The Ordway new era., 1917-12-07

tables under the trees are the gifts,
surprising gifts they would seem to
some-a soap-rose. an artificial flower,
knitted lace, q 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 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 It would be recorded here.
If reindeer could talk on Christmas
eve. the ones that pull the famiiy
sleighs of the Lapps of Lapland, wnat
wouldn't they tell of long journeys over
ice and snow for days before CHRIST
mas In order to have their masters
und the children at church on CHRIST
mas mornlngl Miles over the sno"
come the people of the North to near
the familiar monotoned message OF
the birth of the Christchild from their
pastors. There Is no lghtness In this
ceremony, nor any gifts for the chill
dren, nor gay music. The tent or nut
homes IRE filled with guests Tor the
Christmas holidays, so full that there
is no room for evergreens or canuies'
They take their Christmas with faces
us solemn as mummes and make the
attendant ceremonies as un1oy1ui as
possible. Marriages are performed dur
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. VINO
will change with them2
Norway outside of Lapland has q
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 ind. 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
/ With them. What u chattering there
must be in Norway on Christmas morn
ing! After 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
i trimming or furniture Is left unpol'
ished. All dirt is sinful, and must moi
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 week or two. and the
brewing of spiced drinks. A wine tina,
the Swedish women make with al
monds and spices Is an aromatic quaf,
with a holiday smell. Never can there
be a proper Christmas In Sweden with
out homemade cheeses, especially the
sweet ones made Of boiled sweet mill
and nodded fantastically. Santa Claus
appears in person to Swedish children
and distributes his sled Of gifts. WheI
ne mas Disappeared ds mysteriousiJ az
he came, they Join hands and sins
Christmas jingles until they work uI
a fine appetite for Christmas mush
an Indispensable sweet-rice boiled s
long time in milk with cinnamon ant
sugar, with blanched almonds for fla
vor, to be eaten with cream. Christ
mas fish in Sweden has the same share
of respectability that rare roast bee1
has in England. 1t is buried for day.
in wood ashes. then boiled and servet
with hot milk. Sled parties Of forty
or fifty sleds each go to church or
Christmas morning, with the : ringing
Of long rows of sleigh bells and festive
trappings. The day itself is one o.
peace and quiet. But on the next da!
the fun begins, and continues until al
their four holidays are over-Christ
mas, the day after, the twelfth day
and the twentieth. The ceremony o.
untrimming the tree Is as much Of I
frolic as It's decoration. There are n,
house greens to take down. becaus,
this is their sign Of mourning. bu
there are flowers II they can be OBJ
tained. %
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