Yule-Tide in Many Lands

for silence, come w

ast devoted they

aga," Trans.

land of Odin, of the Vikings, Sagas, midnight sun, and the gorgeous Aurora Borealis. This one of the twin countries stretching far to the north with habitations within

rd the nearest settlement containing a church, that it may listen to the story of the first Christmas morn which is told year after year by the pastor

. They have no games, no gift for music, they never dance nor play cards, but year after year drag out an existence, living within low earth-covered huts or in tents. Even the best homes are low and poorly ventilated. For w

h services, in the uniting of couples in marriage, and, alas, in the abundance of liquor freely distributed during this season. The children are made happy by being able to attend school, for at Christmas they are brought into the settlements with fr

d, the one great occasion of the year is Christmas. Not the merry, bright, festive occasio

rom childhood. Men, women, children, servants, guests, and animals, crowd into the small, low homes, without a thought of Santa Claus coming to visit them. Children have no stockings to hang

ves wend their way to church, greeting one another as they meet, there is a faint approach to joyousness. Of cours

give in marriage, christen the children, and bury the dead, whose bodies have lain beneath their

at and no plum pudding! And imagine what would be his sensation could a Lapp child be put into a home in England, America, Ge

away in various places for them to find. Then there are all sorts of pretty games for them to play and quantities of appetizing food prepared for their pleasure. The young folks earn their feas

le, barn

the bird

th a shea

resent, then they smoke while the feast, the great feature of the day, is being made ready. Fish, poultry, meats, and every variety of food known to the Norwegian housewife is served in courses, bet

ising turns to the host and hostess, who remain seated at either end

hristmas Eve Se

resent the Virgin and the Holy Babe, enter the room and sing sweet carols. Often strolling musicians arrive, such as go from

navian cousins, the little Icelanders, in their peat houses, on that isolated island in the sea, where the shortest day is four hour

st wind convey the sound of glad voices across the wide expanse of water separating the island from th

good and

th man, res

on me with

joys in jo

st be polished, scrubbed, beaten, and made clean, and all rubbish burned, f

p and be beaten, the paint must be cleaned, and the house set in order. The silver which has been handed down from generation to generation, together with that received on holidays and

f wheat and rye flour, raised over night, then rolled very thin and cut into discs twelve or fourteen inches in diameter, with a hole in the center. After having been baked

, as well as the baking of the light yellow (saffron), the chocolate-bro

, for there must be an inexhaustible supply of Christmas beer, made of malt, water,

r kind, but the more delicious sweet cheese that is made o

ng pies, as her people know nothing about that ind

lder members of the family, with friends and relatives, join with great gusto, preparing pa

of paper fringe to wind with the tinsel among the boughs, from whic

ir elders. When a gift is offered in person, or, as is more generally the case, is thrown in the door suddenly by an unseen hand, there rings

ich are increased upon the arrival of a veritable Santa Claus bestrewn with wool-snow and laden with baskets of gifts. On the huge sled are one or more baskets according to the number of bundles to be distributed in the family. Each bundle bears the

f Santa Claus, all join in dancing and singing around t

hristmas

ristmas h

tmas then c

read and Chr

ce and Chri

tc

ng the Oats," in which girls and boys-there m

oats, cut

oing to

arest will

e will I

ast eve in t

light clear

one and I'

be left wi

ails as the cutters' arms encircle the waists of the pretty oats, leaving the u

did wa

e, no one

e left

e left

rom pianissimo to forte indicate the hunters' nearness to the object sought for. The game of "Blind Feeding the Blind" causes much amusement among the juveniles;

ully and often elaborately trimmed with flowers and green leaves. The corners of the long snow-white homespun cloth are caught up into rosettes surrounded with long calla or other leaves; possibly the entire edge of

and is eaten with cream. Several blanched almonds are boiled in the mush and it is confidently believed that whoever finds the first almond will be the first to be married. While e

od ashes or else it is soaked in soda water, then boiled and served with milk gravy. Bread, cheese, and a few vegetables follow, together with a pudding made of salt herrings, skinned, bo

erved at every table on Christmas from that of t

eds, each drawn by one, two, or even three horses, over whose backs jingle rows of silver-toned bells. The sled parties are an especial featur

far gayer. Then begin the family parties, with the looking forward to the great Twelfth-Night ball, after which the children an

he first are blown out and the last two struggled for while the tree is drawn

ry while they last. Besides having the Jul-gran or Christmas tree, each family places in the yard a pol

during Christmas, the day following

g," is said to be the motto of the Swedes. So the custom

e recently had a word to say in doubt whether these mounds contain the remains of the renowned beings, those ancient travelers. The Swedes, however, still cling to the belief that the bones of Wodin, the Alexander of the North, rest beneath the sod at Upsala. In these mounds have been

o the needy. The Yule festivities are prolonged for two weeks in many places, during which the people visit from home to home and enjoy many social pleasures

crape on the door and often strewn before the hearse and also upon the floor in the saddened homes, so of course at Christmas they wo

s at all from the day before Christmas until after New Year, but spends the time in visiting, eating, and

the birds, receive the best the larder affords on this occasion. There is a peculiar kind of cake that is made for ea

ht on Christmas Eve and with a stick in hand strike each tree three t

e on their knees at midnight on Christmas Eve, but no

to the island of Bornhern by the parsons although they once ran riot through Zealand, and the l

he New Year with a noise of f

RISTMA

Norway's d

d of ice

er nights are

th winds fi

low-thatched

mas eve,

grain is hu

he birds

ne by, on C

day was n

, starving b

peasant

cried one, wit

ping ton

here is plenteou

asant had

given to u

h but two

t with smiles

st-child's sa

ried the shiver

ight is gr

e we rest in

our even

he anthem they

nd ove

hild came on

s as wel

safe, snug, warm

ng, cold ni

clear the swe

n the Chri

eir covert, with

to a res

peasant pass

rowful, do

d friendless

rd him s

," (he wept and

on New Ye

listened with

," they ge

a sheaf of g

d but thre

to God, He wi

man in d

their voices o

y and te

the Christmas

light, cle

h grain of whe

ning coin

ducats of

d, if the

e wonderful

ant light o

ifted his tea

ning sheaf

from the lovi

cle wrough

r of all, who

en will ne

he birds from th

sed Christ-c

kindness bear

erb true

hine alms, wit

iting poo

e birds, and th

ear rolls

hild came on

s as wel

. M. To