The Benson signal., 1917-12-08

tables under the trees are the gltts'
surprising gifts they would seem 10
sOme-a soap-rose, an artificial HOVER
knitted lace, a Christmas cake, or
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 nave
peculiar gifts. It is said that the cat
tie kneel on Christmas eve and say
a few animal prayers. 1t Is very
great sin to listen to their conVerSa-
tion, else it would be recorded here.
If reindeer could talk on Christmas
eve, the ones that pull the talnlly
sleighs of the Lapps of Lapland, Wnat
wouldn't they tell of long Journeys over
ice and snow for days before ChrlSt-
mas in order to have their masters
and the children at church on CHRIST
mas morning! Miles over the snow
come the people of the North TO near
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 nut
homes are filled with guests for the
Christmas holidays, so full that tnere
is no room for evergreens or canoles.
They take their Christmas with faces
as solemn as mummies and make the
attendant ceremonies as unJoyful as
possible. Marriages are performed DUR
ing the season, children are sent TO
school for a few weeks, babies are
christened, the dead are buried, and
liuuor is sent around with lavishness.
This is Christmas for the Lapps. VINO
will change with them?
Norway outside of Lapland has
more joyous time of it. 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 that the birds may feast
I with them. What chattering there
must be in Norway on Christmas morn
ing! 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 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 jingles 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 sanre share
of responsibility that rare roast beef
has in England. 1t 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-Christ-
mas, the day after, the twelfth day,
and the twentieth. The ceremony of
untrimming the tree is as much of q
frolic as its decoration. There are no
house green's to take down, because
this is their sign of mourning, but
there are flowers if they can be OBJ
tanned.