Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1916-12-07

k-Z--S--NICTORY may come and victory
|" /. !. !:
IIStSWETI1wr5n may 60 but future triumphs
1kNNWCNDT defeats can ever soften for
lkJEWfVN1N Europe the memory of this dark
lRCM(N Christmas of 1916, the saddest
fH1NtNTNlM she has ever known. Pride In
LscSeAs{szvsrsS2 the present and faith in the fu-
ture sustain everyone of the
warning peoples In their exaltation of sacrifice.
But at Christmas--C Christmas the feast of the
home and Of the family-eXaltaton dies and only
borrow, the sorrow of the bereft individual
mains, says the New York Sun
1t is very different Christmas Europe is APP
preaching this year from that of two years ago.
Then the shock and excitement of the beginning
of the war were still tingllng. In England the
question of munitions Is todny of no less inn
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
still talk of the kaser's dining In Paris, and dis
cussions as to which ruler should lead the trl-
umphant allies In procession through Inter den
Linden
Victory seemed a much simpler matter then
than 1t 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 VIII be
bought only with sorrow heaped on sorrow and
sacrifice heaped on sacrifice It is this knowledge
borne in every home however exalted or how
humble that makes the Christmas celebra-
ton OF 1916 in Europe solemn sacrament Of
sorrow.
OF all the warning peoples Christmas means
the most to the Germans and none will the
sacrifice of the traditional customs of the day
fall so heavily There Is blood and iron in
the German Christmas. There is instead ten
der and appealing sentiment that Is typical OF
all that Is best In the German character. The
whole world is indebted TO Germany for the
Christmas tree and for many of the most delight
full of the Christmas stories mud customs that
Americans have adopted their own The Ger
man Christmas is day for the home, the family
and the children. with its every custom endeared
by generations OF tradition.
The real German Christmas celebration occurs
on Christmas eve About four o'clock the dinner
is served, elaborate and hearty feast consist.
ing of long series of traditional dishes all eaten
In state Of wild excitement. During this meal
the Krstkiud makes its appearance This figure
IS curious product Of sentiment and lmagiun-
ton, queer combination Of the Holy Child, the
good fairy and our own Santa Claus. II Is rep
resented In the country district by a halfgrowu
child made up as an angel, who goes from door
TO door calling for the good children. giving sweet
meats mt one house and begging them at the next
After dinner comes the great moment when the
doors are opened into the Christmas room where
the lighted tree has the place Of honor The tree
is always placed near a window so that every
passerby can see and share A. A walk through
the deserted residence streets or any German
town nj this hour on Christmas eve leaves Inem-
DRY OF Christmas cheer and spirit that can never
be forgotten.
BY nine o'clock the family Is ready 70 eat again,
n light supper including stll more OF the tradi-
tonal Christmas dishes Every one. rich or poor
has Nuremberg ginger cake ITS shiny brown sur
face decorated with almonds and raisins and
with the word 'WeihnNchtcn" and the year
worked out IN pink and white trostng. 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 shortage OF fats In her
food supply severe 20 demand serious at
tentou on the part Of the government there IS In
Germany no butter or milk for the Christmas
cakes talow or wax for the Christmas can
dies. To many people this little homely depriva-
tlon viii bring q realization OF the seventies ~
war more vivid ana more compelling than even
the sight Of the fast growing gravcyards With
two million new graves IN the land with dire ne
cesSty robbng her dearest holiday OF It's dearest
symbols, mo- triumphs of arms can make this Christ
mas of 1916 anything but a sad and sovrow1t
fcast In the homes OF the German empire
In Austria the Christmas celebrations are as
varied as the races ana religions thar make NJ