The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-06-30
HOLIDAY IN GREECE
HeIIenes' Food Good But Their
Dancing Is Monotonous.
Men, Women and Children Take Par
in the Celebration With No
Trace of Joviaiity.

It is perhaps the only advantage
of being at Saloniki that you can
spend two separate Christmases there
Thus it happened that, - days after
we had eaten our own plum pud'
dings in the mess, we rode away TO
mantically across the mountains LOT
Christmas day in Macedonian VII
lage, says a writer in the London
Times.
The cavalcade consisted Of three
EngliShmen-one of them a cOsIno'
politan genius speaking Greek Ike ms
mother tongue-PetrCs, Greek or
DERBY and leading citizen of our vii
Iage. We sat on pack saddles not IN
like armchairs, with rope stlrrups.
The reins are a hollow mockery,
their only purpose being 10 2nront The
pony and make him SuIk. Hang them
carelessly on the saddle and the sure
footed little beast will find his way
along the most blood-curdling paths,
where deep ravines full of powders
await the smallest slip. At the end OF
a pass we emerged into q great plain
and saw our village before US amid
vineyards and zig trees.
We fired a salvo of revolver shots
into the air to announce our arrival
and were soon shaking hands with q
number Of men in dark blue-black
braided Elton jackets and dark baggy
trousers.
Petros was politely determined that
we were to lunch with him and sOoD
we were in his house reclining on
lovely striped rugs of red, black and
yellow and watching the sparks from
wood fire fly up big chimney. Be
fore lunch, however, came ceremony
which is inevitable on entering any
house. The daughter Of the house
brings q tray on which are small
glasses Of homemade brandy, an
equal number of glasses of water, and
dish of sweet stuff-Turkish delight,
chocolates, or in one case, unequivocs
ally British marmalade to be eaten
with a spoon. The guest stands up
takes a glass of brandy, drinks 1t and
says "Cheer OH Next he takes a
sip of water, and last a sweet.
After the cognac and the Turkish
coffee came lunch. Soup Of tripe, rice
and vinegar, followed by duck. The
duck had fce with it and touch of
garlic. OF all ducks this was the most
palpably divine ever eaten. Then fol-
lowed dancing in the market place.
The market place is an irregular
open space with the invariable plane
tree. The spectators gather in the
corners, leaving the middle clear for
| the dancers, who aNe divided into two
groups. One of these groups revOlves
slowly round a barrel organ decorated
with artificial flowers and grinding out
one never ending tune. First come
half dozen young men, their hands
| on each others shoulders. Next, hand
in hand, some twenty or more women
with maroon-colored draperies round
their heads, dark blue bodices and
skirts, and large aprons of vivid scar
| let crossed with bars of q darker red
and fringed with tassels of bright
color. Round their necks are strings
of gold coins-dowries to be handed
on from mother to daughter, big, thin
Magyar coins mostly, though one
woman has brooch of three English
sovereigns. Next to the women. come
the children. failing away to the very
tiniest little girl, each respondent in
her tiny red apron. The. leader per-
forms O very simple step; his imme'
date neighbors initiate 1t, but further
down the line the step becomes mere
shuttle, and so they go round and round
| forever silently and steadily, not ap
parently bored, but with no trace OF
joviality.
The other group consists Of Older
men who dance far more deliberately
with turnings and twistings and duck
ings and swapping of fingers. Theil
leader is a fine, tall fellow with 6
fierce black mustache and red sash
He waves q bottle in one hand, as
sumes poses Of humorcusly eAaggerat
ed grace, and has altogether a de
bonair and swashbucklering way will
him. Having been to America ht
proudly shouts, Merry Christmas
Happy New Year."