Identifier: stnicholasserial301dodg (find matches)
Title: St. Nicholas (serial)
Year: 1873 (1870s)
Authors: Dodge, Mary Mapes, 1830-1905
Subjects: Children's literature
Publisher: (New York : Scribner & Co.)
Contributing Library: Information and Library Science Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Digitizing Sponsor: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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t serves tomake Christmas differ-ent from any other dayamong the Shakers.During all the rest ofthe year the men andwomen eat their mealsat separate tables. At sunset on Christ-mas day, after a ser-vice in the church, theymarch to the commu-nity-house, where thedinner is waiting. Themen sit on one side ofthe table and the wo-men on the other. Atthe head sits an oldman called the elder,who begins the mealby saying grace, afterwhich each one in turngets up and, lifting theright hand, says in asolemn voice, God islove. The dinner iseaten in perfect silence.Not a voice is heard until the meal comes to an end. Then the menand women rise and sing, standing in theirplaces at the table. As the singing proceedsthey mark time with their hands and feet. Then their bodies begin to sway from side toside in the peculiar manner that has given thissect its name of Shakers. When the singing comes to an end, theelder chants a prayer, after which the men andwomen silently file out and leave the building.
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AMONG THE PENNSYLVANIA GERMANS. You d better look out, or Pelznickel willcatch you! This is the dire threat held over HOW UNCLE SAM OBSERVES CHRISTMAS. 151 naughty boys and girls at Christmas-time in for such things are not so plentiful in Portosome of the country settlements of the Penn- Rico as they are in cooler climates. Instead ofsylvania Germans, or Pennsylvania Dutch, as stockings, the children use little boxes, whichthey are often called. Pelznickel is anothername for Santa Claus.But he is not altogetherthe same old Santathat we welcome sogladly. On Christmaseve some one in theneighborhood imper-sonates Pelznickel bydressing up as an oldman with a long whitebeard. Arming himselfwith a switch and car-rying a bag of toys overhis shoulder, he goesfrom house to house,where the children areexpecting him. He asks the parentshow the little ones havebehaved themselvesduring the year. Toeach of those who havebeen good he gives apresent from his bag.But — woe betide thenaughty ones !

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