The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1916-12-15

{ !. !. !. 4.
may come and victory
IlcZSTEXf5B may CO. but no future triumphs
1kANTCEHE or defeats can ever soften for
lhNNN(H Europe the memory Of this dark
Ik(NElN Christmas Of 1916 the saddeSt
TN11yNelM she has ever known Pride In
lSN& the present and faith In the fu-
ture sustain everyone OF the
warning peoples In their exaltation OF sacrifice.
But at Christmas Christmas, the feast Of the
home and Of the famlly-exaltation dies, and only
sorrow. the sorrow OF the bereft individual, re-
mains says tho New York Sun.
II IL n very different Christmas Europe Is APP;
preaching this year from that of two years ago.
Then the shock aud excitement OF the beginning
OF the war were still tingling. In England the
question OF munitions Is today Of no inss I'm
portance TO the popular mind than two years ago,
was the absorbing question OF getting plum
pudding TO every man In the trenches There was
stll talk of the kaisers dining IN Paris, and dis
cussIons as TO which ruler should lead the tr-
unphant allies In procession through Inter den
Linden,
Victory seemed much simpler matter then
than II does today. Everyone admitted then that
victory would be bought only with sorrow and
sacrifice. Now everyone knows, with the hard
knowledge OF experience, that victory will be
bought only with sorrow heapei on sorrow and
sacrifice hcapcd on sacrifice II IL this knowledge
borne In on every home, however exalted or how
ever humble, that makes the Christmas celebra.
ton OF 1915 In Europe solemn sacrament OF
sorrow.
or all the warning peoples Christmas means
the most 10 the Germans and on none will the
sacrifice OF the traditional customs Of the day
fall So heavily. There is no blood and Iron In
the German Christmas, There s instead n ten
der and appealing sentiment that is typical of
nil that Is best In the German character The
whole world Is indebted 10 Germany for tho
Christmas tree and for many OF the most delight
ful OF the Christmas stories and customs that
Americans have adopted MS their own. The Ger
man Christmas Is a day for the home. the family
and the Children, Wifi its every .crstom tndearsd
by generations OF tradition.
The real German Christmas celebration occurs
on Christmas eve. About four O'Clock the dinner
Is served An elaborate and hearty feast consist.
Ing OF long series Of traditional dishes all eaten
in a state Of wild excitement During this meal
the Krlstkind makes It's appearance. THIS figure
IS curious product OF sentiment and magtns.
ticn n queer combination Of the Holy Child the
good fairy and our own Santa Claus II Is rep
resented In the country district by halt-grown
child made up as m angel who goes from door
to door calling for the good children giving sweet.
meats at one house aud begging them ct the next.
After dinner comes the great moment when the
doors are opened into ghe Christmas ronp where
the lighted tree has the place Of honor The tree
IL always placed near window that every
passcr-hy can see and share II. 4 walk through
tho deserted residence streets OF any German
town nj this hour on Christmas eve leaves mem
ory OF Christmas cheer and spirit that can never
be forgotten.
BY nine o'clock the family Is ready 20 eat again.
light supper including still more Of the tradi-
tional Christmas dishes Every one rich or poor.
has Nuremberg ginger cuke, Its shiny brown sur
face decorated with almonds and ralsins, and
with the word "weihnschten" and the year
worked out In pinS and white frosting Stolen.
a sort Of plum cake. and many sweet biscuits
Of various shapes and sizes. are all indispensable
parts Of this feast
But this year, with a shortage Of fats In her
food supply so severe IS TO demand serious at
tention en the part OF the government there Ia In
Germany no butter or milk FOR the Christmas
cakes, no tallow or WAX for the Christmas can
dies To many people this little hou,ely deprva.
tion viii bring realization Of the seventies Of
war more vivid ard more compelling than even
the sigh, Of the fast.grcwing graveyarhs With
two million new grsvcs>i In the land. with dire ne
cessity robhlng her dearest holiday Il its dearest
symbols no irumphs Of arms can make This Christ
mas Of 1916 anything but sad aud scrrowfal
feast In the homes of the German empire.
In Austria the Christmas celebrations are as
varied as the races and religions that make up