Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1916-12-08

holiday Ideas. A tree twnkled in every place that
housed a German last year, and though the BEL
gians will not allow their Christmas to be German
lied, yet the trees appealed to them nightly Ger
tanly the Christmas tree will be much more COM
mon henceforth in Belgium whether the Germans
stay there or not.
Thousands of refugees waiting in England until
their country is redeemed will bring back with
them many ideas Of the English holiday.
Until the marriage of Queen Victoria to the
prince consort, Christmas in England was che1ly
day of churchgoing, of merrymaking and OF mighty
feasting The prince brought with him from MS
German home the customs of the Christmas tree
and of gift giving. The latter has meyer become
as firmly intrenched in England as it is here, but
lighted tree loaded with decorations and presents
is established as part of every English ceebra-
4On. Christmas decorations of holly and mistietoe
the ceremony of the Yule log and many OF the tra-t
ditional Christmas dishes, notably the plum pud-
ding, are all owed to English custom.
But it is sadder and wiser England that ap-
proaches Christmas this year Hundreds of thou
sands of young Englishmen have died to make
her so. Today every Londoner has had graphic
lesson in what powerful and resourcefui enemy
can do even in fright little, tight little island AS
a further object lesson, England will pay for the
rafsins for her plum buildings something like 300
per cent more than she did last year. The war
with Turkey has done that TO her.
England has had other black Christmases but
they were farther away from home. The Christ
mas Of 1899 in South Africa one that she does
not like to recall, while the terrible Christmas OF
1854, the Christmas of the Crimean war, when, as
a writer of the day put it, Thanks to General
Muddle things about as bad as they can be,
was always bitter memory to that generation.
The year 1916 has not been a good year for Eng
land and she knows it. The knowledge has shat
tered her cOmpiacency and has strengthened her
determination But she is not happy about it and
her Christmas celebration will be chastened feast
Christmas in the Latin countries has always been
more of religious festival than home celebra-
ton. In Italy it is more customary to exchange
presents at New Years than at Christmas Lighted
trees are frequently seen, but they are the luxury
Of the prosperous and not the habit of the people
The day before Christmas is more of an occasion
than the day itself.
In the cities of southern Italy booths erected
in certain streets before Easter for the sale of
odds and ends and sweetmeats; wheeled traffic is
barred and the people promenade slowly up and.
down, exchanging greetings. Midnight mass is
said in all the churches In the churches, too,
exposed the famous cribs or preSepi, representing
scenes of the birth and infancy of Jesus The be-
ginning of this custom is ascribed to st. Francis
of Assist
Christmas is the great feast of the season in
France. In the provinces it is celebrated with pro-
cessions in the Streets which were originally
ligious in character but which have become pro-
famed by the gayety of the maSkers. In Normandy
and in Provence there are elaborate puppet shows
of scenes in the life of the infant Christ. All the
street gayety terminates after in feasts in all
the homes.
In Paris there are Christmas booths set up in
many Of the bouIevards. This year they will be
devoted to the sale Of comforts for the soldiers
Paris knows better than anyone just how black
q wartime Christmas can be- She has never for
gotten the Christmas of 1870 For ninety-eight
days the Germans had battered at the city. Every
fnent was inevitable On Christmas 900 men
froze to death in the trenches just outside the city
Better, it seems, than any of the other nations
did France realize from the beginning what this
present would mean and, realizing, she conse-
Grated herself utterly. She has made every sac
Efce great and SMALL even to giving up the crnsty
rells and light white bread that are the breath
i'll her nostrils When Frenchman, every French
man, eats without complaint a grayish bread made
Of mixture of wheat and rice and entirely lack
ing in golden crust he has indeed exalted spirit.
1t is small thing, perhaps but it is enormously
significant
Last Christmas was solemn festival in France
A million gifts, gifts of WOOL were sent to the men
IN the trenches. Every soldier had glass of
champagne. But there no merrymaking.
Masses We're said at open-ar affairs erected back
of the battle lines In the old church at Thanh in
Alsace a French Christmas was celebrated6for the
first time in forty-four years. But it a cele-
bration of prayer, not of rejoicing.
This year, at least, midnight masses will be said
in the churches of Paris but afterward there will
be no gayety in the streets in former years. no
dancing pierrots and harlequns leading the mask
ers. no brilliant round of restaurant suppers the
beloved reveillon Of the Partisan.
So Paris on Christmas eve will go home through
dar1enel streets with prayer in her heart for all
those who have died for France and for all those
who must yet die.