The church bells break the terrible silence of the sunless towns on
Christmas morning, and as the fur-encased natives wend their way to
church, greeting one another as they meet, there is a faint approach
to joyousness. Of course there must be real sorrow and joy wherever
there is life and love, although among the Lapps it is hard to
discern.

During Yule-tide the Lapps visit one another, attend to what
governmental business there may be, give in marriage, christen the
children, and bury the dead, whose bodies have lain beneath their
covering of snow awaiting this annual visit of the Norwegian clergyman
for their final interment.

Think of Christmas without a tree, without wreaths and flowers,
without stockings full of gifts, with a dinner of reindeer meat and no
plum pudding! And imagine what would be his sensation could a Lapp
child be put into a home in England, America, Germany, or even in
other parts of Scandinavia! What would he say could he receive such
gifts as were given you last Christmas!

But Lapps are only a small part of the population of Norway. Norwegian
children have many jolly times around the Christmas trees and enjoy
hunting for their little gifts which are often tucked 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 feast, for all day long before
Christmas they are busy tying bunches of oats and corn on the trees,
the fences, the tops of houses and of barns, and on high poles which
they erect in the yards, until