and then they dance and
dirt 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 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 n very important 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. 10
each squad is assigned 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-
tia in every 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 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
sons in the fields 1t is consequently carried to
the rias barns, and laid racks and rafters.
Fires are kndled in each corner and the smoke
permeates the crop. mpartinE a much-oved and |
peculiar flavor The country peoples diet con- |
sists chiefly OF talkumma sort OF porrdge |
made OF rye. This Is carried when well set in |
birch bark knapsacks. 1t is also baked hard and .
hung in great round. thin cakes with holes in
the center, from the ceilings OF the houses Their
favore beverage is coffee, which they brew to
perfection Corn-rye brandy is a liquor much
esteemed by all classes and sometimes INDUCED
in 10 excess
The greatest rafreshment Of the Firms is the
bath; every homestead has a bath.house 1t is
their uufalnE remedy in sickness III bath
and brandy fail they say then comes death"
In the lighthouses are stone ovens wherein wood
fires are Nudled and every oriace is closed.
After the fire has burnt Itself out buckets OF
water or shoyefuls OF snow are dashed upon the
'mbers and red hot stones. Dense clouds OF
steam arise and into them the bathers plunge.
The whole body Is 8wtched with birch rods, and
then follow thorough massage and rubbing down
with soap As the bather quits the bathhouse
sousings Of cold water or snow are administered;
sometimes header Into deep snow is preferred
iheh Tor While 10 cool they all sit on behcheS
10 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 sufhces tow
spectaoes can be more weird and astounding
Tor the traveller than when driving to night quar-
'ers' he suddenly comes upon the family at bath