Christmas in Germany.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXV, Issue XXVI, 29 December 1900, Page 1238

Christmas in Germany.

I am not quite sure which country is the children’s paradise. When lam reading about the Feast of Dolls for the girls, and the Feast of Flags for the boys, I feel inclined; to say that Japan must be that happy place; but when I read about the Christmas festivities in Germany I come to the conclusion that the children are more studied there than anywhere else. By the end of November the shops are crowded with pretty things, the streets are almost blocked with booths, and every square, street-cor-ner, and market-place is covered with forests of Christmas trees, of varlJec, sizes, from six inches to twelve feet. I suppose you want to know why they have such a number of different sizes. Let me tell you. Every fami'y in Germany has its Christmas tree. It may be only a few inches high and bear but a few sweets and flags on its tiny branches; but however poor the home may be, there is a tree. German trees are fixed on a thick board or block of wood weighted with lead. This board is decorated to represent a garden. There are wooden palings all around, the ground is covered with moss or pieces of fir, and little figures of stags, sheep, dogs, and shepherds made of clay, are put here and there, while an angel is hung from the tree above them. You won’t require me to tell you what all this means, but I expect you may be a little puzzled by the stags. There is a very pretty legend in Germany that the stag was the first earthly creature who noticed the angels coming to the shepherds on the first Christmas Day. It is said that he knelt down at once, therefore he must on no account be left out of the Christmas festival.

About a fortnight before Christmas all the youngsters look forward to the visit of St. Nicholas, whom they call Pelznickel. At six o’clock in the evening he generally arrives with a tremendous ring at the door-bell. What a hubbub there is when the, door is opened, and the good gentleman walks in! He is dressed in a big cloak, with a fur hat pulled well over his face; otherwise, you see, the youngsters would recognise him, for Pelznickel is really the father or uncle or big brother of the household. The elder children know this, of course, well enough; but the little ones do not. They have heard over and over again that St. Nicholas will be coming soon to punish them or to praise them, and they are anxiously watching to see whether he will give them a taste of the birch he carries in one hand, or some of the good things out of the bag he hnlds in the other. They listen, too, in awe-struck wonder as he speaks to Johnnie about a careless lesson, or to Mary about a naughty fit of temper. And when Pelznickel comes to them, they put their little hands together and whisper, as they have been told to do, "Christ-child, come; make me good that 1 may come to Thee in heaven.” Then Pelznickel speaks tenderly to those who have been good, and sternly to those who have been naughty, warning them to improve and to persevere liefore Christmas comes. And after that he throws a lot of nuts, app'es, swifts and cakes to the children, and whilst they are scrambling after them on the floor, he slips out of the house and is seen no more. On Christmas Eve a big bell is rung when everything is ready, the door of a room which has been locked up for days is thrown open, and the Christ-

mas tree is shown. What a monster it is! Although it is planted on the floor, it has to bend its head when it reaches the ceiling, and it is quite ablaze with hundreds of candles, and its boughs are bending under the weight of presents of all kinds. And the people who open the parcels, whether they are old or young, must feel glad that everyone has a share in their Christmas joy.—“ The Beacon.”