The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-12-12
Riddles Are Ready for the
Chimney-Slide Man.
DECORATIONS N ALL COUNTRIES
Holly, MistletOe and Evergreen
Are Emblems of Cheer.
T0pekans Will Not Have to Pay
Much for Materials.

Twelve thousand Christmas trees
and other Christmas greens from all
parts of the world-boxes and bales
and carloads OF them-have been re-
ceived in Topeka by commission mer-
chants. Evergreens from the north
woods and mistletoe from Normandy
and the sunny southland, all bringing
to Topeka the pervasive spirit OF
Christmas.
Never before has there been so
large a supply of decorations In the
city, according to local commission
men. Three carloads of trees-tweive
thousand OF them-have been re-
ceived by as many commission firms.
And among the trees are ones suitable
for every purpose and place. There
are little ones for baby's Christmas.
There are larger ones for family at
fairs and the big ones are for the Sun
day school and church.
Not Costly This Year.
And Christmas decorations are not
expensive this year. Trees can be
city for anywhere from twenty cents
to five dollars-wreaths for twenty
cents, and holly-lots of it-can be
bought for ten cents a pound or less.
Possibly the Christmas season Is
felt nowhere stronger than it is on
Kansas avenue and in the stores. Tons
of holly and green's have been used in
decorating store windows and stores.
The store windows could almost be
mistaken for miniature forests. Long
before Christmas eve this year To-
peka people were reminded to do
their Christmas shopping early by the
profuse decorations Of holly and
wreaths.
Glow OF Light.
aia.
tinct emb1ems of the season are used
-evergreens, holly and mistletoe. The
trees for the Riddles who like the can
dies and tinsel and the glow of the
light on the ribboned gifts; the holly
for the old people who like the
warmth and glow OF the crimson Der.
ries against the leaves OF green. and
the mistletoe is for the young people
who like the-kisses-whyn not?
And the traditions and romance and
fairy tales surrounding the times
when the decorations were first used
began with the birth of the Savior
some of them before.
First Used by Teutons.
Evergreens were first used for Christ
northern Europe.
The custom of employing holly for
Christmas decorative purposes is one of
considerable antiquity and has been
regarded as a survival of the Roman
Saturnalia or of an old Teutonic prac-
tice of hanging the interior of buildings
with holly and evergreens as a refuge
of sylvan from the inclemency of
winter
In the Rutland country it is deemed
unlucky to bring holly into the house
before Christmas day. In England.
among those of the ''old honour" the
prickly and non-prickly holly is dis
tinguished as "he'' and 'tshe" holly.
And in Derbyshire, according to tradi-
lions, the kind of holly brought into
the house designates whether the hus-
band or the wife shall be the master.
Traditions of Mistletoe.
The traditions surrounding the use of
! mistletoe are even older than those CON-
nected with holly. This decoration
| originated in Europe and the most of
that used for Christmas purposes in
Europe at the present day comes from
the apple trees Of Normandy. Nearly
all the mistletoe used in America comes
| from southern states.
| The mistletoe figures in Scandinavian
legend as having furnished the material
| for the arrow with which Baldur, god
| OF the sun, was slain by the blind god
Holder, thus creating winter and less
! light in winter than in summer. The
mist1etoe was the only plant with which
Baldur could be harmed and his death
was planned by LOki, Scandinavian god
| of evil things.
ence by the Druids and other tribes and
| people of the north of ancient Europe
and in many ancient northern countries
| it was the holy emblem.
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