The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-12
VICTORY may coine and victory
I may 90. hut no future triumphs

" may go ou' ho future tr'u"ip"s
or defeats can ever soften for
Europe tho memory OF this dark
christmas of -.J9lo, the snddest
she has ever known. pride IN the
nresen, and faith in the future sus-
min every one Of the warning peoples
IN their exaltation Of sacrifice. But
.. Observation-Disclosures. the feast Of
m. home and of the family-exalta-
Non. dies, and only sorrow. the sorrow
a, the beref, individual. remains.
II IL a very different Christmas Eu-
,ope is approaching this year from
hat o, a year ago. Then the shock
aud excitement of the beginning Of
he war were still tingling. In Eng
land the question Of munitions is to-
INV Of no loss Importance to the pop
,,ar mind than. a year ago was the
absorbing question Of getting n plum
,,ddiny to every man in the trenches.
There was still talk Of the kaiser's
timing in Paris. and discussions as to
r,h,c, ruler should lead tho triumphant
Niles in procession through Inter
den Linden.
Victory seemed n much simpler mat
,.- n year ago than 1t does To-day.
Every one admitted then that victory
would be- bought only with sorrow
and sacrifice. Now every n knows,
WITH the hard knowledge OF expert
.nce. that victory will be bought only
with sorrow heaped on sorrow ana
sacrifice heaped on sacrifice. II IL this
knowledge borne In on every home,
however exalted or however humble.
,ha, makes the Christmas celebration
q, 1915 in Europe n solemn sacrament
Of sorrow.
OF all the warning peoples Christmas
means the most TO the Germans and
on none will the sacrifice Of the tradi-
.ional customs OF the day fall so heav-
ly There is no blood and iron In
lie German Christmas. There is in
stead a tender and appealing sentiment
that Is typical Of all that is best In
N. German character. The whole
world is indebted To Germany for the
Christmas tree and for many OF the
mos, delightful Of the Christmas sto-
RES and customs that Americans have
l!opted "a their own. The German
Christmas is n day for the home. the
family ard the children. with it's very
custom endeared by generations o.
tradition.
TIE exact origin ~ the Christina!
tree and its significance in a religion,
festival are not very clear. The frs
historical mention Of II is containec
n tho notes of "A certain citizen q
Sirasburg of unknown name who II
1904 wrote. at Christmas they So
Up fir trees in the pariors Of Stras
burg and hang thereon roses cut on
o, many cnl"red papers. apples, waters
gold foil. sweets. &c" There - II,
record OF lighted candles until 1897.
Until the nineteenth century IN
Christmas tree was still a novelty an
sluSury. Then. however. it became
necessity. No German was too poo
or too lonely TO have his Christina
tree with Tvs lighted tapers. y,
struggling emigrant IN a foreign iant
no humble sailor ON the high seas bu
when Christmas Eve came around sc
~ a tiny tree. decorated II a. best h
could. and by the light of It's flicker
ing candles Toasted all the love c
home and fatherland that his sol
contained.
The present war time Christmas re
calls a story Of the Crinca. A fe'
German soldiers with the foreign IL
zion In the trenches before Sebastop'
Set up a Christmas tree. Its light
hlazed up and drew the Russian fir
Every man in the group around
Was killed, but the tree itself was ur
touched and still twinliled merrily VI
II II WAS hastily pulled down and cs
unru.shed by the English soldiers.
The real German Christmas cels
hration occurs on Christmas ev
About I O'Clock the dinner is serve
en- elaborate and hearty feast. consis'
IS Of n long series Of tradition
tFhes, all eaten In a state Of wild O,
element. During this meal the Kris
Kind makes It's appearance. TIL
figure is a curious product of sent
ment and imagination, n ueer con
hlna'ipn Of the Holy Child, the goo
AIRY ana our " Santa Claus. .
- represented in the country district
nv Il half grown child made UP as a
angel, who goes from door to doc
calling for the good children. distribu
M sweetmeats at m house and he;
gn- FOR them at the next.
After dinner ONE the great m
ment when the doors are opened in
~" Christmas room where the light'
tree has tho place OF honor. The tr'
IS always placed near a window
nat every passerby a see and sha
y. a Walk through the deserted res
demo" streets Of any German town
MS hour on Christmas eve leaves
memory Of Christmas cheer and spii
ma can be forgotten.
BY . O'Clock the family is ready
ca again, q light supper includil
s'll more Of the traditional Christm