Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1917-12-07

Christmas turkeys in Denmark are
geese that share honorS at the Christ
mas feast with a special kind Of cake
The salt-cellar remains on the table
throughout Yuletide just to uphold
tradition. At midnight on Christmas
eve those who have fruit trees take
lanterns and n stick and find their
way into the orchards. Each tree Is
struck three times by the head of the
house with the injunction, "Rejoice
and be fruitful" No one who can
possibly avoid it works from Christ
mas until after New Years day.
Greetings for the Lords birth" Is
the Russian way of saying, Merry
Christmas to which the answer Is,
God be with you" Besides celebrat-
ing the nativity, the Russians cherish
n mystical lore Of the Goddess of the
Sun, who, at Christmas time, was sup
posed to enter her sledge, dressed In
gorgeous robes and %headdress. and
turn her horses toward summer. Here
and there In the great country n VII
lage maiden, dressed In white and
drawn on a sledge from house to
house, represents the Goddess of the
Sun, while her retinue sing carols.
After attending n Christmas eve serv-
ice I'm church, Russians set out to have
a frolicklng Christmas in a community
way. One who has a large house in
vites many other households, which
come bringing cakes and other sweets.
They would freeze in their sledges
rather than alight before receiving the
greetings of host and hostess. There
are Il large feast, games, snowballlng,
and r~ecitatlons and songs, sometimes
lasting throughout the night. One
wonders how revolutionary Russia,
anarchistic and warworn, will cele-
brate the Holy Child's birth this year.
France has II quiet Christmas, Civ
ing less prominence to II than TO any
OF the other days in the holiday cal
endar. Old folks in the provinces tell
about times when Christmas was II
gay season, celebrated with great romp
and JOY. The shopkeepers Turkish
their stalls for the gift season, and
+ the confectioners make those delicious
, little cakes with sugar forms Of the
3 Chrlstchlld on top. Scraps Of Yule.
tide tradition are dearly held In the
. homes of some of the peasants, The
q ashes of the great Yule log are thought
: to be protection against lightning and
! bad luck; the old log has magic power
? to I'll with peppermints shoes left
o beside 1t, and its ashes dropped into
. medicine have wonderful curative pow
ers. French children have Christmas
/ trees and little cradles made of ever
6 greens, representations Of the holy
n manger. France sings carols through
, the whole month of December, stroll
8 ing musicians playing their Noels from
house to house. The presence OF
n American soldiers there this year I'M
/, ~doubtedly will alter the ancient Gus
q toms of the people somewhat.
A Christmas in Italy means a chill
dren's season, wherein the little folks
: reconsecrate themselves by slnginl
q and reciting pieces In the streRts
= aud In Spain It means no end OF sOcia
gayety among the young folks, almos
10 the point of such registering a
~ Americans indulge I'm on Halloween
In America It seems to be a gala com
binatlon of these old-wOrld custom.
20 and others with a little more lavish
A. ness and good-tlme display.-Fron
10 "Yuletlde in Many Lands" by Mary I
n Pringle and Clara A. Urann.