The Jasper news., 1917-12-06

tables under the trees are the gifts,
surprising gifts they would seem to
some--a soap-rose, an artificial flower,
knitted lace, Christmas cake, or q
sausage or cheese. Most of them have
verses attached, written In curious me-
ter. Not until six o'clock In the eve
ming are the doors open for the fes-
tivity Of the trees. Tonight the horses
and cows of the German farmers have
peculiar gifts. 1t is said that the cat
tie kneel on Christmas eve and say
few animal prayers. 1t is very
great sin to listen to their conversa-
ton, else 1t would be recorded here.
If reindeer could talk on Christmas
eve. the ones that pull the family
sleighs of the Lapps Of Lapland, what
wouldn't they tell of long journeys over
Ice and snow for days before Christ
mas in order to have their masters
and the children at church on Christ
mas morningl Miles over the snow
come the people Of the North to hear
the familiar mOnotOned message OF
the birth of the Christchild from their
pastors. There is no lightness in this
ceremony, nor any gifts for the chill
| dren, nor gay music. The tent or hut
homes are filled with guests for the
Christmas holidays, SO full that there
is no room for evergreens or candles.
They take their Christmas with faces
as solemn as mummies and make the
| attendant ceremonies as unjoyful as
1Gnr do
| Ing the season, children are sent to
school for few weeks, babies are
christened, the dead are buried, and
| liquor Is sent around with lavishness
This is Christmas for the Lapps. Who
| will change with them?
| Norway outside Of Lapland has n
more joyous time Of 1t. Norwegian
children have Christmas trees and lit
| tie gifts that are hidden in out-of-the-
way corners for them to find. Every
| bird In Norway must know of an ap-
preaching Christmas, for the boys and
girls tie oats and corn on the trees,
| the fences, the tops Of houses and
barns, and on high poles they erect In
their yards SO thnt the birds may feast
1 with them. What a chattering there
must be in Norway on Christmas morn
| ingl After a day of feasting and
church services, little boys with white
mantles and star-shaped lanterns, car
| rying dolls to represent the Virgin
Mary and the Christchild, sing carols
in the homes. Strolling musicians
serenade at twilight.
To be clean for Christmas is the
problem that haunts the Swedish
housewife. For days she scours and
scrubs and washes. Not q piece of
trimming or furniture Is left unpol-
ished. All dirt is sinful, and must not
be tolerated at this holy season. While
the cleaning Is going on, there is the
baking of Christmas breads. ring
shaped, that must dry under the
beams for a week or two, and the
brewing of spiced drinks. A wine that
the Swedish women make with al
monds and spices is an aromatic quaff
with holiday smell. Never can there
be proper Christmas in Sweden with
out homemade cheeses, especially the
sweet ones made of boiled sweet milk
and nodded fantastically. Santa Claus
appears in person to Swedish children
and distributes his sled Of gifts. When
he has disappeared as mysteriously as
he came. they join hands and sing
Christmas jlngles until they work up
fine appetite for Christmas mush,
| an Indispensable sweet-rice boiled a
long time In milk with cinnamon and
| sugar, with blanched almonds for fla
vor, to be eaten with cream. Christ
mas fish In Sweden has the same share
of responsibility that rare roast beef
has In England. II Is buried for days
In wood ashes. then boiled and served
with hot milk. Sled parties of forty
or fifty sleds each go to church on
Christmas morning, with the ringing
Of long rows of sleigh bells and festive
trappings. The day itself is one of
peace and quiet. But on the next day
the fun begins, and continues until all
their four holidays are over-Cbrist-
mas. the day after, the twelfth day,
and the twentieth. The ceremony of
untrimming the tree Is as much Of a
frolic as its decoration. There are no
house green's to take down, because
this Is their sign of mourning, but
there are flowers Il they can be OBJ
tained.