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Show E AHB told that tho Gorman W surrounds his Christmas with more or nu element of mysticism than does ho of any other nation. It l BbbbssmmbB probably a survival of tho MwSSM fnr bnclt l,ftya whon llls gyjjgHMQUPfi painted ancestors celebrated iSmmm2SC3 their mysterious rites, nt Clirlstmas. under thoir dark groves of forest oaks. lu nearly "bvory dlsTfrdT or the fatherland there still remains tho quaintest quaint-est and queerest or Christmas customs, wlioiio origin is lost In tho hoariest antiquity. They linvo nil In the process or tlmo assumed a Christian character, more or less burlesqued, but the folk-loiists will toll you that they dnto from tho days or Wotan and Freya. Tho peasants of Silesia, tho woodmen or tho Illnck Forest, nnd the hlltstncn or ilnvnrta, happily know nothing or tho origin or tho queor pranks thoy piny nt Christmas; they only know that they have been handed down by thoir fnthers, nnd that thoy in turn will hnnd down tho Immemorial customs to their children. chil-dren. , In acrmany thu old custom of mumming Is stlfi kept up. From houso" to house theso mummors go. Tho shepherds, especially, are entertnlnlng. They nro tho comic men of tho troupo who, In a halt grotesque nnd half serious seri-ous way, represent the events of the nativity. Thero was a famous company of Christmas mummers, n couplo of years ago In Havarla. with n magnificent looking first shopherd, who novor wcuiied of poking fun at the minister at finance. After theso roving villagers have recited their farago of nonsense, or It may bo thoir , 3rSe K lines of surpassing bonuty, before a person's ' houso thoy nro genornlly rownrded for their pains with gifts of lard, bacon and eggs, nut with nil tho mysticism nnd ultra sontl-montnl sontl-montnl ways of regarding Christmas tho German Ger-man novor forgets It Ib omtnontly a season of good cheer. Pork In every form and beer usually tako the placo of roast beef, turkey, and stronger drinks. Then thoy also havo the boar's head with n lomon Impaled botwecn Its "ETriuTtiiK' lufiira: 01CTmTnnntunr.rcy-iRtrca---back to Wotan's day. Tradition suys Wotan was fond of the boar's head, but It Is not easy to see whore tho lemon c6mcs In, as tha god wits certainly not familiar with this tart fruit. In ilraudcnburg and tho Uckermark any pig's ( head will do (tho stock of boar's heads would not hold out), nnd round this animal's head nro gnrnlshlngs of Bausago and greon cabbage. cab-bage. Silesia Is a provlnco which has espCclalty earned a reputation tor succulent dishes. Some ot tho most renowned or Gorman gastronoml-cul gastronoml-cul authorities have lent additional luster to tho placo by being born there. At Christmas tlmo tho dish moBt In request among tho Sllo-slans Sllo-slans Is a smoked pig's head with baked fruit -. packed In It, rnd ulso gonerously spread over the whole dish. This dainty rajolcos In the name of Hlmmelsrelch (tho kingdom ot heaven). In North Oormany the pig's head Is not as prominent as In the south. Hero thero Is moro miscellaneous Christmas eating, hearty enough but altogether In variance with American tnstes. Cakos ot all sizes and shapes are also baked and eaten, nnd some of theso havo a toughness or gutta-percha and a hardness or grnnlte. Theso cakes take tho firm of Knecht Ttuprecht. or Nlkolnus, angola and other l Christmas novelties. Somo of theso aro ) flavored with honoy, some with pepperj but all nro of such consistency that no ordinary grown up person could enjoy a Burtolt of them nnd survlvo tho feast. Only children seem to bo nble to eat these konlgbucken nnd livo. ' Thurlngln boasts of another curious Christmas delicacy which only tho Initiated can truly nppreclato, this is boiled suet dumplings dump-lings nnd herrings. Ono ennnot bo blamed for asking, why this mlxturo? Was tho herring alio ravorod by Wotan? Tho horrlng, as a Christmas dainty, is also ravored throughout Saxony, but there takes tho form of a salad, and Is caton with smoked l'v,k', aml n llollcnte kni' ot Bauerkraut., In which- sectta-vrnr prmnrncirr: Vtrcr-Saxony Vtrcr-Saxony peasant's Christmas table Is Invariably decked with theso dishes on Christmas eve. nnd remains thus spread out during tho nfght. His Idea In doing this Is that angels, possibly weury of nectnr and nmbrosla, may condescend to visit his humble abode while ho sleeps and rcgalo themsolves with Saxon smoked beer nnd herring salad. It Ib Interesting to watch tho transformation of n German vlllago nt Christmas from Its usually treeless appearnnco Into a town laid In a rarest or llrs. Wagon loads ot theso rosin-scouted rosin-scouted trees are sent from tho hills of Thurln-gla, Thurln-gla, tho Hartz and Silesia, and ore put up In even rows In the streets and squares of tho town. There Is nothing like It In any other country. For a rortnlght before the great feast theso long avenues of "Tnnnen" are crowded with eager purchasers, men, women nnd children of nil ages, nnd of ovory stutlon In life, Tho great desire of each Is to got a symmetrical tree, and as few trees aro literally liter-ally porrect In shape, It Is tho business or the tree merchant to uupply blanches nnd thus glvo tho treo tho desired roundness. It Is the tree that Is the attraction ot overy aoi'tuan homo from tho kalsor's, palace down to the humblest peasant's hut, and around it tho German's best and kindliest thoughts con ter. Tho treo Is not for tho Gormnn simply n convenient cluster ot mere boughs on which to stick candles nnd hang presents. It stands, for the most Bacred and most dread or all' trees, tho one onco erected on Mount Calvary, nnd has thus becomo the sign nnd seal ot his Christian faith. JS S S 5 S, |