The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-25
SATURDAY

presumed said managing editor wants
to even up something.
But. taken in the abstract. Christ
mas differs very little in the south
from Christmas in Topeka The same
Yuletide spirit gets into your bones
wherever you are and wherever you
come from. and II Is doubtful IL the
Cratchens in any one part Of the coun-
try get any more or less pleasure out
of their goose than the Cratchsns Of
any other sections.
One of'the greatest differences be-
tween a southern and q northern
Christmas is that in the south the peo-
pie always look for snow and rarely
get 1t. while in the north they pay
less attention to IL and usually get II.
Snow is always a luxury in the south.
especially to the young bloods." and
an ideal Santa Claus night for them
is one when the ground Is covered
with several inches of snow so that
Dancer and Prancer and the rest OF
the reindeer team can make better
time in their rounds.
Snow cream, always q favorite dish
with southern children. is the dish OF
dishes for them at Christmas time,
and when there is enough snow to
make 1t, the cream and sugar supplies
are hit hard and II becomes q favorfte
over candies and nuts and other
goodies that have been found in the
stockings. To the youngsters of the
south. snow cream at Christmas Is as
great a dish as eggnog Is to the older
people.
And there is another difference be-
tween the south and this part of the
north. Eggnog-rich. yellow eggnog
makes the Christmas days feast
complete. and even in families where
the lid is on through the year egg
nog is permitted on Christmas day.
Probably there is more consideration
given to John Barleycorn in his vari-
Gus connections at Christmas time in
he ~ ,ek.
even now when much of the south is
as dry as Kansas. the Christmas
booze consumption is large and IL isn't
considered, even by the temperance
get tight" as It is at other times.
Wine and BLACK cake" are favorite
refreshments in many southern homes
during Christmas week. BLACK
cake is fruit cake well seasoned with
wine and whisky and II Is usually
made a month or two before the hoIf-
days. because ii is said TO become bet
ter with age. In some families It IL
customary to make the Christmas
black cake q year in advance.
One noticeable difference between
Christmas in the south and here Is
that in the south the firing OF guns,
shooting of fire crackers and other
fireworks displays are customary. Al
so. in many places bells are rung on
Christmas morning. and those who
wish to keep their firearms. that are
not frequently used. in shooting order,
fire them off on Christmas morning.
In most of the larger cities OF the
south laws have been passed prohfb-
iting fireworks displays on the streets.
But in all the stores giant Crackers
pigmy crackers, roman candles and
sky rockets form large part OF the
window decorations and these are still
sold in large quantities The boys In
the rural districts shoot them to ttsztr
hearts content, but the city boys have
to do their shooting in their own
yards, or go beyond the city limits to
do their celebrating.
Holly decorations are much more
numerous in the south than in this
cality people can go out into the
woods and gather as much holly as
they can use. Many country people
also provide part OF their Christmas
money by selling holly. in bulk and
woven into wreaths, and almost every
home has a holly wreath hung on the
door and other parts Of the house dec
GRATED with holly. Mistletoe also 10
used largely for Christmas decora-
lions. Dances and parties during the
week between Christmas and New
Years is the major recreation for the
young people Of the south, as In other
sections
But, aside from a few minor Gus
toms, which vary in different local
tiles. the spirit of Christmas and the
good fellowship that goes with II ap-
pears to be the same in the south as in
kansas and elsewhere.