CHRISTMAS GAMES

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21355, 24 December 1934, Page 12 (Supplement)

CHRISTMAS GAMES

Most of the games played by our grandparents and great-grand-parents at Christmas time were warm games and even hot games; many of them entailed a great deal of running about, jumping and dodging hither and thither. This was because they were played at the coldest time of the year. As we have seen many times already, Christmas in December in old England or new England is a very cold and snowy affair. So all the young people and many of the old people arranged games and occupations that would keep everyone warm and cheerful. Of course, there were always the snowballing matches, the skating contests, and the exciting erections of snowmen. Who could build the best snowman? Who could make hint most; like a human being? Who could make him most like a scarecrow? Who could make him appear to laugh? Who could make him most firm and durable? All these questions were the inspiration of the small boys and girls of every village and of every district at Christmas time, year after year in the cold countries. It was a splendid game, this snowman building; it made the blood tingle and the cheeks glow, and it gave the best possible appetite for the Christmas dinner. When these outside games had been played to everyone's satisfaction there were the dozens of inside games waiting, even clamouring to be played. Always the white-berried mistletoe was hanging over doorways from the earliest time in the morning, and lads were sly in their ways of enticing lasses beneath, and lasses were often elusive at the last moment. As each lad succeeded in his endeavour he picked off a white berry for the kiss he had won: and when no berries remained the maids were safe once more and no longer found it exciting to pass rapidly under each mistletoe-festooned doorway. There were the old-fashioned games with pleasant, romantic names: hoodman blind, shoe the wild mare, hot cockles, steal the white loaf, bob-apple, snap-dragon; there were games to play more quietly by the fireside, guessing games, and those which called for the telling of tales and the singing of songs. And all to the accompaniment of old Christmas music and by the light of the great Yule log (or Yuul clog), fired from last year's brand, burning hotly in the huge open fireplace. In England now they still play some of these games, and they play others too; there are the old singing games for large indoor rooms, barns, or haylofts: The Mulberry Bush, Oranges and Lemons. The Jolly Miller, I Sent a Letter to My Love, and Lubin Loo; and there are games without number that bright children or popular uncles can invent: counting games with articles on trays, hearing, seeing, smelling games also with trays of articles and knocks on doors and so on; acting games, and spelling, rhyming, guessing, drawing, quoting, and hinting games. There are dozens of these, and dozens more may be made from them with slight alterations. For New Zealand children and children in other lands with very hot weather at Christmas time, there are the chase games to be played in the country or where sandhills give excellent hidingplaces or where groves of trees provide good dodging places from the blind-folded. There are all the water games to be played by swimmers or paddlers, team games or

competitive games for groups of players or for individuals. There are the sand games in which the players compete with one another and also with mother ocean as she comes creeping and creeping with small hissing noise. There are the racing and rounder games, which may be very well played upon the firm, damp sand left by the back-ward-creeping wavelets or on the springing green turf of .a country paddock where tall and full-leafed trees afford the occasional sheller necessary to heated runners. And 'if Christinas Day should chance to bring rain there are the old English indoor games and the writing and guessing games of winter parties. And if Ihe temperalure is more than 90 in the shade there is always the best game of all—the game of reading new books. Each player is for himself: his requirements are listed in the old song: O! for a booke and a shadie nooke, Eyther indoore or out; With the grene leaves whispering overheade, Or the street cryes all about. FOR THE BEACH "Follow the leader*' is a good game to pass away a quarter of an hour at the seaside. Those in the game, the more the better, form ix t line behind the leader, and follow him wherever he goes, and do all that he does. The leader can go in and out of the water, dive, roll about, somersault, jump, swim by any stroke, walk and run in all sorts of ways. Another excellent game can be played hy using an inflated motorcar inner tube and several very soft, light balls. One player swims under, and comes up with his head through the tube, keeping his position by gripping the sides with his hands. The others form a ring rpund him, treading water or standing. They have the balls, and try to hit the head of the player inside the motor-tube. He can duck as often as he wishes, but if he is hit changes places with the successful thrower. Old sponges make good balls for this game.

NURSERY RHYME (Rhyme and drawing by John McNamara)

Santa Claus is here once more, Marking the end of '34; He has a bursting bag of toys, For all good little girls and boys,